Guqin 古琴 - Ping Sha Luo Yan

One of the most beloved of all qin pieces, Ping Sha Luo Yan ("Geese Descend on Level Sands") exists in dozens of variants across handbooks and schools. It practically constitutes a genre unto itself, as masters mining its depths find stately beauty, stark aggression, lyrical playfulness, and countless other emotional shades. Here I follow the Guangling tradition, particularly as illuminated by Gong Yi and Wu Wenguang.

In the poetic world that generated Ping Sha, geese migrate southward, the direction of escape and exile. The piece meditates on the freedom of these birds to do as they please, to process stately across the skies while you and I remain stuck where we are no matter how much we may wish to follow them.

秋高气爽 Autumn is lofty, the air clear;
风静沙平 the wind quiets, the sands level.
云程万里 Clouds stretch for ten-thousand miles,
天际飞鸣 while cries wing the horizon.

The full recording runs about 11:40.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• guqin
• chinese
• music
• gu
• qin
• zither
• instrument
• china
• ancient
• classical
• traditional
• geese
• autumn
• 古琴
• 古
• 琴

[morningdew00]

I like this performance as well. I just prefer the sound quality/sound of the guqin in your first two uploads; it's warmer and deeper/lower in pitch, not sharp and somewhat squeaky like in these more recent uploads. :o) I can't really describe it, maybe it's just the difference in distance where the recording device is placed?

[SCWguqin]

@morningdew00 The difference lies in the on-site amplification systems.

[prometheus0125]

Beautiful, thanks for sharing.

[yoshinori31]

温故而知新、可以為師矣。



[morningdew00]

@SCWguqin oh I see, I'm not very familiar with all the recording/sound systems. :o)

[morningdew00]

Do you have any new/private recordings, and maybe in nature? :) (Unnecessary supporting sound effects in the background, the sounds of audience coughing or sneezing, of door opening and closing just before you finish playing like in your other vid, etc., kinda ruin the mood for me...) :o)

[timewindow]

I enjoy your performance very much.Thankyou .

[bebopgangsta]

this is excellent Stephen!

[eastwest3002]

Steve: I am glad that you uploaded more of your clips. I do enjoy yr way of interpreting & articulating guqin music . One can easily tell that you put lots of feelings & emotional into these pieces. It is sad that some immature audience put so much negative & unconstructive comments on your other clips. I wish ppl can understand by criticizing and putting others down does not show how good and great player they are - but only shows the shallowness and ignorance within oneself.