Four strings bridge east to west
The thick strings loudly thrummed like the pattering rain; The fine strings softly tinkled in murmuring strain.
When mingling loud and soft notes were together played, ‘Twas like large and small pearls dropping on plate of jade.
–– Chinese poem, The Song of the Pipa Player, (810AD).
Yadong Guan has spent most of her lifetime playing an instrument that is more than two millennia old.
The Beijing-born pipa virtuosa, who now lives in Ottawa, visits the Vernon Performing Arts Centre next week to play the second performance of the North Okanagan Community Concert Association’s 2009-10 season.
The Morning Star contacted Guan by e-mail recently to ask her questions about her instrument of choice, and her musical career.
MS – What attracted you to play such an ancient instrument as the pipa?
YG – I love the sound of pipa: beautiful, lovely and powerful too. Yes, pipa is an ancient instrument, it has more than 2,000 years history, but it never ceased its development by generations. The playing technique has changed greatly, along with fine-tuned changes in its shape. Pipa is a chromatic and very expressive musical instrument.
MS – Did you have any musical mentors/instructors in China that helped you develop your musical gift?
YG – Yes, I followed different pipa professors in China. I was trained hard and strictly, but I am really proud that I met three professors who were the most renowned masters in performance and pedagogic in contemporary China, especially the grand master Lin-shi Cheng. He passed away in year 2006 and he is a person in a decisive position in Chinese pipa’s history of development. He only gave classes to graduate students at the master level, but I was the only one that took his classes as a high school student of a music school, and the classes lasted for seven years. He also organized and supervised the album, Classic Pipa Collection, which is my first professional recording with the Chinese national orchestra.
MS – The pipa is a 30-fret instrument unlike the classical guitar, which typically has 19, what are the other differences between the instruments?
YG – Four simple strings, the tuning is A D E A; pear shaped; no hole on the sound box of the instrument. It is different than guitar, oud, or lute, etc., but it has a more resounding sound effect than those instruments. It is probably because of the five artificial nails the pipa players put on their five fingers on (the) right hand. It is the reason why the pipa players need to be trained very strictly and hard for right hand finger movement, in order to have the strength, and equal volume with five fingers. From my experience, I think the techniques used by the playing hand required by pipa is more complicated than other plucked instruments.
MS – What initially brought you to Canada from Beijing in 1997?
YG – My husband was at that time studying in Canada, so I migrated to Canada as well for (a) family reunion.
MS – Your last recording, Fréquence Pékinoise, featured French composed music, including pieces by Quebec artists. What inspired you to take that route?
YG – In Fréquence Pékinoise, you can actually find more than just French/Quebecois music. There is Chinese folklore, Spanish music, Brazilian, English and western classical music. We tried different sounds and different styles just for one question: will pipa, one of the oldest musical instrument still in use today, and especially a Chinese instrument, be just good to stay in Chinese repertoire, or can it be played on the international stage with its unique, yet, versatile sound and techniques, to build a bridge between the east and the west?
MS – Is there anything new in your current repertoire where you explore different genres/sounds?
YG – Yes, currently I am working with a jazz composer for a new repertory. I will add drums and keyboard. I am not afraid to try different things, and I believe there is a reason behind the fact of pipa’s existence for more than 2,000 years, and is still played in present day. Pipa had and will find its proper role in the music world. I am excited to have opportunities to try these out!
Also in the last week, I just finished a recording for a group called Mozaica, which is a band of oud, lute(s), guitar, and pipa. We continue to explore the classic music from Europe to Asia. This is a beautiful album and the audience will love it!
This year I was also invited to arrange and compose Chinese religious music by Festival de music Sacrée de Quebec, so there was a show of pipa along with two other Chinese instruments and we got one dancer on the scene as well. The concerts were so successful.
MS – You have two French strings players joining you on this tour, cellist Christophe Lobel, and guitarist Christrophe Pratiffi. What kind of sound do the three of you generate? How do the instruments work together?
YG – In a word, harmony. Each one of us plays his/her part and the music just integrates so beautifully. In those pieces, there is no difference of Chinese or western. What you feel is music and its beauty. I believe you or the audience will find it by yourself in my concert.
MS – Finally, can you tell us some of the pieces you will play at your concerts here?
YG – Sure, my pleasure: Jasmine Flower (Chinese folklore); Agua y vinno (Brazil music, composed by E. Gismonti); Danse du munier (Spanish music, composed by Manuel de Falla); Fréquence Pékinoise (Claude Gagnon); The Moon Expresses my Heart (Chinese song); La fille aux cheveux de lin (Claude Debussy); Csardas (Vittorio Monti).
Guan takes the stage at the Performing Arts Centre at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Teresa Hwang is showing slides of a recent trip she took to China in the lobby before the performances. Individual tickets are $34.50, and the cost can be applied to a membership to see the remaining three NOCCA concerts this season. Tickets/memberships are available at the Ticket Seller, 250-549-7459.
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