Home › Arts › Performing Arts › Music

Shanghai Quartet: Turbulent Times, Beautiful Music

Share

Shanghai Quartet
enlarge image

Shanghai Quartet

NEW YORK, October 24, 2008 - In advance of the Shanghai Quartet's two performances at the Asia Society, Weigang Li, the quartet's first violinist, granted an exclusive on-camera interview to the Asia Society's La Frances Hui about politics and music—specifically, about his own memories of growing up during the Cultural Revolution and the quartet's recording of an entire CD, Chinasong (2002), evocative of that period.

Li's recollections encompass both a teenage Red Guard appearing at his family's house and demanding to see his father's diaries and the rash of suicides that swept over the local music faculty during the Revolutionary years. Nonetheless he acknowledged the peculiar nostalgia many Chinese feel for music associated with that era, which was one reason behind the quartet's decision to record Chinasong.

Post new comment

Your comments are welcome, please adhere to our guidelines

Be respectful. Personal attacks will not be tolerated; nor will profane, abusive or threatening posts.

Keep it short (150 words or less), Stay on topic.

Asia Society reserves the right to moderate all comments and remove or edit for guideline violations. Thank you.

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Type the characters you see in this picture. (verify using audio)
Type the characters you see in the picture above; if you can't read them, submit the form and a new image will be generated. Not case sensitive.