Bao Huiqiao - The Collection (1962-1984) [2016]

Hui-qiao Bao, well-known Chinese pianist, was the soloist at the China Symphony Orchestra from 1970 until retirement. At an early age, she showed special musical talent and transferred into the Middle School attached to the Central Conservatory of Music when she was 13. She completed undergraduate and Master’s degrees at the Central Conservatory of music under the guidance of Prof. Gong-yi Zhu and Prof. Tatiana Kravchenko, Vice-President of the Leningrad Conservatory of Music.

During the years of her university study, she won numerous prizes both nationally and internationally, including the 1st Prize in Performance of Chinese Works Competition in 1960; 5th Prize in the Second George Enescu International Piano Competition in 1961; 1st Prize in the National Selective Competition of China in 1964 and a Chopin Competition in 1965; Best Performance Prize in the Fourth National Competition for Music Compositions in 1985 and “The Golden CD prize” issued by the China Recording Company in1992.

As a pianist, she has performed frequent concert tours all over China, and has also performed in more than twenty countries abroad, including Austria, Japan, Singapore, Romania, Chile, Turkey, etc. In 1991, as president of the Artists’ Delegation, she toured Eastern European countries performing many recitals and concerts.

She has been a juror for many piano competitions in China as well as many international piano competitions, including the Dr. Louis Sigall International Piano Competition in Chile (1987), Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Israel, (1989) Bucharest Music Festival in Rumania (2004)Jaen International Piano Competition in Spain (2007),the 11th UNISA International Piano Competition in South Africa (2008), The Twelfth Taipei International Chopin Competition in Taiwan (2008), The fourth Tbilisi International Piano Competition in Georgia (2009),The Seventh Seoul International Music Competition in South Korea (2011), Premio de Piano Frechilla-Zuloaga in Spain (2011), The Leeds International Piano Competition in England (2012), and the Isangyun Competition in South Korea (2013).

She has been invited to be a visiting professor of the Central Conservatory of music and many of her students have won the prizes in national and international piano competitions.

She has served as vice chairman and currently serves as advisor of the China Musicians’ Association. Since 2007, she has been Chairman of the China International Piano Competition.

Prof. Bao is author of “Interviewing Other Famous Pianists Throughout the World.” She is also the editor of the “New way of learning piano” education series and has published a number of CDs.




This 3CD collection includes precious historical recordings of the performances of the famous Chinese pianist Bao Huiqiao. From it, you can not only appreciate her exquisite performance art of mastering different styles of works, rich connotations, and skilled techniques, as well as her sincere feelings and a combination of hardness and softness, but also understand the richness of Chinese piano music creation.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, Bao Huiqiao recorded and published a number of medium- and large-groove records and cassettes on Chinese records. Among them are not only songs composed by foreign composers such as Bach, Chopin, Ravel, Enescu, and Constantinescu, but also more works by Chinese mainland composers such as Ren Guang, Chen Peixun, Ding Shande, Sang Tong, Li Yinghai, Wang Jianzhong, Sheng Zongliang, Chu Wanghua, Luo Zhongrong, Jin Xiang, Lu Huabai, Zhang Piji, and Suleiman Yiming. What is rare is that she also recorded the works of Hong Kong composers Lin Lepei, Lin Shengxi, Shi Jinbo and Taiwanese composer Ma Shuilong, reflecting the distinctive Chinese elements of Bao Huiqiao's piano playing.

In this collection, you can hear many very creative performances. Tracing back to the source, these creativity all come from strong cultural cultivation. For example, "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon" in CD3. In the ancient Cantonese opera "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon", "The bright moon shines on the seashore, thousands of miles of silver flow, the jade sky is dust-free, and the fragrance of flowers drifts close in the dark", it has both beautiful colors and lofty artistic conception. Today's performers pay more attention to the rhythm in small sentences, which seems to be a loss of one thing while focusing on another. Bao Huiqiao emphasizes the syntax of long lines and the contrast between light and dark colors, restoring this work to its original appearance.


Tracks:

cd1
01. Bach / Prelude and Fugue in B flat minor (No. 22) [0:06:27.06]
02. Ravel / Water Nymph (from Night Monsters) [0:06:03.56]
03. Chopin / Etude in F major (Op. 10 No. 8) [0:02:37.29]
04. Enescu / Pavane (from Piano Suite No. 2 in D major) [0:05:40.51]
05. Enescu / Piano Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor (3rd movement) [0:06:32.44]
06. Constantinescu / Dobrogean Dance 'Toccata' [0:03:59.34]
07. Chen Peixun / Sound Poem No. 2 "Flowing Water" (1982 version) [0:12:27.18]
08. Ren Guang / Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon (1982 version) [0:03:02.58]
09. Suleiman Yiming / When I Think of You (1982 version) [0:03:09.50]
10. Yawen / Overture (1982 version) [0:03:19.25]
11. Sang Tong / Spring Breeze Bamboo Flute (1982 version) [0:02:23.50]
12. Ding Shande / Children's Suite (Going to the Countryside, Catching Butterflies, Skipping Rope, Hide and Seek, Holiday Dance) [0:07:23.38]

cd2
01. Chu Wanghua / Zheng Xiao Yin [0:02:37.34]
02. Jin Xiang / Desert Boat [0:05:30.63]
03. Lu Huabai / Donglan Bronze Drum Dance [0:03:02.42]
04. Lu Huabai / Song of Jianhe River [0:06:10.20]
05. Zhang Piji / Stroll [0:02:51.35]
06. Luo Zhongrong / Two Preludes and Fugues (Folk Songs, Dances) [0:05:18.23]
07. Lin Lepei / Humorous Songs [0:02:34.12]
08. Lin Shengxi / Night Mooring at Maple Bridge [0:05:00.32]
09. Shi Jinbo / Sea God Playing with Lions [0:01:41.40]
10. Sang Tong / Spring Breeze Bamboo Flute (1984 Edition) [0:02:53.38]
11. Ma Shuilong / Sketches of Yugang [0:09:51.33]

cd3
01. Ren Guang / Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon (1983 version) [0:03:28.27]
02. Li Yinghai / Yangguan Sandie [0:04:46.26]
03. Lv Wencheng / Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake [0:04:06.24]
04. Chen Peixun / Sound Poem No. 2 "Flowing Water" (1983 version) [0:13:02.21]
05. Yawen / Overture (1983 version) [0:04:22.26]
06. Suleiman Yiming / When I Think of You (1983 version) [0:03:25.13]
07. Suleiman Yiming / Gulailai [0:03:57.33]
08. Wang Jianzhong / Five Yunnan Folk Songs (Dali Girl, Following Brother, Guessing Tune, Mountain Song, Dragon Lantern Tune) [0:06:37.23]
09. Sheng Zongliang / Suite: Flowers (Rhododendron, Water Red Tea, Black Peony, Dots of Flowers, Golden Crystal Flowers) [0:06:35.44]