I cried the first time I heard that. I was alone and driving home late one night.
The piece was originally written in Western style in 1959 by two Chinese men. The music was suppressed until the 1970's. Recently, the work has been "de-Westernized" by replacing the traditional orchestral instruments with traditional Chinese ones.
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Last night we went upstairs in batches. The elevators are small. Not intended to hold a lot of people. The hostess, "Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs? Are you ready to go upstairs?
"Sure we're ready to go upstairs."
"Wait a few minutes right here. [Some guy] said promise to give him a few minutes to get his flute ready.
Just like the military, hurry up to wait. What was that even about?
Relax Chip, you have forever.
We get up, say, eight of us. Then another batch then another. And it really was lovely stepping onto the roof with the dead flat pool and hearing the haunting sound of a single wooden flute. I was expecting a modern metal one. No. An odd folk flute. And it really was a beautiful sound.
From a distance it's beautiful. Hauntingly beautiful.
We collect in groups, a patio table here, a patio lounge there, a chair grouping here, another table there, we're reacquainting ourselves again. I'm in ernest intimate conversation with a professor about photography, the furniture is all spread out. Large planters with topiaries and the usual stuff pouring out. Nothing elaborate but all well considered. Then the flautist began wandering around moving into conversations. Intruding. Coming close with his flute aiming it like a weaponized vuvuleza.
I'm playing the flute
I'm playing the flute
I'm playing the flute
I'm playing the flute
The guy at the Fort restaurant in Morrison did the EXACT same thing. So haunting outside on the speakers, a very nice touch, then inside at our table the flautist comes over and toots his flute right at the table like a goddamn mariachi band. Son of BITCH can't you just have a conversation without the musician insisting on himself?
That's right, Lois, he's insisting on himself.
Insisting on himself, Lois.
Insisting on himself.
He describes his flute. He's very proud of it. Authentic, you see. Authentic American indian. An American Indian friend made if for him, you see. It's a special treasure of authentic American indian flute history, this guy at the Ft. restaurant is VERY conversational.
"That's interesting, Mr. Flute Player. Goodness, we learn something new every day, don't we. This changes a lot I must reconsider. I didn't know American indians used bamboo."
"Uh. Oh, they do."
"Oh. Wow."
[No they don't, FuckFace, who do you think you're talking to? ]
Well.
Never mind.
Still, I am grateful for this post and the comments attached to it.
So clarifying, both ^.
[[No they don't, FuckFace, who do you think you're talking to? ] ]
I can only assume that I am among the FuckFaces, if not--thanks be, if indeed NOT so!!--THE FuckFace.
----
Thanks be that I still manage, with struggle, to adamantly manage to NOT allow others (any others) to rob me of my great, profound, bone-and-soul-and-mind-and-heart, life-long, love of music and musical instruments and musicians.
Not to mention reading.
I could swear I've heard this before... do all Chinese music sound alike?
Nah, i'm just kidding.
It's beautiful.
Nice way to wake up this morning.
It's that time of year when Monarchs come through the upper Midwest, but their numbers are way down.
The secret is the erhu.
Here's a guy in his apartment youtube playing one.
Onoe of my favorites that I never found the exact arrangement of, recorded off Radio Taipei on shortwave long ago, Love Song of the Plain youtube.
The Beijing Childrens' Choir has sometimes good pieces, though there's a tendency to go into western "beautiful music" genre too often.
You know what really sucks? When you are at a party and there is a guy there who plays the skin flute. He insists on telling you about it all night long and harrauranging you and he will insist you go to his wedding and bake him a cake or he will have the government put you in jail for discrimination or some other bullshit.
Now that really sucks. So to speak.
@Chip and Troop: You guys need to listen past the first minute of flute. Wait for the violin and cello duet.
@r,l: I had you in mind as I posted it. Of course I botched the text. I should have said that the arrangement was de-Westernized and not the music itself.
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