"Sound of Strings from the Frontier" composed by Bin-Yang Li in 2013, is an erhu piece inspired by Du Fu’s Tang Dynasty poem Bing Che Xing and the Northwest folk song San Shi Li Pu, which serves as its main thematic material. Nearly a decade later, the piece was re-commissioned by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra for the 2023 Taipei National Traditional Music Competition and re-arranged for erhu and piano—this version is the focus of the current study.
Centered on the theme of war, the piece reflects the composer’s concerns for ethnicity, society, and humanity. This study explores Bin-Yang Li’s creative philosophy through interviews and analyzes the structure, musical materials, and motifs of the piece. The research aims to provide a contextual interpretation for performance and highlight Li’s distinctive style.
