blockhead's Blog

		List Price: $169.98		Publisher: Brilliant Classics Salesrank: 92560 Released: 30 November, 2004
		Our Price: $124.97
		Used Price: $145.54
		Media: Audio CD
		Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours

Features:

		List Price: $16.99		Publisher: Gsp Records Salesrank: 73766 Released: 13 September, 2005
		Our Price: $16.99
		Used Price: $11.81
		Media: Audio CD
		Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours

Tracklisting:
1. Wang Huiran: Yi Dance -
2. He Luting: Shepherd Boy with Flute -
3. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Intonation -
4. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Long Out-stretched Pier with its Shadows -
5. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Wind on The Hill -
6. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Waiting for Guests -
7. Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Land Circus -
8. Traditional - Heavenly Bird -
9. Tradional - Lantern Song -
10. Traditional - Mayila -
11. Evan Hirschelman: Meditation No.2 -
12. Evan Hirshelman: Meditation No.1 -
13. Stephen Goss: The Blue Kite -
14. Stephen Goss: Yellow Earth -
15. Stephen Goss: Farewell My Concubine -
16. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 1 T'ai -
17. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 3 Lin -
18. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 4 T'ung len -
19. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 5 Huan -
20. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 6 K'uei -
21. Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 7 Chieh -
22. Stephen Funk Pearson: South China Sea Peace -
23. Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Spring -
24. Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Summer -
25. Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Autumn -
26. Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Winter -

Customer Reviews:
A revelation!
This girl is a witch. What I mean is, she makes such fiendishly difficult music sound natural and graceful on the guitar. I recently bought the pairing of her cds (Si Ji and Romance de Amor) and together, they are an amazing display of the possibilities of the guitar.
Seriously, if you love beautiful guitar playing and are willing to join an artist on an adventure through both familiar and unfamiliar repertory, you will be amazed by XueFei Yang. Even the cd liner notes are impressive. =)

Successful crossing over from East to West
Nowadays many classical musicians move to 'cross-overs' between Western classics to exotic works, and Chinese musicians and composers pioneer in cross-overs from Chinese music to Western.
Alas, not all attempts are successful. Either there has not been enough nurturing in the Chinese repertoire, or the western playing style has not yet been fully developed.
Ms. Yang is a young classical guitarist. Gathering from what she said in her own introduction to this disc, she is a musician with a great ambition. It is true that the classical guitar may not have a substantial repertoire as other western instruments like the violin and piano. Hence drawing materials from other culture in a guitarist's repertoire is both a necessity and an endeavour.
A guitarist from Beijing, Ms. Yang is familiar with classical Chinese instruments like the gu qin, the zheng and the pipa. These ancient Chinese instruments are like the guitar- all are played by plucking strings set on wooden surfaces. So as Ms Yang herself noted - the guitar originated from the Middle East, a 'cross-over' area of Eastern and Western culture.
In many of the modern works recorded in this disc, Ms Yang played the guitar to the effect of those ancient Chinese instruments, and this is quite stunning. Her familiarity with the Eastern musical style is fully demonstrated, adding the requisite flavour of authenticity to her interpretation. There are a number of great compositions of the gu qing, the zheng as well as the pipa, and I truly look forward to Ms Yang's transcriptions of those to the guitar in due course.
A highly recommended recording for guitar players, guitar lovers and Chinese music fans alike.

One of the best solo guitar albums I have ever heard
One of the most original CDs I've ever heard. This CD is full of incredible music. Yang XueFei plays with sensitivity, creativity and passion.
When I played this CD for my guitar teacher, he commented that it was rare for him not to have heard at least one piece on any particular classical guitar CD, yet all these pieces were new to him. Carlo Domeniconi (who wrote the masterpiece 'Koyunbaba') has composed an outstanding suite based on the I Ching. The 3 pieces by Stephen Goss, which are based on Asian films, are themselves cinematic: 'The Blue Kite' is a work of minimalist beauty. There are many other talented composers lending their gifts to this CD. Most of the selections are either composed for Yang Xuefei or are arrangements by her. All are inspired by Chinese culture and music. My favorite piece is 'Long Outstretched Pier with its Shadow' (by Dietmar Ungerrank); it is elegantly written and the execution is sensual and rich.
Yang XueFei's technical agility, especially the right hand, (as in 'Yi Dance') goes beyond that of her contemporaries. As impressive as this is, the passion she imbues into each work is what connects her to the songs and ultimately to the audience. Technique is there to help her express what is inside of her. It is as if the guitar is her lover. This just isn't a great guitar album; it is a great album period. Its emotional complexity deepens with each listening. Buy it!
I've also purchased 'Romance de Amor' which is extremely good as well (listen to her version of 'Requerdos de la Alhambra' as compared to one of her heroes, John Williams on 'The Guitarist'), but 'Si Ji' is totally unique. Don't miss it.
As an aside, If you do end up buying and enjoying this CD, you might listen to Lily Afshar. The influence of her Persian heritage is similar in effect to 'Si Ji' by Yang XueFei. Both artists have breathed life into the modern repertoire of guitar music.

		List Price: $18.98		Publisher: Rhino / Wea Salesrank: 42254 Released: 21 September, 2004
		Our Price: $11.97
		Used Price: $5.97
		Media: Audio CD
		Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours

Tracklisting:
1. Water/Va Pensiero -
2. Stonde -
3. The Way Away From You -
4. Angel -
5. Por Una Cabeza -
6. Together -
7. Feet Lift Off The Ground -
8. Cast In Stone -
9. Sundance -
10. World Anthem -
11. Destiny Lies -
12. Thunder Point -
13. Conquest Of Paradise -
14. Bicycle Race -

Customer Reviews:
Margaret writer
I love the way their voices blend and their range of singing. I like the fact that they are fresh and new and their songs are unfamiliar yet fun. They are able to use their ten voices not only to harmonize but to insert the unexpected.

POWERFUL VOICES
Young tenors at their individual and collective best. Powerful, dynamic, and emotionally charged performance.
Good selection of vocal works for the newcomer, some light, some heavy.

Best discovery in music in a quite some time.
I happened to see this ensemble perform in concert on PBS one night last winter during a fund raiser.

All that I can say is, 'Wow'.

Since that time I have purchased this CD for myself and as gift to three other music lovers; all of which have offered me their gratitude.

It is not very often that a musical experience of skill and talent surfaces. They hold us within the magic of voice, combined with musical stanzas and lyric, and the chemistry of TEAMWORK.
The gentlemen excel in such offerings as Vangelis' 'Conquest of Paradise', 'World Anthem', and the melancholy Irish 'Thunderpoint', which sends chills down my spine.

If I can choose one group to open the next Olympics celebration it is The Ten Tenors.
I can only hope that they broaden their US tour.
I can also only hope that they continue to produce and record more albums.

Bravo