This traditional piece, 綠野仙蹤, is inspired by a tragic romantic fable in Chinese culture - the story of Lian Hua. (See below to read full story)
Xiao solo with piano, composed by 赵聪, arranged by 陈悦.
The beauty of the instrument:
The instrument I played this piece on is called the Xiao (箫), which is one of my favorite traditional Chinese instruments. With over 8,000 years of history, the Xiao's beauty and simplicity has stayed much the same since ancient times. Made from bamboo, it possesses a unique mellow tone that can carry incredibly deep emotions. I hope this music touches you as deeply as it does me, and hope that you enjoy my performance!
The tragic story of Lian Hua:
The story behind the song is that from ancient China and of a beautiful Chinese girl, Lian Hua, or Lotus Blossom, who at 12 summers, was kidnapped by another clan. It was the Chinese ambassador's son, Chin Win, who was much older and had first lay eyes on her while she traveled with her family to his lands in the east to trade. Lian’s father, Cho, a musician and instrument maker, had traveled there to sell the flutes and ruans he crafted, in the Great Emperors court.
Upon her return home, Chin ordered a faction of the Great Emperors army to escort Lian Hua and her family back to their lands in the west. As honored as Lian's family was for the kind gesture, little did they know Chin's real motive. By sunrise Lian had vanished and was nowhere in sight. Under the cover of night a few of Chin’s men gagged and tied her and rode away eastward.
For days her family searched and mourned for Lian Hua with the help of Chin's men, who only pretended to help, as they knew all too well of her disappearance. Not fully knowing what happened to Lian Hua, they feared she was dead – and with that, many years passed. In those years, Lian Hua had grown more beautiful than when she first arrived to the house of Chin.
Chin tried for many years to win the love of Lian Hua, but knowing of her abduction, she rejected him and thought only of her family and the lands to the west she so desperately missed. Chin grew frustrated with Lian Hua and imprisoned her as punishment. Chin so loved Lian Hua but her affection he could not have. As such, he became embittered and drank heavily and with Lian Hua being held captive, he visited her one night, drunk and furious.
"I bring you to this land in the hopes of making a better life for you and making you my wife and yet – you are ungrateful!" Chin said furiously while reaching for his knife as if to strike her. Lian Hua, chained to the ground below slowly looked up at Chin. Her beautiful face radiated with the light of the fool moon shining through the window.
“Wait!” Lian cried. "Know now that I came here captured by your will. My home, my family is beyond the mountains to the west, not here with you! Yet you imprison me like a caged bird so that I may someday love you.”
Chin raised his head higher still holding his knife as Lian Hua went on:
“It is you, Chin, who is a prisoner among yourself. For as long as I am held here, I will never love you… never.” Tears swelled her eyes. It was these very words that Lian Hua spoke that further enraged Chin.
“Then if you can never love me, no one ever will!” With that, Chin took his knife and cut the right side of Lian’s beautiful face. A struggle ensued as Chin tried to have his way with Lian Hua. She tried desperately to fight him off – only to feel the blade of his knife strike her in the chest. In her struggle, Lian Hua let out a gasp and slowly fell to the ground.
That same night Lian Hua’s mother Mei awoke from a dream she had. In her dream, she heard Lian Hua call to her and felt she was near. Mei rose and went outside and looked around calling to her daughter.
“Lian Hua, Lian Hua, where are you?” She cried running, looking. “I am here my beautiful daughter, I am here.” The old woman cried. Now exhausted she fell to her knees weeping.
Then, realizing it was just a dream, she looked up to the heavens and prayed to the spirits for acting foolish. To her amazement, Mei noticed a shooting star flying westward leaving a slight glimmering trail that slowly dissipated in the sky above her. In old China, this is known as “A Trail of Angels.” Somehow, Lian Hua’s mother knew that her daughter had returned to her that night but was now in the spirit world. Revealing this dream to Cho the next day, Cho picked up a flute and played this very song to the memory of Lian Hua – a lotus that forever blossoms.
Story credits: Johan Rohas' comment on "Beautiful Chinese Music – Bamboo Flute"
