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The Wu style guqin master Wang Duo will stage two recitals in December. In addition to classic guqin pieces including "Flowing Water", "High Mountains", "Dialogue between the Fisherman and the Woodcutter" and "Wild Geese Landing on Smooth Sand", Wang will also sing and play four string songs, namely "Yu-Mei-Ren", "All Red the River", "Xing-Xiang-Zi" and "The Crow's Caw at Night".
The guqin, often known simply as the qin, is an ancient Chinese string instrument. The qin was traditionally favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the old saying "a gentleman does not part with his qin". Within the genre there are different schools, each of which follows different ideas and artistic traditions.
Wu refers geographically to the regions known today as Suzhou, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The Wu stylistic school of qin studies therefore refers to the provenance of this region. It has a long history that dates back to qin master Cai Yong of the Eastern Han period, who introduced it to the Wu area with the help of his pupils. Soon those who learned the qin covered all of Jiangnan, an area south of the Yangtze. The Wu school's lineage thus goes back to China's relatively early years, as reflected in the famous comment by Zhao Yeli, a Tang qin master, "The Wu style is limpid and soft, meandering like the Yangtze and with slow, lingering sounds that fade off".
Two leading lights among contemporary masters are Wu Lansun and his son Wu Zhaoji, from Gusu. Their style is based on both the Wu school and the Yushan school, hence the "Wumen qinpai" or "Wu family qin school", which differentiates it from the more generic Wu (region) stylistic school.
Wang Duo received guqin training under Wu Zhaoji at a young age, and inherited his mentor's flair in creating a distinctive ethos while playing the qin. He advocates expressing the inherent didactic meaning of the qin, and looks for the metaphysical states of harmony, quietude, clarity and profundity. Wang upholds the tradition of using silk-string qins and teaches by example, encouraging his pupils to make high-quality silk strings for their own use. From 2004 to 2010 he held recitals in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei. Wang is currently an adviser to the Kunju and Guqin Research Society of China and the China Academy of Guqin, and Vice President of the International Society of Guqin for Life Enhancement.
"Recital on Silk String Guqin by Wang Duo" is one of the programmes in the Nan Lian Garden Music Series presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It will be staged at 2.30pm and 7.30m on December 29 (Sunday) at the Xiang Hai Xuan Multi-purpose Hall, Nan Lian Garden. Tickets priced at $220 (free seating) are now available at URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by telephone credit card booking. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20 per cent is offered for the Nan Lian Garden Music Series and group booking packages. Please refer to the programme leaflet for discount details. A Meet-the-Artists session (conducted in Putonghua) will be held after the first performance.
The Nan Lian Garden Music Series also includes "The Charm of Qin" by the Deyin Qin Society (December 17), "Guqin Recital by Lau Chor-wah" (January 11, 2014), "Guqin Recital by Sou Si-tai" (January 18, 2014), "Guqin Recital by Tse Chun-yan" (January 19, 2014), "Guqin Recital by Cheng Gongliang and Dai Xiaolian" (February 8, 2014) and "Guqin Recital by Zeng Chengwei and Zeng He" (February 15, 2014).
To tie in with the production, a lecture on the guqin (to be conducted in Putonghua) will be held by Wang Duo at 2.30pm on January 1, 2014, at the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served-basis.
For enquiries on the programme and lectures, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_408.html . Ticketing enquiries can be made on 2734 9009 and telephone credit card bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk .
Ends/Thursday, November 28, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:33
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