Joshua Bell has recorded a new video of the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto: VII Adagio Cantabile to celebrate the release of his Butterfly Lovers recording on 30 June 2023 on Sony Classical.
Recorded with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and conducted by Tsung Yeh, the album features the Butterfly Lovers Concerto in an adaptation for an ensemble of traditional Chinese instruments – plus Sarasate's Ziguenerweisen, Saint-Saëns's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso and Massenet's 'Méditation' from Thaïs, all specially arranged to be performed with the SCO's ensemble of Chinese instruments.
Written in 1959 by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao, the Butterfly Lovers Concerto is an adaptation of an ancient Chinese legend, the Butterfly Lovers, originally scored for a full Western symphonic orchestra.
Photo: Shervin Lainez