#2464: Bamboo, Silk and Stone

There’s new music for the zither from Korea, Japan, and China on this edition of New Sounds, with works by Mei Han & Barry Truax, David Bowie, and Korean-American komungo (Korean fourth century fretted board zither) virtuoso Jin Hi Kim. Mei Han studied Chinese classical zither, but has since moved to Canada and experimented with everything from free improvisation to computer music. We’ll hear her performing John Oliver’s beautifully bluesy Purple Lotus Bud, for zheng and string quartet; and Bamboo, Silk and Stone, written by Raine-Reusch and electroacoustic pioneer Barry Truax in 1987. Plus, Chinese pipa player Wu Man picks up the zhong ruan (a plucked string instrument from the Qin Daynasty circa 200 BC), teaming up with the Kronos Quartet on Lachrimae Antiquae, from the 1997 release called “Early Music.” And much more.

PROGRAM # 2464 New music For Asian Strings (First aired on Tues. 10/18/05)

ARTIST(S)	RECORDING	CUT(S)	SOURCE
Mei Han	Outside The Wall	Barry Truax: Bamboo, Silk and Stone [9:30]	Za Discs #12 www.asza.com
David Bowie (w/Brian Eno)	“Heroes”	Moss Garden [5:00]	Virgin #21908 Available at Amazon.com*
Jin Hi Kim	Komungo	Dance of Meditation [6:30]	Oo Discs #70 www.oodiscs.com
Kronos Quartet (w/Wu Man)	Early Music	John Dowland: Lachrymae Antiquae [4:00]	Nonesuch 79457** www.nonesuch.com * Try Amazon.com*
Mei Han (w/Borealis Quartet)	Outside the Wall	Purple Lotus Bud [16:30]	See above.
Kazue Sawai Koto Ensemble	Live, WNYC, 5/8/90	Tadao Sawai: Homura, excerpt [6:00]	Not recorded commercially. Other Kazue Sawai recordings have been released only in Japan.

Find the recordings you've heard - go to the New Sounds Recordings Information page