How to view the inheritance and innovation of traditional music today, taking the symphonicization of Cantonese music as an example

In recent years, as Chinese culture has gradually heated up around the world, between 2008 and 2010, the author was fortunate enough to go to Europe (the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Belgium) three times to hold a number of Cantonese music special performances and instrument research and development (large Premiere of Hu’s new works) and other activities. Through these experiences, I am first of all proud to be able to showcase my hometown music culture on an overseas international platform, and learn about the situation of overseas music culture and some of the opinions and expectations of overseas musicians on Chinese music culture; combined with the current situation of my country's music culture ideology , which triggered me to make some thoughts and revelations on issues such as Chinese traditional music values.

1. The Netherlands - Cantonese music group goes overseas for the first time

The "European Foundation for Chinese Music Research - "Xin"" was established in the Netherlands in 1990. The foundation is engaged in international promotion activities of Chinese music, including: every year It holds international seminars, publishes the regular magazine "Xin", and arranges various activities for Chinese music. In 2005, the foundation jointly organized a series of concerts "Contrasts and Contrasts in Chinese Music" with the Concert Hall on the River in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. In late 2007, the "Yu Lefu and Nanting Hui Cantonese Music Group" (Gaohu - Yu Lefu, Yangqin - Wu Di, Xiao Di - Li Zhicheng, Qinqin Ruan - Tong Shaomin, Yehu - Lang Ping) formed by the author got At the invitation of the organizer, a "Traditional Cantonese Music Concert" was held at the Aizhipan Concert Hall on January 18, 2008.

The trip to the Netherlands was the group’s first overseas performing arts event. On the one hand, the group was actively preparing, and on the other hand, because it was a special performance, many detailed questions couldn’t help but arise in my mind: Since it was a five-plane The head-form combination is also mainly traditional in its repertoire. Although traditional works are so excellent and beloved to us, we inevitably have concerns: From what angle will European civilization thousands of miles away appreciate Eastern civilization? Will the whole group playing Cantonese music make the audience feel boring? Should we add some mainstream Chinese music works to embellish it? Will our traditional music be incongruous to them? Surprisingly, these questions got unexpected answers during a phone call with Ms. Shi Nie, the representative of the Dutch inviting party. On the phone, she mentioned that the conference had recently listened to our album and analyzed it, and they were interested in several questions; first, whether the performance of this traditional Cantonese music uses memorization of music? Second, whether it is used Did she choose a specific melody? Third, would she play pieces of this style throughout the concert? At that time, I was not yet sure of her stance on these issues, but I could clearly sense an academic aura that pursued high standards. I answered the first two questions in the affirmative, and asked tentatively: "Do you think we need to perform some other styles of Chinese works in the concert?" To my surprise, she replied very definitely: "Oh, Qian Absolutely no, we want the original style of your specialty!" This sentence not only completely made me put aside my previous worries, but also made me sincerely appreciate the Europeans' cultural appreciation ability and broad-mindedness. Artistic vision generates reverence. After that, she also talked about the special rhythms, improvisation and other characteristics of European folk music, and also revealed their strong interest in and protection of folk music of different races around the world. After conveying this news to the team members, everyone was full of confidence and expectations for the upcoming trip to the Netherlands.

After setting foot in the Netherlands, after two days of rest, we went to the Riverside Concert Hall for the stage performance in the afternoon. The concert hall is medium in size and can accommodate about 800 people. It is said to be designed for playing chamber music. The top of the concert hall can be raised and lowered to control the reverberation of different numbers of people and music styles, in order to strive for excellence. Playing in this environment is of course a happy thing. After more than an hour of stage audition, during a short break and dinner, we talked about music with Ms. Shi Nie. As a Dutch aristocrat, although she is of white Baiyang descent, she is a complete fan of China. She went to university in China when she was young and can speak fluent Chinese. Even her words and deeds are a little less foreign. A little more elegance and wisdom of Chinese women. She said: "My family has been aristocratic for several generations. After my generation, funds have been used up. I plan to use the money I have now to basically use it to spread Chinese culture. This It is also my pursuit in life.

