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Image for Silk and Bamboo music, the gugin and Pingtan music

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Silk and Bamboo music, the gugin and Pingtan music

Duration:
1 hour
First broadcast:
Saturday 09 August 2008

Lucy Duran travels to Shanghai to find out what remains of traditional Chinese music in this booming metropolis. Music recorded on location includes a session by one of Shanghai's best guqin players, who performs on an instrument dating from the 13th century, a group of pensioners who are struggling to preserve the beautiful sound of silk and bamboo, and a performance of Pingtan from the city of Suzhou.

Music and featured items

15 items
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • Disappearing culture

    Lucy learns that a form of storytelling music called 'pingtan' is disappearing.

  • Music Played

    • 00:01

      Local Suzhou performers unknown

      BBC Recording

  • Pingtan performance

    We hear an extract of pingtan performed at a theatre in Suzhou.

  • Music Played

    • 00:06

      Suzhou City Pingtan Troop unknown

      BBC Recording
    • 00:15

      Suzhou City Pingtan Troop Unknown

      BBC Recording

  • Silk music and the gugin

    Lucy talks about how silk has produced some of China's most beautiful music.

  • Music Played

    • 00:20

      Mr Lin Youren The drunken fisherman

      BBC Recording

  • The gugin

    Mr Lin demonstrates the gugin and talks about the Cultural Revolution.

  • Music Played

    • 00:30

      Mr Lin Youren unknown

      BBC Recording

  • Background to silk and bamboo music

    Anxi explains the background of silk and bamboo music.

  • Music Played

    • 00:39
      Image for unknown

      unknown unknown silk and bamboo music

      BBC Recording
    • 00:45
      Image for unknown

      unknown unknown silk and bamboo music

      BBC Recording

  • Chinese bamboo flute and changes to the gugin

    Dai Wei tells Lucy about the changes in playing the gugin due to outside influences.

  • Music Played

    • 00:47

      Mr Dai unknown

      BBC Recording
    • 00:55

      Mr Dai and Dai Wei Plumb Tree Blossom

      BBC Recording

  • Modern shanghai

    Modern shanghai

  • Shanghai by Night

    Shanghai by Night

  • Pingtan in suzhou, near shangha

    Pingtan in suzhou, near shangha

  • The Guqin

    The Guqin

Broadcasts

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