Search - Various Artists :: Phases Of The Moon: Traditional Chinese Music

Modern Scores of Traditional Themes

Giordano Bruno | Wherever I am, I am. | 10/30/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been searching for a CD of uncompromising traditional/classical Chinese music. This is not it. Most of the tracks are 1950s and 1960s performances by The Chinese Broadcasting Traditional Instruments Orchestra, with up to 70 members indeed playing traditional instruments but not in traditional ensembles. Instead these are "orchestral" compositions of early Communist China, with obviously westernized musical structures. Still they are not all bad. In fact, a couple of tracks are quite enjoyable, equal to and rather comparable to the ballet suites of Aaron Copeland. On the other hand, a couple of tracks are pure Hollywood epic music, and for those misbegotten moons I'm deducted a star. But notice the price! If you have any taste for muiscal travel, go ahead, buy it! It's surely worth the chance."

Great Starter CD for Traditional Chinese Music

Olivia | 09/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was invited by my son's school to give a presentation on Chinese culture this past Chinese New Year (Feb 08). For music, I chose this CD and "Classical Chinese Folk Music".

This is a great starter CD if you want to learn traditional Chinese music. The pieces are performed in the 60s & 70s by a Chinese Orchestra using traditional instruments. The modernized music structures made it much more enjoyable (ambient) than the traditional way of playing - using fewer instruments, heavily ladden with emotional edge, due to Chinese music's moral or historical contents. That would have been much harder to swallow.

Check out "Classical Chinese Folk Music" next, which follows closer to traditions, but still very enjoyable."