Romantic Violin Concertos   Naxos 8.554334   1 CD: DDD   Released in 1998. Performed by:   Takako Nishizaki, Violin   Shanghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra   Fan Chengwu, Conductor

Contents:
  Gang Chen and Zhanhao He: The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto
  Street Musician (arranged by Huichang Yan)
  Xiaogu Zhu: Love in Spring
  Xiaogu Zhu and Xiaofeng Zhang: Parting of the Newly Wedded

BUY IT!

Even though this page at Amazon.com does not show the cover of the CD, it is indeed the recording being reviewed in this article. Alternatively, you can buy this more expensive CD also by Ms. Nishizaki, but performed with Mr. Kenneth Jean and the Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. It too is highly praised by music lovers all around the world.

The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto is a masterpiece composed by Chen Gang and He Zhan-hao in 1959. The Butterfly Lovers is a classical Chinese opera in which the two lovers fly away together as butterflies after their tragic deaths. While the composition has the structure of Western classical music, the violin itself is performed with techniques of the Chinese instrument er-hu.

This very inexpensive recording from Naxos is superb! Whether using a portable stereo or L.A. Pig's $5000 system, the dynamics, resolution, accuracy, and soundstaging are all excellent. Ms. Nishizaki and Mr. Fan form the most renowned team in performancing The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto. The performance in this recording is touching and exciting, and technically flawless, if not perfect, as far as the Pigs can tell.

BUY IT!

BUY THE OTHER RECORDING!

Links:
  Naxos
  The Butterfly Lovers CD

Big-5 Chinese Glossary
  The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto: 梁祝小提琴協奏曲
  Er-hu: 二胡