This work was inspired by traditional Chinese Shuo Chang (story-telling) and Jing Yun Da Gu ('Big Drum in Peking Style' - an operatic form that originated around Beijing in the early twentieth century). The solo pipa acts as the narrator, telling the story through the contrast between high, rolling notes and uplifting folk tunes. This concerto is exciting and lively, and it showcases the pipa as a virtuosic solo instrument.

The concerto begins with high notes and glissandi in the pipa (a pluc...