Gu-Zheng
According to prehistoric legends, all music began with the mythical emperor Fu Hsi.
Actually, history and archeology indicate that the foundations of Chinese music were laid during the Shung Dynasty (apx. 1523 – 1028 B.C.) Several significant instruments were already in existence — the pitched sonorous stone (ch’ing), the pitched bronze bell (zhong), the globular flute, the panpipes and the reed mouth organ (sheng).
The spirit of Chinese music is deeply rooted in Confucian philosophy: Music is the harmony of Tian and Di (heaven and earth), and our ability and spiritual understanding of music. It explains that tones are the substance of music, whereas melody and rhythm are the appearance of tones. Thus, emphasis in Chinese music is on the single tones, its articulation, timbre, and inflection. This concept is manifested in ya yueh (ritual music) and the music for gu-zheng.
The gu-zheng is an ancient Chinese stringed musical instrument. The earliest written records appeared in the book Sher-Ji, written by the famous historian, Lee Si, in 237 B.C.
The gu-zheng has a long, slender, rectangular body with slightly convex longitudinal curve and sharper lateral curve. The strings are of graduated thickness, made of steel and copper wrapped with nylon, and rest on ivory tipped wooden bridges.
Performance of music on the gu-zheng is maintained today through the dedication of a few who choose not to allow this art to become extinct.
–Angela Jui Lee
ALBUMS BY ANGELA
The Moon Is High
Angela Jui Lee, gu-zheng
Contains the following arrangements by Angela Jui Lee:
- The Moon Is High (12:32) hear mp3 sample
- Liu Shui (Moving Water) (6:00) hear mp3 sample
- Emerging Lily (4:46)
- Spring River (12:54) hear mp3 sample
- Sunset Flight of Geese (4:20)
- Autumn Thoughts (5:15)
- Plum Blossom (8:27) hear mp3 sample
Heart’s Strings
Angela Jui Lee, gu-zheng
Contains the following arrangements by Angela Jui Lee:
- Twilight Return of the Fishing Boats (5:26) hear mp3 sample
- Bouquet Embellishments (2:46)
- Weaving Maidens (4:42) hear mp3 sample
- Majestic Mountain (3:35)
- Yi’s Courting Dance (8:57) hear mp3 sample
- Moon over Han Palace (3:18)
- Heady Celebration of the Autumn Harvest (4:00) hear mp3 sample
- Xiang Fei’s Tears (5:50)
- Demise of the Last Dynasty (2:52)
- Summer Thunder (2:37)
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