Guo Yazhi

Sorrow of the River Guo Yazhi

Guo Yazhi is considered one of the best suona players in the world. The woodwind instrument from Central Asia, which resembles the Western oboe, plays an important role in Northern Chinese folk music and is characterized by its powerful, loud sound. Todd Garfinkle of MA Recordings recruited the exceptional musician for this recording in 2007 and released "Sorrow of the River" for the first time on his California label in 2010. Guo Yazhi plays other exotic reed instruments in addition to the suona, accompanied by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.

This album is a gem for anyone interested in Chinese culture. Perhaps most accessible to Western ears is the duet "Reflection of Moon Upon Er Quan" with He Tao, featuring Guo playing soprano saxophone. Audiophile listeners will delight in "The Marriage Journey," with a thunderous, low-frequency drum capable of rattling windows. The titular "Sorrow of the River" is one of the best-known pieces of Chinese traditional music. Guo plays the softer-sounding guan for this track.

UHQCD stands for Ultimate High Quality Compact Disc and is a joint development of the Japanese CD replication company Memory-Tech and the Audio Quality CD Company from Hong Kong. Unlike conventional CDs, UHQCDs are not pressed from polycarbonate, but cast from a photopolymer and cured with UV light. Another layer of high-purity polycarbonate is applied to the softer photopolymer for scratch protection. The combination results in significantly reduced reflection of laser light inside the CD and an unmatched precise edge transition between pits and lands of the CD. UHQCDs are 100% compatible with standard CD players. Musically, the result is a sound image strongly reminiscent of analog master tapes.