An incomplete surney on music inspired by Tang poems

Jazz saxophonist and clarinettist Huang Ye and his band performed Li Bo Suite on June 2nd at JALCSH.Inspired by the poetry of Li Bo—arguably the greatest poet of the Tang dynasty—Huang Ye composed this jazz-pop fusion work as a tribute to the iconic literary figure. The performance featured guest artists from the ensemble Senza Strings, led by jazz violinist and fiddler Chen Hongda.Following the concert, I sat down for a conversation with Wu Jiayu, a high school student currently studying conducting at the middle school affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. We discussed our impressions of setting Tang poetry to jazz and pop, and reflected on other works regularly performed inspired by Tang-era verse, including Mahler and Ye Xiaogang’s The Song of the Earth and Ye’s Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage.This is a Chinese-language programme with Chinese subtitles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com