Taiwan Erhu

Tangh-Suan Lo is part of the younger generation of Taiwanese erhu (two-stringed fiddle) players. Highly skilled in classical Chinese repertoire, Lo has also managed to incorporate his instrument's sound into a disparate array of Western styles, including jazz and hip-hop. This recording, ostensibly a concert programme recorded live in Paris, sees Lo joined by the specially formed 21st Century Taiwanese Chamber Ensemble: Nien-Tzu Lu on yangqin (hammered dulcimer), Chih-Feng Wu on sheng (mouth organ), as well as French musicians Hugues Vincent and Lionel Pinard on cello and accordion, respectively.

The programme begins with five pieces from the classical erhu repertoire, including concert staples ‘Song of the Birds on Lost Mountain’ and the virtuosic ‘Horse Racing’. Particularly beautiful is ‘Dance of the Amis Tribe’, which draws on aboriginal Taiwanese folk melodies. The bulk of the set consists of a variety of ensemble arrangements. A Taiwanese popular song metamorphoses into a Parisian waltz, moving through Argentinian tango. Despite the eclecticism of the programme, the transition between pieces is never jarring. The musicianship throughout is excellent, and the communication between all five instrumentalists is never less than impeccable.