THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS

When I drive, the radio plays the Concerto for Violin "Butterfly Lovers", but never completely because this masterpiece is too long. This work was composed in 1958 by the chinese composers Chen Gang and He Zhanhao. The concerto lasts around 30 minutes and is one of the major works of modern China. You will remain hooked to the beauty the violin's music... It's a real treat that confirms what was said Claude Debussy: "Music begins where words are powerless, it is made for the inexpressible ..."

But before moving on to dessert, I would like to introduce you this little video taken in June 2006. These accrobatic dancers of one famous Guangzhou Circus School have practiced 9 years to realize these acrobatic feats. What seemed impossible has become reality by dint of passion, work and mutual trust. I can hardly find words to describe this perfect show!

THE ACCROBATIC BALLET

YouTube url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1DqfJtd3sU

Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese legend which origins were traced in the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907). Adapted in traditional Chinese opera, Tsui Hark has made known this legend in cinema with the film called "The Lovers", produced in 1994, starring Charlie Young and Nicky Wu.

SYNOPSIS It is the story of a young girl, Zhu Yingtai, a native of Shangyu, her parents dressed her as a boy so she can go to study in Hangzhou, a school prohibited to girls. During her trip, she meets Liang Shan Bo. They studied together for three years during which their ties are strengthened. When it came time to leave, Zhu offers him to marry her sister (nonexistent). The young man then stays with his friend, he discovers her true feminine nature and they become lovers. Unfortunately, the two lovers are issued from different social environment, and parents refuse to marry them, especially that Zhu is already promised to Ma Wencai. They then decided to commit suicide, and they turned into butterflies. "THE LOVERS" MOVIE PARTS Liang Shan Bo has to write a letter (of Blood) to Zhu Yingtai to tell her that he is no longer in love with her and kill himself... Zhu Yingtai opens the paper parchment and sees blood. Shan Bo dies and the lyre's strings break... Zhu Yingtai tries to find for Liang Shan Bo's grave In bitter despair , Zhu Yingtai begs for the grave to open up and throws herself into the grave to join Liang Shan Bo in death (The end).

This album is the best interpretation of the Concerto I know, but I have not found a free music player to play it in its entirety.

The Bewitched Canoe

This is a popular french canadian tale. After a night of heavy drinking on New Year's Eve, a group of loggers, working in an isolated winter camp want to visit their sweethearts some 300 miles away. The only way to make such a long journey and be back in time for work the next morning is to run the "chasse-galerie". However, the travelers must not mention God's name or touch the cross of any church steeple as they whisk by in the flying canoe. If either of these rules are broken during the voyage, then the Devil will have their souls.

In Quebec, the best known version is written by Honoré Beaugrand in 1900. Beaugrand was a Freemason Luciferian. This particular story can be traced back to a French legend about a rich nobleman named Gallery who loved to hunt.He loved it so much that he refused to attend Sunday mass. As punishment for this sin he was condemned to forever fly through the night skies, chased by galloping horses and howling wolves, in a fashion reminiscent of the Wild Hunt.

La Chasse-galerie by Henri Julien (1852-1908)

The Legend of the Flying Canoe (La Chasse-galerie) (1996)