Programme Note

The overtones of the stone chimes from the Qing dynasty never fail to move me. Its unique, not-so-Well-Tempered sound is a distant reflection of a sumptuous era full of rich cultural heritages and, an era that initiated The Great Wall of China. In my second quartet, I attempt to pick up those ancient overtones and reconnect them into a new melody – it begins on solo cello and slowly expands to the rest of the ensemble, finally forming a lyrical first movement “Song from a lost time.” A rhythmic and playful Toccata follows, in which non-traditional techniques were utilized to imitate the sound of Guqin, an ancient, plucked seven-string instrument.

The piece was commissioned by the Great Wall quartet for their Asia concert tour and the debut album “The Great Wall.”

—Zhou Tian

The recording of String Quartet No. 2 was nominated for the Best Classical Album and won Best Instrumental Performance at the 24th Taiwan Golden Melody Awards in 2013.