"I don't know if it is because of the doting on Chinese culture, but she also said: "Many European listeners now lack the novelty of European music. Instead, they are very interested in exploring foreign cultures, especially original art that is not influenced by European music. , of course, this is also the reason for inviting you. "Although I often talk about this kind of issue with my close friend and have quite a lot of sympathy with her, when a foreigner mentions it like this in front of me, I feel overwhelmed with emotion. In terms of protecting traditional art, I am more certain. Some of my inner thoughts. Half an hour before the performance, the organizer arranged a brief introduction ceremony in the lecture room next to the concert hall. We introduced the formal characteristics of the five-piece Cantonese music and various musical instruments through translators, and played them individually. The clip demonstrated the characteristics of the music and gave the audience a preliminary understanding of the structure. Many viewers came to participate early. The atmosphere in the venue was relaxed and lively. Most of the audience showed curious eyes and smiles. The host said the last sentence. The audience laughed and applauded, but later I learned that the content was: "After listening to this concert tonight, everyone will find that the music of Beethoven's works that we often listen to is 'incorrect'. "….

The performance lasted about one hour and twenty minutes, and the repertoire included "Rain Beats Plantains", "Double Sounds of Hate", "Lian Kou", "Pinghu Qiuyue", "Missing", etc. It includes soft bow, The hard-bow combination, five-frame head, three-frame head and solo forms, although mainly traditional repertoire, also played a small number of creative pieces, and also consciously highlighted the characteristics of each instrument, such as "Yehu" and "Dongxiao" "Chanyuan Bell", Yangqin, Qinqin and Yehu's "Galaxy Club" etc. The audience showed their enthusiasm throughout the concert. When they returned to the stage, the performance of "Bubugao" reached the highest point of the atmosphere. It seemed that they really liked it. This is 'out of tune'!

In fact, in recent decades, the normative consciousness of our Chinese academic music education based on European music concepts has indeed obliterated the character of Chinese folk art to a certain extent. As for the essence, there are indeed many different views on the debate on temperament: some advocate "standardizing" folk temperament with twelve average rates; some insist on the traditional folk temperament system in various places; there are also many people who have a vague concept of the use of temperament, etc. ….While affirming the principles of Western music concepts, many scholars doubt or even deny their own traditional cultural characteristics. This attitude of denying self-worth in order to affirm others has almost become a habit of modern Chinese people’s values. Think about it carefully, isn’t it? Do you think it’s biased? The watermelons and fruits of the south and east have their own unique characteristics. At the very least, the various musical characteristics of folk music from all over the world can coexist, and they need to coexist! Now we are standing here. The European stage uses our musical language to talk about their own lives. This is what Europeans want to see. Their enthusiasm is real and comes from the heart. After the performance, we communicated with some of the remaining audiences, which is worthy of joy. The Cantonese music records we brought were also very popular. At this time, Snear helped us calculate the sales volume and said, "The results are very good! I want the remaining ones, and there will be a press conference in the Dutch Daily News tomorrow." Come to interview you and I will be the translator. "

We met the reporter in the hotel lobby. We were introduced to him as someone who specializes in art interviews and is quite authoritative in the industry. His subsequent questions indeed proved this; he asked: "Are you... Academic teachers and students, how did you fall in love with traditional music? Is it difficult to develop traditional music in academic schools? Can you also play modern music?" These questions are obviously very to the point, especially regarding the situation and current situation of traditional music in academic colleges and universities, which also aroused our strong protest. Due to the brewing and development of many traditional music in China, The formation comes from the folk, and its great achievements are inseparable from the folk artists. However, this kind of art form that comes from the folk and contains the profound essence of oriental art cannot be well digested and decomposed under the teaching concepts of academic institutions. To some extent, there is a conflict. For example: 1. The current sight-singing and ear-training education has greatly affected the concept of rhythm, the ups and downs of lines and the grace of traditional Chinese music. 2. The use of a large number of Western etude teaching materials has stifled the performance of Chinese music. The flexibility, humanity and imagination of traditional music. 3. The strong academic awareness of “development and innovation” has dampened the enthusiasm of many people for engaging in traditional music activities. 4. The disconnect between opera art and the teaching system of music majors. Folk music students lack traditional aesthetic sentiments. These points alone are enough to cause serious damage to traditional Chinese music! Here is a quote: "Don't think that there is only one way to solve all problems."

