SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Full of Peace, Grace, and Harmony Says Lausanne Cathedral Organist

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Shen Yun Full of Peace, Grace, and Harmony Says Lausanne Cathedral Organist
Jean-Christophe Geiser, organist at the cathedral of Lausanne, came to experience Shen Yun on Jan. 14 in Lausanne, Switzerland. NTD

LAUSANNE, Switzerland—Jean-Christophe Geiser is none other than the organist of the Lausanne Cathedral, which is home to the first pipe organ to contain all four principal organ styles.

On Jan. 14, the musician was in the audience when he experienced an orchestra unlike any other when he saw Shen Yun Performing Arts.

“I really appreciated everything that was done in reference to traditional Chinese instruments ... It is obviously a musical world that is little known in Europe and I found this mixture between European classical instruments and traditional Chinese instruments very attractive,” said Mr. Geiser at the Théâtre de Beaulieu, where Shen Yun will perform until the 17th.

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance company, and the first in the world to permanently combine Chinese instruments in a classical orchestra. Its programs also often include musical solo performances, such as a showcase of the ancient, two-stringed erhu instrument this Saturday.
The organist said he was particularly touched by the erhu soloist’s performance.

“In particular, there was this interlude with a piece on this two-stringed instrument that was magnificent. It was indeed extremely harmonious and very calm ... and sometimes also very passionate. It was a very beautiful moment, one of my favorite moments in the show,” he said.

Jean-Christophe Geiser was challenged by this meeting of East and West, comparing the orchestra to the organ: “The organ is an instrument that has mixed many influences from different countries. We have French, German, Spanish, Italian influences. So it is already an instrument which makes this mixture. And there, we have a mixture between two musical worlds! It was very seductive and I really liked that!”

The classical Chinese dance and ethnic and folk dances were also a beautiful discovery for the organist of Lausanne.

“I was discovering this traditional Chinese art, the performances—I would say, athletic, physical of the dancers—are extraordinary. It was remarkable!” said Mr. Geiser.

The musician was also sensitive to the innovative technology developed by the company to display landscapes and ancient scenes to interact with the movements of the dancers. He was amazed by the use of contemporary technology to highlight a very traditional art.

Classical Chinese dance is one of the oldest systems of dance but also the most complete, drawing its techniques from thousands of years of Chinese culture. It combines incredible leaps, twists, and spins requiring a first-class athletic training, with an expressiveness that translates the dancer’s state of mind and deepest emotions.

Mr. Geiser was able to feel the energy emanating from the dancers.

Even if they do extraordinary things, technically difficult, they always do it with a kind of ease ... of grace and harmony.
Jean-Christophe Geiser

“Lots of energy! If only because of the physical prowess of ... the dancers,” he said.“ What strikes me is that in general they are all with a magnificent smile. Even if they do extraordinary things, technically difficult, they always do it with a kind of ease ... of grace and harmony.”

To achieve and express this joy and compassion in performance, Shen Yun performers follow an ancient tradition. As explained on its website: “Like the artists of ancient China, Shen Yun performers know that to create true art, they must not only master the technical aspect, but also cultivate inner goodness. For Shen Yun performers, this means meditation and spiritual elevation. These virtues emanate from each movement, resonate with each note.”

Mr. Geiser said he felt in the performance “very, very strong values,” which resonated with his own Christian values.

“Christ said: ‘When someone hits, turn the other cheek.’ So this message is almost universal. In any case, it is also a message of our Christian civilization,” he said, adding that he felt “moments of great harmony.”

For Jean-Christophe Geiser, Shen Yun carried messages of “peace, appeasement ... God knows how necessary it is, at a time when it is perhaps too easy to grab guns rather than flowers.”
Reporting by NTD.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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