In his famous ninth-century treatise, the Tang-dynasty artist Zhang Yanyuan (张彦远) wrote, "To paint landscape is not merely to depict its outward likeness; the true value lies in capturing its spirit and atmosphere.” To Zhang, nature was seen not merely as place, but as a medium through which the life force Chinese call qi could be revealed.

One of the most famous examples of this type of landscape painting is Li Tang’s (李唐) twelfth-century work, Wind in the Pines Among a Myriad Valleys (万壑松风), which serves as the inspiration for contemporary Chinese composer Jia Guoping’s (贾国平) 2014 piece The Pine-soughing Valleys (万壑松风).

Written for sheng, zheng, and orchestra, the work is built around five core sound images that correspond to features in Li Tang’s painting. In a highly detailed approach, Jia organizes its form and pitch structures to convey these sonic images. I will provide a high-level analysis of this work, specifically attempting to connect it to the concepts in Tang and Song Dynasty paintings that define their progression beyond mimesis toward the expression of qi. I will also situate this work within Jia’s larger body of work, many pieces of which also seek to express concepts related to nature, landscape, and the power of harmony between heaven and humanity.