East meets west in the woods.
BobH | Boston, MA | 06/05/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If pines and cedars have individual voices, then the title works well for the music contained on this CD. The music is varied in tone, color, emotion, culture, and impact. In some cases it conjures up feelings of a contemporary pastoral piece, albeit, a woodsy version. Some sections bring us to a deeper contemplative feeling while others seem to reflect the rough and natural aspects of the woods. The music is difficult and challenging, east and contemporary west, especially for those not accustomed to a heavy dose of Chinese music. It is jagged and emphatic at times. It is heavily on the eastern Chinese sounds mixed with western approach and structures. On several tracks the spotlight falls on the very eastern instrument, the pipa, an ancient Chinese stringed instrument, while some tracks utilize larger orchestration and its western instrumentation. The variety also comes in the form of concrete sounds and solo fragments, the spacing is very modern. Space between the sounds in considered fully on several tracks, being almost meditative or mystical. It is a purposeful and intricate presentation, one that requires focus and concentration
In the end it is a true combination of Chinese music and contemporary concert music. I enjoyed this CD and many others will, especially those with an ear for the eastern approach in music.
Also note the updated track listings:
1. 66 Times: The voice of Pines and Cedars - 16:44 (4 tracks)
2. Fu I - 7:23
3. Twice Removed - 7:51
Fu II - 11:10
4. Shui - 12:18 (3 tracks)
"