xi's moments
Home | Music & Theater

Twelve sounds drummed out for a city in distress

By Chen Nan | China Daily | Updated: 2020-03-21 09:39

Michael Ranta, 77, an American percussionist who first came across gongs made in China 63 years ago when he was in a high school orchestra.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Percussion instruments from Wuhan have been in the spotlight recently, with the celebrated composer Tan Dun premiering his latest work, 12 Sounds of Wuhan, during a concert in Belgium by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra on Feb 15.

Tan wrote the piece especially for the concert in Antwerp's Queen Elisabeth Hall, held in support of those suffering from the novel coronavirus. The performance paired 12 gongs made in Wuhan with the orchestra, which Tan conducted.

"In the music world we all knew of the city of Wuhan long before COVID-19," Tan wrote on his official website about the new piece.

"It's where Wuhan gongs are from. Together with the orchestra and the public in Antwerp I want to reflect on our physical vulnerability, express my condolences to the victims of the coronavirus and thank the scientists, doctors and governments for their efforts."

Percussion musical instruments made in Wuhan date back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). One of the best-known gong makers is Gaohongtai, founded in the city in 1914. In 2007 Hubei province listed the company's artisanship as an intangible cultural heritage.

"Gongs made by Gaohongtai connect Wuhan with the world's top symphony orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker and Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra because they use gongs made in Wuhan, a newspaper in the city, Chutian Metro Daily, said.

1 2 Next   >>|
Global Edition
BACK TO THE TOP
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349