Suzhou Symphony Orchestra revisits 'Dream of the Red Chamber' in new production

The instrument's restrained, singing tone contrasts with the breadth of the full orchestra. For the Suzhou performances, the score was revised to give more prominence to the erhu, allowing its intimate sound to anchor moments such as Burial of Flowers without losing the scale of the symphonic writing.

Concertmaster Jiang Xiaofei describes the violin compositions as reflecting Chinese ideas of balance and symmetry as much as European orchestral traditions.

"The violin can cry, whisper or illuminate," he says. "It allows these characters to speak again."

This April, A Dream of Red Mansions — Resound had its premiere in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The premiere also marked the beginning of the nationwide tour of the production.