Faced with these current situations, we can only start from ourselves. By establishing and running Cantonese music groups for a long time, we can continuously learn from the achievements of our predecessors and go deep into non-governmental organizations and music societies to absorb nutrients, so as to inherit and look forward to innovation. The whole interview was in a lively atmosphere. The reporter exchanged many opinions with us. He has a good understanding of China's artistic situation. What impressed me most was that he did not agree with the national symphonicization of Chinese music, perhaps because of insufficient understanding. I also immediately recommended to him some national symphony works that I admired more, hoping that he would have new opinions. The next day, our interview was published in the Dutch daily newspaper of that day.

I have gained a lot from my trip to the Netherlands. It is inevitable to be trained in skills, and more importantly, it is the inspiration and harvest of artistic ideas. Although I dare not say that I met a close friend from a thousand miles away, I think my persistence in art is indeed a bit more positive. Because in the field of traditional music, we are still too young. Although we are determined, of course we still need more experience and life insights.

2. The United Kingdom - the combination of traditional techniques and modern concepts in the premiere of "Ox Bow"

For the trip to the United Kingdom, I would first like to thank the Cantonese music performer and composer Liao Guixiong who has been living in the United Kingdom. gentlemen. Mr. Liao, who is the Chinese cultural coordinator of Livestock City, became famous in China with his song "Xi Kai Si" in his early years. Although he is now rooted overseas, he has been engaged in the promotion of Chinese music culture and the research and development of musical instruments. With his help, in January 2009, the author was able to collaborate with the Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra in the UK to premiere the Huqin (Dahu) work "Oxbow", composed by the famous British composer Ian Stepen. This is the first time that the orchestra invites traditional Chinese music performers to China for cooperation. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Dahu mentioned above is Mr. Liao’s life-long work. Over the past decades, Mr. Liao has made great efforts to expand the field of Chinese huqin production and fill the blank space of bass huqin. The birth of "Ox Bow" means that another new member of the Huqin family is making history.

Of course I am very interested in Huqin works written by foreign composers. One month before the performance, the score and sound sample were finally received. Before that, Mr. Liao and I had also described the music. However, when I first listened to the demo, it was completely beyond my imagination; the impressionistic-style music is full of extremely complex rhythm changes and erratic melodies, which makes people a little confused. Obviously, this is a musical language and idea that is quite far away from us. Even so, the overall effect of the music still makes me feel a strong sense of imagery and attraction.

The author Ian expressed his expectations for the work to me via email: "In terms of playing style, due to the limitations of the synthesizer, the demo can only reflect the overall layout of the solo and the band, while in the solo part , hoping to bring out the characteristics of Chinese string instruments. I don’t know much about Chinese huqin, but of course I don’t want its performance to end up like a violin. "This idea makes me very excited and enthusiastic! Although "Ox Bow" is a typical modern work in terms of musical structure and arrangement, the processing of many details can be completely combined with the traditional Huqin techniques. And this is what the author wants to put forward - the idea of ??"the combination of traditional techniques and modern concepts". This also coincides with Ian.

In recent decades, new Huqin works have emerged in China in large numbers, among which a large proportion of works draw on Western violin techniques and musical structure. This is also the creative philosophy and learning process of many contemporary Chinese composers. Due to historical and other objective factors, they all use Western music theory and Western artistic views to examine the "mother" music culture of their motherland, and some even do not fully understand it. Oriental aesthetics or "knowing one thing but not the other" about traditional art often lead to the conclusion that "Chinese music is backward". This ideology has even become the driving force behind the so-called "development of Chinese music" in China for nearly a century. Helpless, history has been written in this way, and the current situation of Chinese music can be said to be "dare not fully Westernized, but unwilling to fully Chineseized". It has become an objective fact that all huqin genres are becoming more like violins. I would like to ask a nation that has given up its "roots", what is the meaning of its existence? Of course, we cannot jump to conclusions about success or failure here. As someone who is engaged in Chinese string performance and education, I deeply feel that traditional awareness is weak and marginalized, and I feel sorry for traditional art. Fortunately, I was able to grow up in a family full of traditional music. This environment gave me deep feelings and different values ??for traditional art.

