The applause went on and on for a performance by the Hunan Art Ensemble of China at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Saturday. The artists chose pieces that conveyed the great Chinese musical and cultural traditions. For the erhu, they performed Er Quan Ying Yue, a distinctive classic from Chinese musical literature. "Chinese music is very beautiful," said Liam Noronha, the zhongruan player. "We wanted to spread the Chinese music culture to the American audiences," erhu master Zhang said.