Che-Chen Kuo: Grasshopper Plays with the Rooster

Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra / Chun-Yi Liu / National Recital Hall, Taipei, Taiwan 2014.5.3

The lively “Grasshopper” is a metaphor for a mischievous little girl, while the “Rooster” is a clumsy old man who loves to tease the small grasshopper. This Hengchun folk song is playful and depicts life in a rural Taiwan village with little children having fun with their grandparents. In this arrangement, the rooster crowing and human voices are used to depict the humorous scenes. The middle section merges Taiwanese folk with Jiangnan Silk and Bamboo styles.

(Translation: Kiah Mok Goh / Edit: Patty Chan)