The expression technique of music is not only a form, it embodies a nation’s outlook on the universe and life.

For example, my country's traditional music is closely connected with its local language, living habits, and living environment and conditions. “If one day the history of mankind converges into a single culture and civilization, it will herald our demise” (Poniatowski). This sentence deeply reveals the importance of each race's persistence and protection of its own culture. It would undoubtedly be the greatest tragedy if, while absorbing foreign civilization, we end up killing ourselves.

For this reason, when performing many new creative works, we often try to seek a reasonable connection with traditional concepts to achieve a "win-win" effect. Because the scale, length and organization of the work have fully reflected its contemporary nature, the solo should not be too constrained by its Western ideas and should retain its unique national characteristics as much as possible. Just as Ian expected, in the solo part of "Ox Bow", on the basis of neat coordination with the orchestra, I tried my best to bring out the characteristics of Chinese string music in the loose parts or melody lines, trying to find the possibility of expansion and reflection of the sense of space. , using moderate portamento, ornamentation and heavy beat shift, etc., to highlight the aesthetics and magnanimity of oriental lines and depict the irreplaceability of Huqin. In fact, there are many precedents for this approach. In terms of my professional field of Gaohu performance, some representative new compositions such as: Gaohu and Orchestra "Love on the Pearl River" (Qiao Fei) ), Gaohu Concerto "Qin Poems" (music by Li Zhuxin, Yu Qiwei), "Soul of Cantonese" (music by Li Zhuxin), Gaohu and Orchestra "Going to the Sea" (music by Bu Canrong), "Bird Paradise" (music by Bu Canrong) , Gaohu Concerto "Lai Village Girl" (composed by Fang Xiaomin), Gaohu and Orchestra "Flowers in the Morning and Moonlight" (composed by Fang Xiaomin), etc., including works compiled by Western symphonies and national symphonies. In their solo parts, the performers (Yu Qiwei, Bu Canrong, Chen Guochan) can reasonably combine traditional techniques with the repertoire, and never leave the "Cantonese flavor". As for the proportion used, he is also very cautious. He will not copy it 100%, but also take into account the needs of different pieces of music or fragments. This very tests the soloist's accumulation and understanding of the traditional foundation. It is a very comprehensive knowledge to maintain the "roots" while still having a bold vision. This concept of creation and performance is exactly what the author yearns for.

The rehearsal in the UK was arranged at the Royal Symphony Hall in Liverpool, which has a history of more than 100 years. After Mr. Liao and I arrived, Ian Stephen, the author of "Ox Bow", and the American Clark, the conductor of this performance, Rundell was already waiting here. After everyone introduced each other warmly, I went to the lounge and had a score review with the conductor. It went very smoothly. There was no interruption during the whole song. At this time, everyone showed a relaxed smile, and I felt happy in my heart. Finally breathed a sigh of relief. Considering that this is the premiere of an experimental work, the orchestra has also made flexible arrangements for the rehearsal time. In addition to the first rehearsal, the second or third rehearsal is a flexible arrangement. To everyone's delight, in this first rehearsal, everything went smoothly. First of all, the band's level was among the best in Europe, and my solo part not only met the requirements of the author and conductor, but also brought them a lot of processing. Here comes the surprise. It is worth mentioning that the effect was quite satisfactory, so the second or third scheduled rehearsals were naturally canceled.

