Gramophone has praised Bamboo Grove, an album of new Chinese chamber music led by violinist and violist Patrick Yim, singling out Zhou Long’s title work as arguably the album’s highlight.
Critic Pwyll ap Siôn situates the album’s four featured composers — Chen Yi, Zhou Long, and their contemporaries — within the wave of new Chinese music that came of age in the late 20th century, praising the energy, vitality, and boundless creativity heard throughout. Zhou’s Bamboo Grove for unaccompanied violin is highlighted for its nervous, off-the-bridge tremolandos and ghostly harmonics, shifting into a propulsive, Chinese-inspired hoedown reminiscent of John Corigliano’s STOMP.
The review also praises Chen’s four-movement Suite for Viola and Chamber Winds for evoking traditional Chinese instruments like the guqin and xiao, with ap Siôn noting that Yim and his collaborators bring conviction to music still finding its place in the wider repertoire.
Bamboo Grove is out now on PENTATONE.
