Guo Ya-zhi - Sorrow of the River

Guo Ya-zhi — Sorrow of the River

Numbered, limited edition one-step half-speed mastered 180-gram LP

Half-speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios

One-step plating and pressing

Sorrow of the River consists of traditional and contemporary Chinese music pieces performed on Suona and other Chinese instruments.

MA is extremely honored and proud to present Guo YaZhi, principal suona player in the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Try putting Guo YaZhi's name into Google and see what you get! Guo is truly a phenomenon and we are all very fortunate to have such a spectacular recording on MA.

The suona, best described as a traditional Chinese oboe (with roots in Central Asia), has a sound that is shrill, powerful and very loud! In northern China it is prominently played in festivals, military affairs and wedding processions. On Sorrow of the River Guo YaZhi not only plays Suona, but other exotic reed instruments, in ensemble with other Chinese musicians, including his wife He Tao (also a member of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra) on Er Hu, the two stringed Chinese violin. For those with an interest in Chinese culture, this recording should prove a real gem. Perhaps the most accessible track to western ears might be the duet with He Tao on which Guo plays Soprano Saxophone ala Kenny G (!?!). Although I am not a fan of Mr. G, the track is truly beautiful, being the well-known traditional "Reflection of Moon Upon Er Quan."

For those with audiophile tendencies, "The Marriage Journey" (track one) starts with a thunderous low frequency drum that will definitely shake some windows (if one is not careful with one's initial gain settings...)!!

As a final note, the title track "Sorrow of the River" is one of the most famous traditional pieces in Chinese traditional music and Guo played on the instrument for which it was originally intended.

 

Side A

1. The Marriage Journey

2. Sorrow of the River

3. Birds Pay Tribute to the Phoenix

4. Love for My Homeland

5. Sailing at Night

Side B

1. Reflection of Moon upon Er Quan

2. Three Variations on Yang Guan

3. Chit Chat

4. Lovers Lingering

Be the first to write a review for this item OR just rate it