Central Ensemble of National Music Performed for the U.S. Audience (1984)

(The following article is taken from NACA Newsletter, No. 6, January 15, 1985)

Upon the conclusion of its performances at the 1984 Summer Olympics Art Festival in Los Angeles, Calif., the Central Ensemble of National Music toured the U.S. and gave numerous performances at other cities bringing Chinese music to a varied American audience. It was probably the first time that the American public was given performances of Chinese music by an ensemble of such high repute.

The Central Ensemble of National Music was founded in 1960 in Beijing charged with the important work of preserving the rich musical heritage of China's ancient culture. Today, it consists of a composition and research center, a wind and string orchestra of national instruments and a chorus. Under the dedicated guidance of the renowned composer, Li Huanzhi and vocalist, Tang Rongmei, the Ensemble had over the past twenty four years assembled an extensive collection of Chinese classical and folk music and performed concerts to wide acclaim in countries around the world.

The artists of the Ensemble have left their footprints on the vast land of China and in more than twenty countries, giving performances, lectures as well as participating in research and professional exchanges. In this occasion, the Ensemble performed for the American audience a variety of classical music, ballads, folk music and folk songs.

One of the pieces in its rich and diversed repertoire is called Prince Qin Storms the Enemy Lines, which is based on the long lost Tang Dynasty score. Chinese and foreign musicologists have been trying form many years to reconstruct the music for modern performance. The version performed for the American audience was based on the reconstruction by He Changlin. When it was first performed in June 1983, it attracted great attention from musicologists. According to historical records, this music was popular among the soldiers of Prince Qin, Li Shimin, the son of the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty. After ascending the throne in 627, Li Shimin ordered his musicians to improve the music, put words to it, and created a dance to go with it. It was then performed at court as grand entertainment. At long last, the music was awakened from its sleep and performed for a worldwide audience.

There were also zheng solos: Lotus in the Pond, and Celebrating a Bumper Harvest; seng solos: The Phoenix Spreads its Wings, and A Love Song from Lanchang River; erhu solos: The Moon Reflected in the Pond, and Spring South of the Yangtze River; soprano solos: Meng Jiangnu, The Lovers Farwell, Tea-pickers' Dance, girls of the Ali Mountains, Jasmine, and Beloved Homeland; classical Chinese bell music: Plum Blossom-Three Variations; pipa solos: Ambushed on Ten Sides, Chen Xingyuan Placates the Tribesmen, Naughty Children, and Yi Dance Music; banhu solos: Daqiban, and The Beautiful Tanshikuergan; bawu solo and flute solo: Fishermen's Song, and Birds in the Woods, tenor solos: Yanguan Melody, How Long it Has Been Since You Were Here, and My Companion, Dongbula; wind and string music for ensemble: Ye Shen Chen, Spring on A Moonlit River, Jiang Jun Ling, and A Yao Dance; percussion ensemble: Ducks Quarrelling, and The Tiger Gnashing its Teeth; Guangdong music and Chaozhou music: Rain Drops on Banana Grove, Thunder After Drought, Peace and Joy, and Butterfies Among Flowers.

On August 14, 1984, the twenty-member Ensemble gave a performance in Boston at the Kresge Auditorium of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The program was co-sponsored by NACA-Boston and the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association of New England by arrangement with the Chinese Music Society of North America. Being a rare occasion for music lovers in the New England area, the concert, priced at $15, $12, and $8 and accommodating 1400, was completely sold out with many more wanted to share the experience. Finally, in arrangement with the M.I.T. audio department, an audio simulcast was set up so that anohter two hundred persons paying $5 each wer able to enjoy a wide-screen video display of the performance in a separate theatre.

The organizers received many benefactors and sponsors for the program, who contributed $250 and $100, respectively. Also, there were six corporate sponsors donating $1000 each. As a whole, the concert was an overwhelming success in both its artistry and audience response. Chinese music was finally making an emergence in America. [End of article]

* Members of the ensemble were given a tour of Boston.

* The China Performing Arts Troupe also visited Boston the same year. NACA-Boston also co-sponsored a program.