"The last person playing the violin, I thought it was really good, fantastic." Such was Blue Mountains resident Jim Cashman's feeling after hearing Erhu soloist Xiaochun Qi produce soul-stirring melodies from China's traditional two-stringed instrument.
Chinese people are well acquainted with the Chinese vertical fiddle or Erhu, with many having learned it since childhood. However, Mr Cashman's impression was common among Western audience members of New Tang Dynasty Television's latest Chinese New Year Spectacular, who were less familiar with the instrument and its unmistakable sound.
"The instrument I just found haunting…melodic sound, that's almost dreamy, because it takes you away, takes you back," said building manager Jo Bergim, during interval on Friday night.
Beth Nasser from Canberra said she immediately recognised the sound of the Erhu from traditional Chinese music, although she had never seen one before. "It's obviously an instrument used in a lot of Chinese music because after hearing it you are able to pick it out in a lot of Chinese different music, particularly traditional music," she said.
Many are unaware that China possesses enough of its own indigenous instruments to form an entire orchestra of similar scale to those found in Western countries. In the early 20th century, in times of increasing Western influence, many of China's traditional instruments were adapted for solo performance. Prior to that time the Erhu was predominantly found accompanying Chinese operas during China's Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
The Erhu plays the same role in a Chinese orchestra that a violin might in the West, with its rich, somewhat nasal tone generated by a piece of python skin stretched across a small soundbox.
"The Erhu has quite a distinctive sound and very mellow tone…it's very beautiful," said Lindsay Mell from Cronulla. "It resonated with me – the sense of the Eastern element in the music was quite intriguing."
The instrument's two strings are so close together that many mistake the Erhu for a single-stringed instrument. The hair of the bow is permanently held between them. Erhus do not have a fingerboard, so the Erhu player produces notes by running his or her fingers up and down the strings, making no contact with the instrument's neck.
"It's got a very long bow," said Tanya Noonan of Wollongong after seeing Ms Qi's performance. "That's why they can get such a range of sound out of it, I think."
It was musician and composer Liu Tianhua who played a key role in revamping the Erhu during a time of increasing influence from the West. Mr Liu once said: "[F]rom antiquity until today, there have always been those who consider fiddle music both coarse and lascivious, not in good taste. But this does not make clear musical sense. In fact, music's coarseness or elegance lies completely within the performer's expressivity and the make-up of the composition. The same musical instruments can express each of the 'seven emotions' – how could the fiddle be an exception?"
Indeed, Ms Qi's stunning performance brought out those emotions in the audience.
"I definitely like the Chinese violin," said Kasarnsak Wanasawage. "I think it is something that really wakes up your spirit. It is very rare to watch something like this."
Jenny Cotterell from Strathfield said she felt a kind of sadness in the tone of the instrument. "It's beautiful, it's quite soothing, and sad at the same time," she said.
"That was beautiful, absolutely, was played beautifully. I've never seen it before, it was the first time; it was fascinating."
The Epoch Times is proud to join with New Tang Dynasty TV and Sound of Hope Radio in co-sponsoring NTDTV's Chinese New Year Spectacular ( http://shows.ntdtv.com. )
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