The zheng, whilst perhaps an unfamiliar sight to a British audience, has a history that dates back over 2,500 years and yet remains the most popular instrument in China. Today’s recital sees Yi Dong, the most celebrated international soloist of any Chinese national musical instrument of her generation perform a mixture of traditional pieces alongside more modern compositions from provinces throughout China, taking the audience on an auditory tour of the vast nation. The solos are carefully selected in terms of their geographical resonance, musically representing a multitude of provinces, from the edges of Shanghai to the Tibetan mountains.
From the opening notes of a modern composition by He Zhan-hao titled ‘Fragrant Jasmine’, Dong’s mastery of the instrument and its lasting appeal are evident. Almost harp-like in its sound, the zheng is incredibly complex yet delicately beautiful. Its transcendent qualities lend gravitas to the show’s premise of a journey throughout China.
Yi Dong blends these contemporary compositions with more traditional pieces which, in their incredible texture of sound, she asserts have a ‘cultural resonance with the ethos of Impressionism’. She explains that Chinese philosophers traditionally regard music as having the ability to train thinkers and ensure a balance of sense and sensibility. It is in what she calls these ‘more scholarly pieces’ that Yi Dong’s talent and dexterity is at its most remarkable, as a note is never out of place.
However, the performance’s highlight is in her rendition of another He Zhan-ho’s compositions, ‘Moonrise’, which Yi Dong explains evokes the story of the Emperor’s forbidden love. Tonally it’s romantic and yearning, as reflected by the restrained notes of the opening of the piece, before being punctuated by dark swells of passion.
