Ye Xiaogang - “Jade Goddess of Mercy” 《玉观音》

Adapted from Hai Yan’s novel, the television drama "Jade Goddess of Mercy" 《玉观音》 was one of the most popular series in China during the early 21st century. While the era produced many successful dramas, this production remains unique due to its sumptuous soundtrack by the internationally renowned composer, Ye Xiaogang. He masterfully depicted each character with distinct themes, resulting in a series so visually and aurally cohesive that it feels like a feature-length music video. Hai Yan even remarked in the original soundtrack notes that the visuals served the music. One thing is certain: Ye Xiaogang’s score elevated the drama to a depth rarely reached—and never surpassed—by other television productions.

Arranger’s Note

Like many of his generation, Ke Lin—a classically trained pianist—first discovered the music of Ye Xiaogang in his early twenties through the television adaptation of Hai Yan’s novel. At the time, as the soundtrack had not yet been released, Ke began transcribing the melodies for piano so he could continue to enjoy the music at home.

Though his professional path eventually led him to a career in the insurance industry, Ye Xiaogang’s music remained a constant companion. When the insurance company he worked for collapsed in the early 2020s, Ke was gifted his office computer as a farewell gesture—a practical gift that inadvertently became a creative catalyst. Taking the opportunity to master Sibelius, he finally began to formally transcribe the scores he had carried in his head for over twenty years.

Through a fortunate connection via mutual friends, Ke was able to reach out to Ye Xiaogang, whose generous support for this project has been invaluable. Driven by a lifelong passion rather than commercial intent, this arrangement is offered as a free download, born from a desire to share this evocative music with performers and listeners worldwide.

海岩同名小说改编的电视剧《玉观音》是21世纪初中国最受欢迎的剧集之一。在众多成功的影视作品中，《玉观音》之所以脱颖而出，正是因为国际知名作曲家叶小纲为其创作了极具华彩的配乐。他通过独特的音乐主题精准地刻画了每一位人物，使整部剧集呈现出如长篇音乐电视（MV）般的视听融合。原著作者甚至在原声带序言中提到，剧中的影像是在为音乐服务。可以肯定的是，叶小纲的音乐将这部剧集提升到了一个罕见的艺术深度——这在电视音乐创作领域鲜少被触及，且至今从未被超越。

编者按

与同代人一样，受过古典钢琴专业训练的林可在二十出头时，通过海岩同名小说改编的电视剧初次邂逅了叶小纲的音乐。由于当时原声带尚未发行，林可便开始将这些旋律改编成钢琴曲，以便在日常生活中弹奏。

尽管后来他投身于保险行业，但叶小纲的音乐始终伴随着他。2020年代初，就在他任职的保险公司倒闭之际，公司将办公电脑作为告别礼赠送给了他——这份礼物意外地成为了他创作的契机。林可借此机会学会了使用 Sibelius 软件，终于将盘旋在脑海中二十余年的旋律正式汇编成谱。

通过朋友的引荐，林可有幸联系到了叶小纲教授，并得到了他本人对该项目的支持。这份改编并非出于商业目的，而是源于对音乐的纯粹热爱，因此以免费下载的形式分享给全球的演奏者与听众。