Plucked Strings
Ding Yi Music Company

Esplanade Recital Studio
April 17

Double Feature
Chen Le & Friends

National Library Building
April 19

There is no better way of getting close to Chinese musical instruments than attending concerts from Ding Yi Music Company’s chamber music series, which often involve an interesting and unusual repertoire that stimulates and empowers the listener.

Seven contrasting works in this 90-minute concert offered a deep dive into the world of plucked strings. The guzheng is haunting on its own, as Yvonne Tay proved in Liu Le’s serenely beautiful Sound Of Emerald. Even in the plain heterophony of The Deep Night (arranged by Liu Dehai), five instruments in unison – two pipas, along with a zhongruan, guzheng and yangqin – provided a satisfying simplicity.

Sonic textures varied when more instruments entered the fray. The world premiere of Cao Wen Gong’s Sweetness In Every Step upped the ante, accompanied by cello and percussion. In Liu Xing’s Dance, Chua Yew Kok’s pipa and Wong Wai Kit’s zhongruan gave rhythmic impetus, with unusual results. This animated romp had a beat closer to Western jazz than Chinese music.

Two concertante works were showcases of solo virtuosity, with Tan Jie Qing’s yangqin first putting a shine on Wong Fei Yun’s Ten-Mile Red Dowry. This dramatic work opened slowly, then gradually ramped up to a fast dance before receding into quietude.

Zhang Ying, pipa principal of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, was the memorable guest in Luk Wai Chun’s Moments Between Ledges And Frets. Belying its mundane title, this was an imperious display of pipa as both string and percussion instrument. Accompanied by 14 players and conductor Dedric Wong, its ten minutes of contemporary idioms defied expectations by providing a visual spectacle and an entertaining listen.

The work that truly summed up the evening was Li Bo Chan’s Sorrowfully And Quietly. Five plucked instruments (including two ruan) placed centre stage coursed through ruminative and playful moments before a surprise. It was Bekhzod Oblayorov’s cello that had the big tune at its conclusion.

Unlike Ding Yi’s clear intentions, the world premiere of Double Feature (2024) by Nanjing-born and locally-based composer Chen Le was left nebulous, perhaps deliberately. Was this a concert work or a piece of theatre? Was Chinese or Western music being played?

Held at the National Library Building’s ground floor foyer, its six movements opened with Hu Tao Jiazi playing violin exercises. She was later joined by soprano Zhang Jie singing in Mandarin and English, which included a spot for audience participation.

This was merely a prelude to the entrance of Beijing opera artist Ren Wei Chen, playing Chang Er (moon goddess of Chinese mythology), clearly the production’s star, accompanied by the composer on piano.

Her elaborate make-up and period outfit bedecked with jewelled finery were matched by an intense Chinese operatic voice and intense gaze. Both vocalists, understandably, did not sing together, instead alternating their acts of divergent idioms.

The absence of projected texts and transliterations was a handicap, so one had to be content with enjoying the stunning visuals. That was until Chang Er’s accessories and headpiece were removed to reveal that the titular moon goddess was being played by a man.

What remained after that was more violin music, accompanied by piano four hands (Chen with Zhao Ling Yan). Lasalle College of the Arts’ head of contemporary music Timothy O’Dwyer also made a cameo improvising on saxophone, with no relation to the earlier 45 minutes.

Despite interesting ideas, Double Feature is a work in progress, falling short of the sum of its parts.