Track 6 Lin Quan (Spring in the Wood)
Sun Zhuo, zheng
Water is a favourite theme of Chinese poets and musicians. It often characterizes and bestows philosophical meaning. Spring in the Forest was composed by Ye Xiaogang in 2001, and in it the composer depicts the characteristics of water as it is transformed during its journey through a wood. The strings of the zheng are pre-tuned to a mix of pentatonic and hexatonic scales that allow the piece to move through various octaves and keys, changing colour and texture. A lento section is characterized by rich colours and harmonies; the melodic theme develops through variations on the same motif. The fourth section requires a virtuoso performance in the style of a toccata, and repetitions of the same harmonic structures leads to a climax in the ninth section. The melody from the beginning returns at the end, reverberating around the room when the piece is played. There are eleven sections in total, and a broad range of dynamics that reach extremely loud; such a range is rare in the repertory of the zheng.
The zheng is a Chinese half-tube long zither that typically has sixteen strings plucked with the right-hand fingernails. Sun Zhuo learnt to play the zheng from her mother, a professional performer and composer, and also studied at the China Central Conservatoire before entering the SOAS PhD programme in 2005.
