River of Sorrow Immortal Chinese Instrumentals Hui Fen MIN, erhu • Wei LI, guzheng Michelle LI, yang qin Members of the British Columbia Chinese Music Orchestra Charlie LUI • Sunny LEUNG Alexander LI • Michael NG FIM K2HD 077 A 99.9999% Silver Disc A HAND-CRAFTED ARTIFACT The wealth of Chinese music has been accumulated through a long history of civilization and culture.   A substantial part of Chinese music originates from the natural progression of traditional and regional folklore, and has been refined by masters in the course of generations. Chinese music comprises only five fundamental notes, unlike Western music, and thus the spectrum of musical instruments is relatively simpler, while simultaneously being unique.   The simplicity of the instruments demands a high level of skill and artistry if a player is to expressively perform Chinese music. This recording is a celebration of some of the most beloved instrumental pieces, featuring the two most important genres, erhu and guzheng - which may be regarded as the counterparts of the violin and piano, though their design principles and construction are vastly different - as played by two of the most revered masters. This album was recorded in 2000 and released in SACD hybrid format in the same year.   It was immediately acclaimed one of the finest in performance and sonority, both in the Chinese community and many other countries.   The album was further refined in the XRCD24 format in 2003, and has remained amongst the most popular titles in the FIM catalog. Now, in 2008, in our pursuit for the utmost in excellence, we have re-mastered the recording using the latest and finest mastering technology: K2 HD 24-bit 100 K Hz.   The sound quality is so good that listeners will immediately be captivated by the performance.   The listener experiences a connection to the soul of the music, sensing that the musician is actually playing in his or her presence. We are very proud of this third edition and would tike to share our joy with our discerning listeners. Happy listening! Winston Ma November, 2008 …   1. RIVER OF SORROW       Folk music in northeast China       Hui Fen MIN, erhu; Michell LI, yang qin     7:11   2. LADY ZHAO JUN BIDDING FAREWELL OVER THE FRONTIER       Guangdong folk music, arranged by Wei LI       Wei LI, guxheng     9.18   3. FISHERMEN SINGING THE NIGHT SONG       Ancient theme arranged by Zhen CHAO and Yu Sang ZHU       Hui Fen HUN, erhu; Wei LI, guzheng     7:09   4. LOFTY MOUNTAIN AND GUSHING CASCADE       Ancient theme       Wei LI.guzheng     3:11   5. THE HORSE RACING       Hoi Way WANG and Li Kuen SHUM       Hui Fen MIN, erbu     1:44   6. MOOD & DREAM OF AN OPERA       Wei LI       Wei LI,.guzheng     8:50   7. MOONLIGHT OVER CASCADE ERQUAN       Yin Kuen HUA       Hui Fen MIN, erhu; Michell LI, yang qin     5:56   8. NIGHT RAIN FALLING OF THE PLANTAIN TREE OUTSIDE THE WINDOW       Ke Ja folk music       Wei LI, guzheng     4:17   9. A MAIDEN'S DREAM IN A CHINESE GARDEN       Quan folk music: arainged by Guan Ren GU       Hui Fen MIN, erhu; Wei LI, guzheng; Michell LI, yang qin; Charlie LUI, xiao     5:23 10. MOONLIGHT OVER THE FLOWERY RIVER IN SPRING       Ancient theme arranged by Wei LI       Wei LI, guzheng     9:34 11. OSPREYS FROLICKING WITH WATER ON A COLD WINTER DAY       Choazhou native music arranged by Hui Fen MIN       and Instrument choices arranged by Fei Yun XIA       Hui Fen MIN, erhu; Sunny LEUNG, Charlie LUI, Alexander LI, and Michael NG, percussion     5:26       Total Time     68:39 First Impression Music is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, AUSTRALIA Telephone (03) 9432 4149 - International + 61 3 9432 4149 email info@rockian.com.au