Right line
Yangzhou Opera Cultural Park recently held a guqin (a seven-stringed zither) concert where tradition and innovation blossomed, presenting the audience with an audio-visual cultural feast that traversed time and space.
Performers gather on the concert stage. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
The concert commenced with Who Is Singing. In the skilled hands of several seasoned performers, majestic tunes from traditional musical instruments such as guqin, se (a 25-stringed zither with movable bridges) and xiao (a vertical bamboo flute) echoed through the venue, evoking the ancient ritual of Emperor Yao's musical sacrifices and embodying the time-honored Chinese philosophy of "heaven and human are united as one".
A singer and musicians playing traditional instruments present Shi Hua Shou Xi Hu (Poetic Painting of Slender West Lake). [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
Evening highlights included several compositions tailored for Yangzhou, with Shi Hua Shou Xi Hu standing out. Through a harmonious blend of guqin, guzheng (Chinese plucked zither), xiao, and vocals, attendees were taken on a captivating musical journey through the city's rich history and the lake's breathtaking scenery.
Players of traditional Chinese and Western instruments perform A Short Song Ballad. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
The climax of the concert arrived with the renowned A Short Song Ballad, heroic verses created by Cao Cao, an ancient Chinese warlord from the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280). Amid the sounds of guqin, xiao, piano, and percussion, the millennia-old sentiment of generosity and ambition deeply resonated with listeners, prompting many to hum along.
After the performance, Li Ming, a guqin enthusiast, said, "The concert was exquisite! As a lover of the guqin, I seek performances that blend authenticity with innovation. I look forward to more such high-caliber events in the future".
