words yvonne teh

The HK Chinese Orchestra salutes the patron saint of love.

“Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,” goes that oft-quoted line from Rudyard Kipling’s The Ballad of East and West. But as Hong Kongers know full well, that is far from many a historic or contemporary experience. Take, as an example, the decision by the HK Chinese Orchestra (HKCO) to mark the day of love in February named after a Christian saint with a Chinese-music concert on each of the two days leading up to February 14.

“With its big focus on the theme of love, the Valentine’s Concert 2008 can be looked upon as a package designed for couples,” says Mainland China’s He Zhanhao, the concert’s special guest conductor and the composer of virtually all the featured works, some of which are paeans to traditional love while others manifest “a more contemporary spirit”.

But while readers can easily tell that the Yue song entitled My Dear Husband, You Are Like the Moon in the Sky is perfect for commemorating Valentine’s Day, a knowledge of Chinese literature and related culture is needed to better appreciate a few of the other works. As an example, Lu You and Tang Wan might not sound all that romantic if the two names in its title don’t ring any bells. However, those familiar will know that the piece is a tribute to amour that tells the romantic tale of Lu You, a poet of the Song Dynasty, and the love of his life, Tang Wan.

The performer of Lu You and Tang Wan is a Shanghai-based ethnic music specialist famed for being the first soloist to combine a variety of art forms in a single live performance: in her presentation the multi-talented Luo Xiaoci will produce Chinese calligraphy as well as play the zheng and provide vocal accompaniment in the form of a poetry recital!

However, there is little doubt that for many folks the highlight of this Valentine’s Concert 2008 will still be the performance of The Butterfly Lovers Concerto composed by conductor He and Chen Gang in 1959. A heart-tugging composition inspired by the much beloved legend of Zhu Yingtai and Liang Shanbo, two star-crossed lovers magically transformed into a couple of butterflies, it is a very famous piece whose theme millions, if not billions, of people will easily recognize and hum.

Although it is best known in the West as a violin concerto, the work will be performed on an erhu by virtuoso Xu Hui at this HKCO concert. Hearing it being played on that instrument, Xu feels, will remind people that it is an orchestral adaptation of a popular Chinese opera, since the erhu is one of the instruments used to accompany Chinese opera singing. Listeners might also be reminded of the long history of The Butterfly Lovers legend, the earliest record of which dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE).

Over the years, the story of the Butterfly Lovers has been taken to heart by many, be it in the form of a literary work, Chinese opera or feature film. Xu, a self-confessed romantic, is one. Describing the tale of ‘China’s Romeo and Juliet’ as “sad, tragic” but also “full of love”, she says she has a triple concern when playing the piece: “I focus on the music and the feelings I get from the music but also the story [itself]”.

And although she doesn’t directly refer to the work when she says, “I think the erhu is very suitable for expressing the inner self and inner feelings. No matter how sad or happy you feel, you need to find a way to express that emotion from your heart,” here final sentence at least seems apt for both The Butterfly Lovers and Valentine’s Day itself.

The HK Chinese Orchestra’s Valentine’s Concert 2008 will take place on February 12 and 13 at the HK City Hall’s Concert Hall. Performances will commence at 8pm. Tickets are $300, $200 and $100 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.