Stir Q&A: Global Soundscapes' Marina Hasselberg and Lan Tung meld East and West through music
The musicians combine the erhu with the cello to draw on traditions but explore new sonic territory, as well
Erhu player Lan Tung hails from Taiwan and cellist Marina Hasselberg comes from Portugal, but in Vancouver they’ve found a way for their musical worlds to meet. They’re seen here in their new music video for Global Soundscapes.
VANCOUVER ERHU player Lan Tung and cellist Marina Hasselberg come from musical traditions in vastly different parts of the world, but they’ve discovered a way to make exquisite music together.
Hailing from Portugal, Hasselberg performs everything from Baroque classics to new music and improvisation. Tung, whose instrument is often described as the Chinese violin, builds on her Taiwanese roots to cross between new and improvised music to world-music scenes. She also often uses her voice to add yet another dimension.
The duo, who perform under the name Have Bow Will Travel, creates music that blends Chinese and European classical traditions, along with new sonic innovations and explorations, finding an expressive, emotional resonance that blends the beauty of both instruments.
Last year, with the Sound of Dragon Ensemble, the pair toured Asia, with concerts in China.
At the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra’s Global Soundscapes monthlong online festival, the dynamic duo will stream two pieces. November 12, their traditional duet Autumn Moonlight on the Peaceful Lake goes live on the VICO site; Week 3, kicking off November 19, check out Pink Chamber, which the pair improvise. (Tung also appears in a quartet playing Jin Zhang’s Teasing Golden Snake debuting November 12; with the Orchid Ensemble’s rendition of Moshe Denburg’s The Road to Kashgar November 19; and with John Oliver on electronics for Birds Singing in the Mountains in the final week, starting November 25).
The streamed concerts are filmed with multiple cameras in an intimate chamber setting that allows you to see the instruments closeup. The fest is devoted to bringing together traditional instruments and contemporary works, bridging cultures at a time of lockdown and separation.
We asked Tung and Hasselberg five questions about their work and their friendship.
How did you two meet?
LT: I started the Sound of Dragon Music Festival in 2014 and hosted the Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra from Taiwan. We needed a cellist to join the orchestra, and Marina was recommended to me by Jonathan Bernard. They have played together in other ensembles. I was impressed by Marina's playing as well as her positive energy and enthusiasm to try new things.
I formed the cross-cultural chamber group Sound of Dragon Ensemble in 2015 and invited Marina to join.
At the same time, Marina was starting to explore improvisation more, which is also one of the many aspects of what I do. In December 2018, I was looking for a partner to join me in a project at the Anvil Centre Theatre in New Westminster. Lisa Cay Miller recommended that I ask Marina. Since then we have played frequently as a duo..
Why do your instruments complement each other and how do they contrast each other?
LT: If you think of the erhu as a female vocal, the cello would be a male voice. The high and low sounds are complementing and contrasting at the same time. Both are played with a bow, and the two instruments blend well. But the cello is also great for rhythmic passages, which makes up for what the erhu is less capable of.
What do you have in common aside from music?
LT: Aside from music, I would say what we have in common may be the enjoyment of food and travel. Our travels are related to music, though. We have both travelled on tour and for our music studies.
You toured Asia with the Sound of Dragon ensemble in 2019. What was the highlight for each of you, either on or offstage?
LT: On one of the days in China, the musicians went to visit different sites on their own. Marina and I went together for a day trip. We went to the famous Shaolin Temple, which is known for the legendary martial arts practised by the monks. Behind the temple, we went hiking at Mount Song (Chinese: 嵩山; pinyin: Sōngshān). It has very spectacular scenery.
MH: That whole tour was absolutely fantastic, and so, many episodes come to mind. But I must say that one of the most fun times happened unexpectedly at a tiny private dining room on the first floor of a small restaurant in ZhengZhou, where Lan and I - and maybe eight more people including our local hosts - sat around a big round table and experienced (while sharing what felt like a thousand incredible dishes) the drink Baijiu and the strong traditions around it!
The night turned into a raucous festive feast where different languages were used enthusiastically, despite the fact that most of the time the words themselves were completely foreign to whomever one was talking to, and vice-versa. A truly extravagant and inspiring evening of pure human connection! And Baijiu.
Tell us a bit about the two duets you have on the Global Soundscapes program and how they differ?
LT: Autumn Moonlight on the Peaceful Lake is a traditional piece from Canton, south of China. Its beautiful melody is filled with glissando and grace notes. It is smooth and flows like water. Pink Chamber is totally improvised and moves through different feels. We were inspired by the pink lights the video production crew set up for us.
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