On the night of the performance, I further learned that this concert was held for the Chinese New Year, and the work "Ox Bow" was also named after China ushered in the Year of the Ox. The entire concert will feature Chinese works, including "Distance" by Tan Dun, "Tao Qing" by Chen Qigang, etc. Mr. Liao also said that even in Europe, the box office of classical concerts is declining day by day. This time, Chinese works are featured as a special performance. First, the rise of China has attracted increasing attention to its culture. Second, the orchestra is also working hard to find breakthrough points. Win high box office. Sure enough, there was a full house that night, including Mayor Liwu Pu and the Chinese Cultural Counselor and other senior officials, and "Ox Bow" was also the highlight of the night. Nervousness, motivation and excitement made me more immersed and concentrated on the stage. The 13-minute song was like a blink of an eye. When the song was over, the audience was enthusiastic. The author Ian ran up to the stage to hug me excitedly, and conducted Clark Also shouting "great sound"...

The success of the premiere gave me the opportunity to collaborate with the Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra again. At the "World Expo" held in Shanghai, China in 2010, representing British music culture, the concert themed "Liverpool Night" was performed at the Shanghai World Expo Auditorium on October 16.

In addition to the main lineup of the symphony orchestra, the concert also invited various groups such as the veteran British electronic group OMD and The Scaffold Band to support the concert. Before they go to Shanghai, the "Liverpool Night" concert will first appear in Liverpool on October 2. The selection of "Ox Bow" made me the only "foreigner" invited to this British music and cultural event. This time, the author Ian has expanded the composition of the work, the band lineup is larger, and the conductor has been changed to British Russian Vasili Petrenko. These two performances, as a Chinese, I can represent the UK at international cultural events, which indeed has special significance in my life and art career. By performing new works, I have greatly enriched my musical vision. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Liao and the composer Mr. Ian!

The performance of "Ox Bow" further confirmed the feasibility and necessity of combining innovation and traditional concepts. How to view Chinese art from the world stage? What is the development prospect and direction of Chinese music? These issues are also debated in contemporary times. The times are advancing, the world is changing, and everything must keep pace with the times. There is no doubt about this. We should look at ourselves more rationally and objectively, and be cautious while accepting foreign culture to enrich ourselves. This attitude is especially important for our new generation of music workers.

3. Belgium - Cantonese music appears at the Europalia International Arts Festival

The Europalia Arts Festival is one of the internationally renowned art festivals. Under the initiative of the Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium , the "Europalia" international association was established in 1969 and held its first art festival that year. In October 2009, the 22nd Europa League Art Festival, centered around the four themes of "Ancient China, Contemporary China, Colorful China, China and the World", kicked off in Belgium. The art festival lasted for four months, and more than 50 exhibitions and more than 450 theatrical performances were held to showcase China's artistic achievements in all aspects, both ancient and modern. After being invited by Belgium, the author had the honor to lead "Yu Lefu and the Nan Ting Hui Cantonese Music Group" to participate in the performance.

Led by the Ministry of Culture of China, the group’s four concerts were arranged at: Lochlen - Oudenbos Church (2009.11.6), Brussels De Pianotabriek Cultural Center (2009.11.7), Durby Westrand Cultural Center (2009.11.8) and Itferbeek (2009.11.9). Facing four consecutive special performances, we have made relative adjustments in costumes, repertoire and musical instruments. Considering that it is an international music festival, in order to enable foreign audiences to fully experience the traditional oriental culture visually and aurally, we changed the clothing from the commonly used Mao suit to a traditional long gown, hoping to better reflect the unity of music and appearance. In terms of repertoire, in addition to performing "Double Voices of Hate", "Rain Beats the Plantains", "Lian Kou", etc., which are highly stage-oriented and virtuosic, we also consciously added some repertoire that is rarely performed on the stage but is very popular among the people. Such as "Falling Flowers in the Sky", "Qishan Phoenix", "Xijiang Moon", "Galaxy Meeting", etc. The purpose is to highlight more simple folk customs and feelings, to show real life portrayals, local customs and sincere expressions of humanity and emotions. Speaking of which, by learning and performing these pieces before, everyone has a deep understanding: because for those of us young people who have not experienced rural life and grew up in big cities, works that are relatively stage-like and expressive have great potential for us. They are all relatively easy to understand and interpret; while works like the ones mentioned above may have a strong rural atmosphere, or may have peaceful and inner emotions, which may seem difficult to start with. After repeated practice, study and research, I slowly mastered this mediocre and intrinsic performance state. What’s interesting is that everyone gradually prefers to perform such works. They seem to be closer to human nature, far away from utilitarianism, close to life, and can better reflect the character traits of Cantonese people. We have also made adjustments to the use of musical instruments. For this performance, we used a specially customized small five-row dulcimer for the first time (the width of the five-row dulcimer is reduced by about one-third compared to the current Guangzhou five-row dulcimer, and some of the performances at the upper and lower ends have been eliminated. (a phoneme that is basically not used in traditional works), its use has significantly changed the overall timbre of the group, making it a bit more elegant and clear, and reducing the strong and fiery tone brought by the modern dulcimer. This timbre seems It is also more in line with the aesthetics of traditional music.

