Tan Dun gave the Kennedy Center's Festival of China a triple helping of his talents Monday. The Chinese American composer, conductor and video producer brought his odyssey THE MAP: CONCERTO FOR CELLO, VIDEO AND ORCHESTRA to life with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and cellist Wendy Sutter. Tan, most famous for his film score for CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, effectively integrated technically sophisticated video with the music onstage.
The field video recordings used in THE MAP captured passionate antiphonal singing, intriguing tongue singing, emphatic percussive dance and other images of ethnic musical life in Hunan province. The interaction of audio-video and live music connected generations and cultures across years and over continents.
Without visual images, Bright Sheng painted a vivid travelogue in his POSTCARDS, four miniatures using Chinese melodies woven in a tonal setting. Solidly led by Chen Xieyang, the players strove to emulate traditional Chinese timbres with their Western orchestral instruments.
— Gail Wein, Washington Post
Tan Dun
THE MAP
Cello; 2(2pic).2(ca).1+Ebcl(bcl).1+cbn/2221/
4perc/hp/str and video
Wendy Sutter, cello
Tang Junqiao, bamboo flute
Shanghai Symphony/Tan Dun
Bright Sheng
POSTCARDS
1(pic).2(ca).1(Ebcl,bcl).2/2100/2perc/
pf(cel)/str
Shanghai Symphony/Chan Xieyan
17 October 2005; Kennedy Center,
Washington, DC
