Van Rooij attended the classical Chinese dance performance and was both surprised and impressed with the accompanying orchestra, which of course, he paid close attention to.
“I am a music conductor. What I see—everything is perfect, spot-on, with the movement the dancers with the music,” van Rooij said, adding that it is rare to see such a large production nowadays, where the music is live. “I like that very much, the integration of music, dance, and visual effects. I am very happy to be here; it is spot-on—it is perfect.”
“The integration within the tradition of the Chinese music, the usage of instruments of the West, it is phenomenal,” van Rooij said. “The specific sound of the Chinese instruments are still in there and have a dominant role, that is what I can hear, but the Western instruments give somewhat of an assistance to the power of the sound and the richness. That is special as well.”
“If air floats or water is floating, you hear that in the music as well. Everything is in balance,” he said. “And also the usage of traditional instruments together, especially the woodwind instruments from the West, it is still in balance.”
Hearing the Chinese woodwinds and the Chinese lute, pipa, gave van Rooij a touch of inspiration. He wasn’t sure yet where he might find a wooden flute, but he was keen on adding one to his ensemble.
“I have no idea yet, but it leads to inspiration,” he said.
