| Contents |
The best orchestra in the far east. An Italian pianist in Shanghai ; Music in the foreign concessions ; Maestro Paci gets Shanghaied ; The birth of the Shanghai municipal orchestra ; Reaching out to the Chinese -- Musical voyages. A musical gift for the emperor ; The clavichord in the imperial palace ; Emperor Kangxi's music lessons ; Emperor Qianlong's musical pursuits ; Beyond the palace: western music after the opium wars -- Sowing and reaping. A Chinese violinist joins the all-foreign orchestra ; Xiao Youmei and his musical mission ; Refugee musical life in Shanghai ; China's first conservatory ; Discovering musical talent ; Paci's "Missionary work" ; Music as a weapon -- The orphaned island. The outbreak of war ; The conservatory battles to survive ; The musicians' struggle ; The end of the Paci era ; Li Delun goes to Yanan -- From classical to communist. Chairman Mao's vision for the arts ; Musical life at Yanan ; A red orchestra ; The first national congress of artists and writers -- New realities and new challenges. Laying foundations and dealing with differences ; Help from "Big brother" ; The hundred flowers ; Blooming and contending -- The cultural revolution. Attacking "Monsters" and "Masters" ; Classical music's darkest hour ; Two paths of escape ; Jiang Qing and model operas ; Revolutionizing symphony -- Music and power. Classical music diplomacy ; The radicals' revenge ; The end of the nightmare ; Rebuilding and reconciliation -- The new era. Music and modernization ; Music and society ; Music and politics ; Musical nationalism. |
| Abstract |
Western classical music has become as Chinese as Peking Opera, and it has woven its way into the hearts and lives of ordinary Chinese people. This lucidly written account traces the biographies of the bold visionaries who carried out this musical merger. This booki is a history of classical music in China that revolves around a common theme: how Western classical music entered China, and how it became Chinese. Chinas oldest orchestra was founded in 1879, two years before the Boston Symphony. Since then, classical music has woven its way into the lives of ordinary Chinese people. Millions of Chinese children take piano and violin lessons every week. Yet, despite the importance of classical music in China -- and of Chinese classical musicians and composers to the world -- next to nothing has been written on this fascinating subject. The authors capture the events with the voice of an insider and the perspective of a Westerner, presenting new information, original research and insights into a topic that has barely been broached elsewhere. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 341-352) and index. |
| LCCN | 2004011185 |
| ISBN | 0875861792 (softcover : alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 0875861806 (hardcover : alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 0875861865 (ebook) |
