Electronic music gets jolt of good vibes
Composer injects fun and familiarity into a genre often known to be abstract and obscure
As one of Zhang's most performed works, Nuorilang is a piece that he has never stopped revising and updating since 1996.
The 20-minute music piece will be staged again at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center in Beijing on June 8, with a combination of three percussionists, visual images and sounds from both electronic music and classical music.
During the concert, Zhang will also stage another two music compositions inspired by Tibetan ethnic culture.
Drifting Dharani, which is 28 minutes long, will combine classical music with a soprano as well as visual images and electronic music sounds.
Yarlung Zangbo, a 40-minute-long music piece, will contain six chapters performed by a symphony orchestra and will feature electronic music arrangements.
"The three music pieces were composed during the last three decades, which saw my aesthetic changes as a composer," Zhang says. "I've traveled to Xizang many times to collect sound materials. It's a place full of inspiration. In the early years, I had to carry very heavy equipment with me, which were unforgettable experiences."
For the audience, Zhang adds that they will have a fresh experience of enjoying music. Amplifiers will be arranged onstage and among the audience. In one movement of Yarlung Zangbo, only one amplifier placed among the audience will be used. The sole amplifier will play recordings of an old Tibetan woman telling folk stories in local language.
