Christian Thomas – Dragon Pipa Concerto
Liu Fang; FILMharmonique Orchestra; Francis Choinière
GFN Productions (gfnproductions.ca/albums/pipa-concerto)
The pipa, a stringed instrument capable of a unique percussive sound that is beautiful and was previously unknown to me, is a plucked (as opposed to bowed) traditional Chinese instrument perhaps most analogous to that of the European lute. In the skilled hands of Liu Fang, the Chinese-born Montreal resident heard here on Christian Thomas’ Concerto for Pipa and Orchestra “Dragon,” the instrument is given a wide creative berth to be featured in front of a rich orchestral backdrop for impressive results.
Recorded at Maison Symphonique in Montreal in September of 2024, Thomas’ four-movement concerto is handled with aplomb by Orchestre FILMharmonique under the direction of conductor Francis Choinière. A musical fusion in the truest sense of the word, here blending Eastern and Western musical styles and traditions, Thomas’ concerto musically charts the life cycle of a dragon from babe to matured Dragon Emperor as a celebration of 2024’s designation as Chinese Year of the Dragon.
The recording, and subsequent live performances, also represents a celebration of the creativity (particularly when it comes to classical music) that is found and supported within Quebec. The project’s two principals, Fang and Thomas, both based out of La belle province, collaborate meaningfully together, demonstrating that creative purpose and artistic excellence can traverse country of origin, background, and cultural context.
Finally, GFN Productions, the label on which this fine recording has been released is a Quebec-based production and promotion company formed in part by conductor Choinière, proves once again that creative genre-bending projects whose unifier is musical excellence will always find an audience and a home.
