Outside The Wall

MEI HAN – “Outside the Wall”
Za Discs, 2005

CHINA/CANADA – Han is an ethnomusicologist and master of the zheng, a 21-stringed Chinese zither. This disc consists mostly of new or recent works (1967-2005) by modernist composers, all but two are solo pieces. The zheng is a very versatile instrument, and Han gets a wide range of textures and moods from it, with near-silent plucking at one moment and a bold harplike sweep the next. This is serious art music, well rendered.

Traditionalists, try 1 & 2. Experimentalists, try 8 & 9.

1. 6:29 – medley of old court tunes: quiet and pensive at first, then upbeat

2. 9:38 – a dramatic, tricky, and very expressive piece written for Japanese koto.

3. 6:36 - 4th-century song(!) in 3 variations: slow & serious, gently folksy, and back

4-7. a short suite: first quiet, then bolder with complex structure and big spaces. About 6 minutes total.

8. 16:22 – with string quartet!: abstract strings and spare zheng blossom into a wistful melody with almost Appalachian touches, then roam through many moods/modes, from gentle and pastoral to raw and scary, using both Chinese and European classical ideas.

9. 9:20 – electro-acoustic work with other instruments manipulated on tape, very atmospheric and unsettling, with a big crescendo midway through.

[Fo] 1/6/06