Oriental music and philosophy: the tour throughout Europe by Valerio Mirone, virtuoso of the Guzheng

A few years ago, fourteen actually, Valerio Mirone he purchased a strange oriental instrument called Guzheng and it is a kind of zither with 21 strings. It was for sale in one of the many markets that offer props, stagings that are no longer usable and, indeed, strange musical instruments used in some theatrical performance.

“I needed a computer on stage and I wanted it to be able to give me an experimental music effect” he says. Since that day the Guzheng has become a life companion and Valerio, said aka Pakkione (which in Sicilian means chubby) has become a real star over time. So much so that for some time now he has been traveling the world with his concerts which are sold out everywhere. A long tour which from Greece (Athens and Thessaloniki) took him to Bosnia, Serbia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Great Britain, France and Portugal. About thirty dates which for an artist who plays a very particular genre and doesn’t waste his time promoting himself on social media are almost miraculous.

On stage Mirone aka Pakkione wears typical Japanese masks, long white robes and manages to create a magical atmosphere that literally enchants the spectators. She plays in clubs, in large spaces but also in more intimate places such as fashion ateliers, cultural institutes, art galleries.

“Obviously the performances change depending on the spaces available, but the magic of this sound remains unchanged” he explains.
The Guzheng, or also gu zheng and gu-zheng – in Chinese zheng means friend – is a traditional Chinese musical instrument which is part of the zither family. The currently most widespread model is equipped with 21 strings, like the one Mirone plays, but they exist zheng also with 16, 18 and 25 strings. This instrument was born in 475 BC and was modified over time.

The zither was originally used in the orchestras that played at the imperial court, while its extensive solo development only dates back to the 19th century. It is played using four plectrums or rather artificial nails applied to the right hand, with which the strings are plucked, while the left hand, traditionally, is used to press the strings themselves and obtain notes of different timbre and pitch.

Since the mid-20th century, however, the playing technique has been modified: the left hand, for example, can pluck the strings, like the right. Furthermore, a rich solo repertoire for zheng has been codified, derived from the repertoire of other instruments, from pieces composed ex-novo for the zither and from ancient pieces typical of the various regional zheng schools.