Beijing Temple of Heaven.

Beijing Temple of Heaven. People's Republic of China.

北京天坛。中华人民共和国。

 

坂本 龍一 (Ryuichi Sakamoto) - The Last Emperor

 

"Sakamoto Plays Sakamoto Concert", 04/10/1988, performed at the NHK Hall, a concert hall located at the NHK Broadcasting Center in Tokyo, the headquarters of the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Naoto Otomo.

Erhu: Jiang Jian-Hua. Guzheng: Jiang Xiao-Qing. Chinese pipe: Tao Jing-Yin. Piano: Ryuichi Sakamoto.

 

The Emperor's Cricket scene. "The Last Emperor" directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.

 

Final scene "The Last Emperor" directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.

 

The Last Emperor - 坂本 龍一 (Ryuichi Sakamoto) / The Last Emperor (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1987)

 

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Història certa dels set cels. Set paradisos màgics i encantats. Història certa dels set cels. Set nius de pau, de glòria i de felicitat. El primer cel és inventat: el primer gran invent de la terrestritat. I el segon cel, imaginat, en una nit d'estiu a la vora del mar. El tercer cel, dins d'un mirall. Reflexa les imatges d'un món ignorat. I el quart cel és irreal. Com un oasi verd en un desert estrany. Del cinquè cel, res no se'n sap. No hi ha notícies d'aquest cel tan amagat. I el sisè cel està copiat... del cel setè que has engendrat dins del teu cap.

Jaume Sisa

 

True story of the seven heavens. Seven magical and enchanted paradises. True story of the seven heavens. Seven nests of peace, glory and happiness. The first sky, is invented: the first great invention of the terrestriality. And the second imagined heaven, on a summer night on the seashore. The third sky, inside a mirror: It reflects images of an ignored world. And the fourth heaven is unreal. Like a green oasis in a strange desert. Of the fifth heaven, nothing is known. There is no news of this sky so hidden. And the sixth heaven is copied... of the seventh heaven that you have engendered inside your head.

 

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If you hear the word "Hang", you may think it is a Chinese word. It could be, for example, a Chinese dynasty, as were the Ming or Han dynastys. If you see the musical instrument "Hang", you may think that it is an ancient instrument from some Asian country. But it's not.

The "Hang" is a musical instrument created by two Swiss, Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer in 1999. It is formed by two metal structures, shaped like a plate, joined by the edge. The inside of the instrument is empty, while on the outside it has ornaments and circular indentations of different sizes, created by hammering the structure in the shape of a flying saucer.

The Hang is sounded by blows with the hands; blows of different intensities in the different parts of the instrument, thus creating a large variety of sounds depending on the size of the indentations, ornaments, pieces, etc... The sound can be muffled or louder, depending on how long the hand remains in contact with the instrument after striking it. The fact that hands are used is what gave rise to its name, as "Hang" means "hand" in the Swiss-German dialect spoken in Bern (Switzerland).

This instrument is no longer manufactured today. But don't worry, some computer scientist will invent a mobile App that reproduces the same sound and it will become fashionable. We will all be experts in Hang. In the digital age, you don't need to think or develop any qualities. Computers, software and Apps already do it for you. Specially that "monster" called mobile phone. If there is no mobile application... then, nobody is interested in it...

 

Once Again- Hang Massive / Timelessly Free (2011)

 

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Bonus track

Palace - Heaven Up There

Done