Chinese music concert enthralls music lovers

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 2: Music lovers got enthralled with the symphony of Chinese music in Kathmandu on Thursday evening.

Altogether 14 musical items were presented in the show, Silk Road Chinese Music Concert,  organised by Suzhou Chinese Orchestra and presented by China Golden Bell Stars Ensemble.

Music history of China came to light along with the show as it featured compositions focused on particular instruments, for instance, the Dizi solo. Dizi is flute and the solo playing of this instrument took back the people to seven thousand years ago when flute playing in China began. 

Guzheng is considered to be the Chinese sitar and its playing made the people understand how countries have different names for almost similar musical instruments.

Pipa playing has been popular for over two millennia in China and in the concert the instrument was played the way it was composed to describe a battle in China some 2,200 years ago.

Suona is another Chinese traditional musical instrument, which is similar to that of Nepali Sanai, and the instrument is played on happy occasions in China, according to the information provided during the concert. The difference between Sanai and Suona is that Suona sounds much sharper than Sanai.

The singing of Xinjiang Folk Song made the Nepali audience reflect on the similarity between the Nepali and the Chinese folk songs, especially the slow melody.

It is interesting to note that Erhu, which is considered to be Chinese Sarangi, is very popular in China as Sarangi is in Nepal. It was informed in the show that Erhu playing started some 1400 years ago and it has been popular ever since.

The song Resham Firiri is very common and popular in Nepal. It was spellbinding to hear the Chinese artists play the music of the popular Nepali song in the concert.