Elegant Pipa Classics: Wu Man’s New Renditions of Ancient Melodies

Here are ‘elegant’ pipa (Chinese lute) classics, which are in the main calm and meditative. But what a title! Traditional Chinese music has so often been labelled ‘elegant’ that the word has been totally drained of its meaning. In practice it works more often like an alert: “Caution! Boring music, faked tradition!” This is not the case with Wu Man, however, who is one of the world’s top Chinese lute players. Her new album deserves a more inviting title – though perhaps it was a deliberate provocation.

Three of the six tracks on this CD stem from the same repertoire that so many of her musician peers in China no longer succeed in breathing new life into. Wu Man restores these pieces to their full potential power and glory. Sublime tranquillity and subdued passion reign in ‘Autumn Moon Over Han Palace,’ and suitable fireworks are lit in ‘King Chu Removes His Armour’. Some tracks feature a handful of Taiwanese string instrumentalists, playing along with a rare delicacy. This is a collection that offers a fresh, convincing and no-nonsense approach to Chinese tradition.