ChineeGuQin KONTAKT

P2P | 13 January 2020 | 2.25 GB

The Vivacious Vessel of Harmony

GuQin is among the few most distinctive and representative classical Chinese instruments ever. The written record of it can be traced back to at least 3,000 years ago. It’s a zither similar to GuZheng, but since GuQin does not have bridges, it is far more versatile in terms of tones and playing techniques, it is also much harder to master. GuQin has a special place in the Chinese history as a symbol of the high-culture of the nobles and intellectuals (Junzi, Superior Man). It’s also seen as the vessel for pursuing harmony. Even Confucius had played and taught GuQin. During the last two tumultuous centuries of China, however, GuQin’s tradition almost went extinct. Nowadays the Chinese have resumed the tradition and are trying to revitalize GuQin. GuQin is usually accompanied with a lower-pitched flute in performance. ChineeNanxiao, or some other xiaos in ChineeWinds are good choices of companion. The music style is usually more personal and inward.

BaWu MaTouQin & HuLuSi KONTAKT

P2P | 14 January 2020 | 5.81 GB

Besides the horse-headed pegbox, Matouqin is very recognizable for its unusual playing techniques and styles. Our production approached Matouqin in pursuit of the indigenous flavour instead of the more Westernized style, and by delivering that flavour, all the composers and musicians now have a chance to explore and express in the most authentic and original Mongolian flavour easily. HuGejiletu, a member of the Hanggai band in China, is the recording Matouqin musician of this project.

GuanZi & Sheng KONTAKT

P2P | 14 January 2020 | 4.07 GB

Characterized by the triste tone, GuanZi (literally means Pipe) is a one-of-a-kind double-reed instrument from China. Originated in Central Asia, like many other existing Chinese instruments, GuanZi was embraced dearly and became an integral part of Chinese instruments ever since the great Tang Dynasty (7th -10th centuries). GuanZi was once one of the standard instruments of court music. It was also used in military and festival events, as well as monumental, burial ceremonies. It is, sometimes, considered to be too distinctive to be a team instrument though, hence resulted its slightly being overlooked today.

HuQin Family KONTAKT

P2P | 14 January 2020 | 5.53 GB

…::: ZhongHu, GaoHu, BanHu and JingHu :::…

These four are different types of Hu fiddles. Not as popular as ErHu, but they all are essential fiddles. Highest pitched Hu fiddle in the HuQin family.

Xun KONTAKT

P2P | 14 January 2020 | 1.38 GB

Xun. One of the earliest instruments in China. Archeological excavation discovered Xun from sites more than 7,000 years ago. It is very similar to orcarina, but without a fipple. Xun is considered as a ritual instrument in Chinese history. Mostly used for court music after the Han dynasty till modern days. As time passes, Xun evolves into a mature instrument capable of performing on its own. Xun has a very unique errie sound character that can be fitted for filmic scoring. A famous Tang essay praised Xun: “How great Xun is! It’s so elegant, so balanced, so natural and so thick. No wonder the sages would love it.

ChineeNanXiao v1.45 VSTi WiN

Team ASSiGN | 11 APRiL 2010 | 183.42 MB

The Melancholic Sound from China

Nanxiao (Southern Xiao) is a bamboo flute of the Xiao family. Unlike Dizi, Xiao has no membrane. Nanxiao is mostly popular in the Fujian area of southern China. Like the Japanese Shakuhachi, NanXiao is the offspring of ChiBa and DongXiao from the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD).

Suona KONTAKT

P2P | 13 January 2020 | 5.8 GB

A hybrid crossover of brass and woodwind

Suona is rather unique. It is sort of a crossover between brass and woodwind. The sound of Suona is energetic, unapologetically harsh, abrasively brash, and proud-to-be-so-loud, blasting out everythings in sight. The sound is simply wild. Suona is believed to be derived from the Persian Zurna and slowly adopted by the Chinese in the course of history. By the time of the Ming Dynasty (14th – 17th century), Suona is documented as a prevalent instrument in China. Today, Suona is still widely used at the local grassroot events such as weddings or religious festivals, especially in the rural area. Some modified versions of Suona are now the official instruments of large traditional Chinese orchestras.