Concert "Requiem of the Earth" held to appease wounded souls

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One year has passed since the Wenchuan earthquake, yet many people are still struggling to come to terms with what has happened. "Requiem of the Earth" was the name of a concert on Tuesday night, at Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts. The composer hopes that music will help to heal heavy hearts.

"Requiem of the Earth", the seventy-minute suite, was premiered by the China National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor Li Xincao led the performance.

Set to a slow rhythm, the first chapter of the music seized audiences with its contemplative and grieving tone. It echoed the striking moment when Composer Guan Xia and his colleagues arrived at Wenchuan, 12 days after the quake.

Composer Guan Xia said, "For almost three days, we were speechless. That was the result of a powerful hit of such a narrow edge between life and death. You would never have a deeper understanding of life and death. So the opening of the music has been decided right away. "

A hasty and strained second chapter symbolizes the race against time to save victims.

A Qiang ethnic flautist came from Sichuan to join the orchestra in the last chapter. This two-thousand-year-old instrument used to be played at every important occasion of the Qiang people.

Guan Xia called this the hardest piece of music he has ever composed, due to the overwhelming grief. But approaching completion, he wanted his music to help to heal the wounded souls.

Guan Xia said, "People's lives are getting back to normal. But I don't know how much time it will take to stop the quake haunting them. I mean, the quake almost completely destroyed the best things in their lives: families, lovers, houses and even hope. So my ultimate motivation is to tell them: just let go and look to the future."

The concert ended in an unconventional way. No applause was heard. Instead all the musicians and spectators stood in a silent tribute.