<<<  <<  -- 4 --  Gillian Wills    EXPRESSING THE UNIVERSE

Tang is also a composer and says that his approach to interpreting music is always to think himself into the composer's sound world. Tang feels in total sympathy with the 'full-blown craziness, of someone trying to express the universe, creation, civilization and the strengths and frailties of the human condition in just one artistic work'. This Symphony expresses every shade of feeling from despair to elation, joy, regret and fear and often there are two contradictory feelings conveyed simultaneously which is one of the reasons that the music can have such an overwhelming impact.

Whether it has an impact or not Tang believes is up to the audience who need to keep some energy in reserve for the experience, find out about the work and then be open to this confronting music and allow it to touch the emotional scarring and the joy in their own lives. He seems to be in agreement with the famous author Henry James who said that 'the art of appreciation is a talent in itself'. Tang echoes this sentiment when he says at the end of our conversation that 'there is a special giftedness in being a receptive listener'.