Editor's picks

Galaxy music comes alive

It was by pure coincidence that I played Daniel Hope's new CD Spheres (Deutsche Grammophon) during the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the night when Chinese people at every corner of the world raised their eyes to the full moon, I drove to a grassland resort to spend the festival with my family, and spin this CD in the car's player. When the music started, I knew no better time and occasion to listen to this "music of the spheres". In this album, the British violinist plays 18 tracks on the theme of stars and planets. He brings together music and time, including works by composers from different centuries from Bach to Philips Glass and the title piece by Max Richter. Hope says when he was a boy, the only thing that captivated him as much as music was the night sky. At the age of 8, he bought his first telescope and spent hours gazing at the moon and stars. I'm sure this album is beyond your expectation of a violin collection. Hope gives the Bach a modern twist but not as abstract as what one would expect of contemporary music. They are simply beautiful. And you can even hear the chorus of the Berlin Philharmonic in the background.

- Chen jie