临川浮梦 (Floating Dreams of Lin Chuan) | Cover by Lorien【忘川风华录】

“So long as dreams remain, my heart stays gentle” - notes on translation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zQg_xR0WMmA1cGa4phKOE9xJT4zGQDeVdIzvGfenJy0/edit?usp=sharing - Vocals: Lorien Mix: 风语 - Original: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Tx4y137YT/ Executive Producer：木宁木蒙 Planning & Operations：酷丘 Lyrics：慕清明 | Composition：陈亦洺、小可 | Music Producer：崔博源 Kunqu Consultant：周秦 Vocals：赤羽、星尘infinity | Vocal Eiditing：瑞安Ryan Dizi/Xiao：囚牛 | Guitar：Guitar_RK | Erhu：二胡妹 Harmony Arrange：沈雾敛 | Mix & Master：Mr_曾经 Art：梨乖酥、Zeii犬间 PV：残垣留梦、Bung Kon、宇言DX、汐泽 In association with：桃源工作室 - Tang Xianzu (汤显祖, 1550-1616) was a Chinese playwright from Linchuan, Jiangxi. His four major works, The Peony Pavilion, The Purple Hairpin, Record of Handan, and Record of Southern Bough are collectively known as the Four Dream of Linchuan, due to their reocurring motif of dreams. Tang is possibly the most influential and notable playwright in Chinese history, especially in regards to the development of Kunqu (昆曲). - Translation of the description under the original video by 忘川风华录: “The main character of this song is the Ming Dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu, a prodigy who walked between the boarders of dreams and waking reality and whose life itself was a fantastic play. His skills and talents were known to all, and yet he refused to work for those in power and thus fell from the ranks during the national exams. He worked for the benefit of the people, and in the political essay “Regarding the lack of useful ministers” openly criticized the rich and powerful, and was consequently demoted and later resigned. He acted out of spontaneity; singing his way through Linchuan, weaving stories of purple hairpins and crimson tears and flourishing landscapes. He defiantly stood in opposition of the cruel and dark world that he lived in, removed himself and instead watched as a spectator this muddied and unbearable dimension. He used his passion and talents to create dreamscapes, becoming a beacon of warm light for the abyss. He praised every small beauty, noticed every fractured emotion, and saw the perfection in all this. Thus his sensitivity lent him to the pen and paper, song and dance. This song, “Floating Dreams of Linchuan” begins with “a dream distilled to ink” and illustrates Tang Xianzu and all of his fantastical dreams. He converses with his characters face to face, keeping each other company “with a chalice of tears.” Asking ourselves, asking the era, asking about truth and falsities, vision and reality, and at the same time, we hope that every listener can stand at that border in between and hear the last gentle sigh of this encounter. The treasure we have chosen [within the video] is the 4-ledge-10-fret ivory turtle shell pipa. It also hails from the Ming dynasty, and is engraved with patterns of prosperity, happiness, and good luck. Wei Liangfu (founder of Kunqu) and his associates added the pipa as one of the major accompanying instruments when revising the opera’s sound. According to Xu Wei in Record of Southern Verses, “Now in Kunshan (Kun mountain) there are those who sing the southern verses to accompaniment of dizi, guan, sheng, and pipa, though sometimes the words may not match, the music is quite pleasant to listen to, and is also one of the common entertainments of the Wu.” The pipa’s notes and melodies have endless possibilities: soft and delicate, it allows for the arias of Kunqu to be more complete. At times, it causes the tears of lovers, and also the joyful smiles of family, such are the stories that are told within the music. Spirit within cup still warm, how do you know if you are awake or dreaming still? Ahead is the mortal realm, like dream, like reality” - Links - twitter⬦https://twitter.com/lorien_lra soundcloud⬦https://soundcloud.com/lorien_lra for business inquiries⬦lorien.lra.music@gmail.com