"The King Chu doffs his Armour" is one of the most famous masterpieces
for pipa solo from the traditional classical repertory. This piece is
a musical description of a tragic historical event: the defeat of King
Xiang Yu who thought himself invincible. During the war which followed
the foundation of the Han Empire (202 BC - 220 AD), Xiang Yu suffered
a fatal defeat. The pipa music depicts the scene of the battle, noises
of the soldiers' fight, and the indescribable feeling of being
defeated and farewell to his beloved concubine. The performance of
this piece demands a whole range of complex techniques and virtuosity,
with speed, precision and restraint.