Don't miss this gorgeous arrangement of the Haunting Chinese melody Mo Li Hua (Jasmine Flower). Lush harmonies bring this piece to life. Mo Li Hua stays true to the pentatonic tonality until the near end of the piece when the harmony takes an unexpected turn.
History
It was created during the Qianlong era (1735–1796) of the Qing dynasty.[2] There are several regional versions of the song,[8]–the more well-known one from Jiangsu Province, and the other from Zhejiang Province. They have different lyrics and melody.[10]:46– One version of the song describes a custom of giving jasmine flowers, popular in the southern Yangtze delta region of China.[2] Another longer version describes the fear of plucking the flower.[10]:46–[9]:81–82 It has been played on ancient metal bells (bianzhong) and modern jade chimes.[4] It uses the five note (pentatonic) scale ubiquitous in Chinese music. The tune is one of xiaodiao ("short tunes"), popular in Chinese urban areas.[11] In 1804 a British diplomat, John Barrow, noted that the tune seems to be one of the most popular songs in China. wikipedia
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