#3475: Music Based on East Asian Stories
For this New Sounds listen to ambitious works inspired by East Asian storytelling. There’s music based on one of the classic Chinese epic tales – “Monkey,” as retold and done up by Damon Albarn (of the Brit- pop band Blur, and of the animated rock band, Gorillaz), and Jamie Hewlett with many other participants. “Monkey: Journey to the West” is a mammoth music theatre work/hybrid opera performed in Mandarin and features over 50 Chinese acrobats, martial arts experts and a team of tiny contortionists.
Plus, there’s music from Chinese alternative rocker Song Yuzhe, operating under the name DaWangGang, who has made an unexpected and bewildering combination of Chinese opera & folk, with throat-singing, Buddhist chant, & the horsehair fiddle, to boot. Also, listen to music by the late saxophone player Fred Ho that draws on martial arts films, Japanese manga and anime.
PROGRAM # 3475, Based on East Asian stories (First aired on 6/4/2013)
|
ARTIST(S) |
RECORDING |
CUT(S) |
SOURCE |
|
DaWangGang |
Wild Tune Stray Rhythm |
Meeting Two Wizards On the Mountain Road [6:06] |
Jaro 4312 |
|
Damon Albarn/Jamie Hewlett |
Monkey: Journey to the West |
Disappearing Volcano [6:09] |
XL Records, #388. |
|
Fred Ho |
Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon |
In A Silent Way I Seek My Prey [5:26] |
Big Red Media / Innova - #788 |
|
Tan Dun, featuring Yo-Yo Ma. |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Eternal Vow; Silk Road [9:12] |
Sony Classical #89347 |
