Performance Introduction

This performance finds its sonic origin in the ancient melodies of Yuefeng (Music of the Wind), as preserved in the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips. It weaves over a dozen original compositions into five thematic movements:

I. Inquiries of Heaven – Questioning the Divine
Opening with the ritualistic dances and chants of Yuefeng and Shenren Chang (The Ecstasy of Gods and Men), the clang of bronze bells and the resonance of strings evoke the primordial awe of our ancestors. Through Daxia, Kuiying (Shadow of Kui), and Fengshen (Investiture of the Gods), we hear humanity's first questions directed at the heavens—carried by the stark beauty of stone chimes and silk strings.

II. Inquiries of the Way – The Quest for Truth
Journey into the age of a hundred schools of thought, guided by the flowing verses of Liezi Rides the Wind, Yilan (The Orchid), Xuanmo (Profound Silence), and the chanting of Youlan Cao (Song of the Lonely Orchid). Then, as the melancholic duet of qin and flute in Lisao (Lament of the Exiled) sounds the elegy for the Warring States, we witness one era's end—and the prelude to another epic.

III. Inquiries of the Throne – The Call to Arms
As the smoke of battle clears, Yunye (Wilderness of Clouds) echoes with a vast, mournful whisper. Against this austere and boundless landscape, the two-movement anthem Wuyi (No Clothes) rises from a quiet incantation to a thunderous orchestral crescendo—a war cry that proclaims: "How can you say we have no clothes?"—the unyielding spirit of a people marching to claim the Central Plains.

IV. Inquiries of the Heart – The Tenderness of Being
With Zijin (The Collar), High Mountain and Flowing Water, and Fuyi (Plantain), we stroll through pastoral reveries, gently tracing the threads of human emotion—a yearning for love, a kindred spirit, and the quiet peace of gathering herbs. It is the softest refuge after conquest and unification.

V. Return to One – The Answer Revealed
Finally, in the grand symphonic finale of Dafeng Ge (Song of the Great Wind), we hear the wind that has swept across millennia. In its eternal breath, it quietly unveils the answer that needs no words—the answer to the very question: "Why the Qin?"

Programme

All sounds of music arise from the human heart.

Poetry voices the mind; song gives words their wings.

Strike the stones, tap the chimes—and trace the ancient echoes of our forebears.

The voice follows the chant; the pitch accords with the harmony.

In the mighty wind that sweeps across the ages, we pursue the heroic spirit of the Warring States and Han.

The eight tones in perfect accord—gods and men in union.

From the primal dawn, we trace the pulse of antiquity.

Prologue

Yuefeng (Music of the Wind) – Instrumental Ensemble

Shenren Chang (The Ecstasy of Gods and Men) – Dance & Music

Chapter I: Inquiries of Heaven

Daxia * – Instrumental Ensemble

Kuiying (Shadow of Kui) * – Instrumental Ensemble

Fengshen (Investiture of the Gods) – Instrumental Ensemble

Chapter II: Inquiries of the Way

Liezi Rides the Wind – Instrumental Ensemble

Yilan (The Orchid) – Instrumental Ensemble

Xuanmo (Profound Silence) – Instrumental Ensemble

Youlan Cao (Song of the Lonely Orchid) * – Vocal

Lisao (Lament of the Exiled) – Instrumental Ensemble

Chapter III: Inquiries of the Throne

Yunye (Wilderness of Clouds) * – Instrumental Ensemble

Wuyi (No Clothes) *

Movement I – Vocal

Movement II – Instrumental Ensemble

Chapter IV: Inquiries of the Heart

Zijin (The Collar) * – Dance & Vocal

High Mountain and Flowing Water * – Instrumental Ensemble

Fuyi (Plantain) * – Dance & Vocal

Chapter V: Return to One

Dafeng Ge (Song of the Great Wind) * – Instrumental Ensemble

Curtain Call

Asterisks denote original compositions; all other pieces are classical repertoire newly arranged.