After each performance, many audience members stayed to communicate with us and take photos. They were very interested in our instruments and asked many questions.

What is particularly interesting is that among the performers they saw performing in the field of traditional culture at this art festival, we were the youngest, and they were all young people in their twenties and thirties. As for why we were in I am interested in the questions that traditional music focuses so much on. Although the answers given at that time could not be fully explained due to language barriers, they did arouse our thinking. Here, I would also like to give some responses and opinions on this issue: In fact, we have encountered this issue on many previous occasions or during interviews. Under the influence of China’s current ideology, mainstream society is generally filled with “ The dominant ideas such as "development, innovation, reform" have naturally caused many areas of traditional culture and art to be left out; especially among the new generation of young people, it is a fact that traditional consciousness is indifferent. In the course of human history, inheritance and innovation should go hand in hand. Since I have benefited from the influence of my family environment since I was a child, and at the same time I met several like-minded classmates in college, since the group was established, it is not so much that I have persisted, but rather that I enjoy it. Years of practice have allowed us to fully appreciate the charm of traditional music. In addition to providing necessary technical support, playing them is more of a reflection of friendship, life experience, and different attitudes towards life. This is obviously not a stage performance of swords, swords, flying sand and rocks. However, this kind of performance full of true emotions and broad space for expression allows us to feel the taste of art and find our true self.

Although we are so doting on traditional music, we are by no means opposed to innovation. We live in the contemporary era, with modernized clothing, food, housing and transportation, and we are always concerned about new things. We are just a little more cautious when it comes to the intervention of new ideas. Just comparing ancient and modern times. Just like in the interpretation of many new works, we can always find parts that are modified using traditional aesthetics. In my opinion, this is very healthy and reasonable. Modern works have led to many technical breakthroughs, and academic techniques are enough to solve problems. When it comes to expressing human nature and heart, the accumulation of traditional consciousness can often have a deeper concern. It is worth mentioning that in many developed countries, retro culture has long been popular. It includes all walks of life, regardless of food, clothing, housing, and transportation. It reflects modern people’s aftertaste and yearning for cultural classics of the past, and reveals the necessity of the existence of traditional culture in today’s society. and irreplaceability.

Conclusion

Although the experience of the trip to Europe cannot be said to be a comprehensive comparison and evaluation of the situation of Chinese music, after all, European music has a long history and has its iconic influence around the world. Of course, the cultural heritage, touch and vision of European musicians cannot be ignored. Through exchanges, cooperation and performance practices with cultural people or musicians from three European countries, it seems that we have found the same cultural values: "No matter which race you have blood in, or which dialect you speak, your music is its own." The carriers are all splendid members of world culture, and they are all respected. You need to protect them.”

What we call traditional aesthetics is the so-called unique culture accumulated by Chinese people from ancient times to the present! Aesthetic taste represents the worldview and values ??of our oriental nation. It has strong vitality and historical extension. Inheriting traditional Chinese music is not only a necessary foundation for learning Chinese music, but also provides a continuous source and motivation for the creation and development of Chinese music with profound connotations.

Chinese music has a long history, a wide range of varieties, and is famous in urban and rural areas. We must examine it with a rigorous attitude, and never adopt disdainful attitudes such as "sameness, cultural harmony" and other disdainful attitudes to seek "development" without being affected by short-term historical background or utilitarianism. Only in this way can we be in harmony with the "roots" Together, extending with the "roots", worthy of the history of Chinese music!