Скачать или смотреть Chaconne: 'Dance for a Chinese Man and Woman' from 'The Fairy Queen' (1692) by Henry Purcell

DIVERTISSEMENTS CHINOIS:
William Summers: recorder
Diane Moore: baroque violin
Ibrahim Aziz: viola da gamba
Agnes Chin: guzheng
Yeo Yat-Soon: harpsichord

This performance is part of the ensemble Divertissement Chinois' exploration of the fascinating links between musicians from Europe and China in the 17th and 18th centuries. Purcell's dance is the first known mention of the Chinese in British music. It shows no influence of Chinese music. It is unlikely that Purcell would have ever encountered any Chinese music. However, with the Kangxi Emperor re-opening European access to southern Chinese ports (in particular Canton) in 1684, there was a rapid expansion of trade from China to Great Britain. This included decorative art, porcelain and, of course, tea. Purcell's 'exotically' titled dance is perhaps a reflection of this emerging awareness of Chinese culture. Our version of his piece is arranged with a guzheng part to enhance this exoticism... would Purcell ever have imagined that his Dance for a Chinese Man and Woman would be performed three centuries later by a group which includes a Chinese man and woman?

Video by Benji Page.