Hunan’s Tan Dun is best known in the West for composing the music for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and for his score for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won him the Oscar for Best Original Score at the 73rd Academy Awards.The conductor and contemporary classical composer has always aimed to bring physical elements in to his performances, utilizing instruments made from organic materials and multimedia elements, but it’s his insistence on restoring and drawing upon historical Chinese theatrical and ritual performances that led to his recognition as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.Now though, he has stepped up his blending of sound with architecture for “Water Heavens,” a weekly production held just outside Shanghai in the old town of Zhujiajiao. A collaboration with Japanese architects Isozaki Studio, the venue itself is being used as an instrument.“The performance hall’s structure is similar to that of an ancient two-story house,” says Tan Dun. “The wooden structure of the upper story reveals a Ming Dynasty style house; whereas the iron pillars and steel floor of the lower story are reminiscent of an industrial space with a distinct German Bauhaus style.”During the show, a river flows through the house to symbolize the purification of the soul by connecting the interior and exterior spaces, and that connection of nature and the human spirit has been central to many of his works. The river itself could be said to be the main instrument of the piece, while the structural pillars and even the floor are designed to be used as musical instruments. A pool at the center of the hall is multi-purpose too, used both as a seating area, and a stage.Inside the two-storey Water Music Hall with its domed roof, pillars and staircases are some distinct Bauhaus touches too. “The hall consists of two balanced structures, the upper story displays the ancient wooden Ming Dynasty structure and the lower story a modern Bauhaus inspired steel structure – minimalistic zen,” he says. Dubbed “Minhaus,” the combination uses the original Bauhaus concept of resurrecting industrial ruins and applies it to Ming dynasty houses and furniture.“The combination of the different Chinese Ming-house and German Bauhaus styles, as well as the contrasting sounds of water, iron and other natural instruments completes my “architectural music” wonderland where heaven and man become one,” says Tan Dun.The musical compositions for “Water Heavens,” have been created for strings quartet, pipa, and voice, combining Bach with rock’n’roll, while the Buddhist chants from the monks of a real temple across from the main hall. “Zhujiajiao’s Yuan Jing Temple and the “Water Heavens” music hall face each other on opposite sides of the river bank,” explains Tan Dun. “The performance starts at the exact same time that the Buddhist monks begin their evening chanting”Tan Dun was inspired by the water wheels of Zhujiajiao for the show and visited the town to collect folk songs. Inspired, he decided to restore two old Ming Dynasty houses, and from there considered how to preserve the local traditional music, and combine the two in to one concept of “Architecture Music”.“I stopped to listen to the chanting of the monks [and] in this tranquility I had a vision, it was if I was listening to the traces of Bach in their song. This illusion brought together the harmony between people and nature, east and west, and to seek out the Isozaki Studio in China, Chief Designer Hu Qian and Gao Qiao Bao Ming. I said I wanted the audience to have an experience of having their heart and mind washed clean.”The show opens with a beating rhythm of steel beams and stairs for “Steel Rock and Roll,” after which the monks emerge to chant from their temple across the water. Hu Qian’s oculus becomes a water instrument using drops “from the heavens” to create a gigantic symphony orchestra.“Just like the ancient poem which states ‘if you have the sound of the music in your mind, you don’t need to have the physical instrument to make music’” says Tan Dun.Half an hour from Shanghai, Zhujiajiao lent itself to the production with some 2,000 years of existence as a “water town,” and today is a highly popular preserved attraction for domestic and international tourists. “Water Heavens” by Tan Dun
is performed every Saturday
at the Water Music Hall, N. 3 Caogang Tan, Xijing rd., Zhujiajiao old town, Qingpu district, Shanghai. http://www.ticket2010.com/program14679.html
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