2 folks shake up the music world
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, April 9, 2013
Future plans
Some Chinese listeners tend to be conservative and sensitive to any perceived slight to what they consider traditional culture.
But Wang Peng, a folk song music expert and critic from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, said some are too critical of new music. In fact, meaningless repetition of lyrics is commonly used in traditional Chinese art forms, such as folk music and Peking Opera, he said.
"The couple's efforts in preserving the basic elements of traditional music while making innovation in the form should be recognized and respected," said Wang.
"It is a challenge to anyone, let alone to a foreign composer like Zollitsch. Perhaps these songs are not yet artistically mature."
The couple recently presented a music salon of ancient Chinese poems. "We hope the beautiful music of these poems can be performed for larger audiences," Gong said. They plan more such music salons featuring Chinese poetry.
In June there will be a concert of Lao Luo's compositions. He is now working on a new composition for a very different kind of Chinese orchestra, one the size of a Western symphony orchestra with mainly Chinese traditional instruments. It will be the final work in a concert featuring all the works he has written for orchestra, including the song-cycle "Song of Love" with lyrics by Song Dynasty (AD960-1279) poetess Li Qingzhao.
Early next year he plans a concert by a traditional Chinese orchestra.
"Then we plan light-hearted concerts with surprises from musicians from different countries," said Gong.
Ask the musicians
Q: What's your reaction to all the controversy?
Gong: Controversy makes songs more memorable and meaningful. These were our first performances. We're grateful for the feedback.
Q: What makes for good music?
Gong: The singer and songwriter must be sincere; good music always touches the heart and is unforgettable. Take "Fahai, You Don't Understand Love." I can't say if the song is good or not. But its lyrics and melody are hard to forget. The song encourages people to pursue true love. That is another function of music - to give your life new vitality and inspire you to deal with problems.
Q: What inspired you to write "Golden Cudgel" and "Fahai"?
Lao Luo: I wanted to write a song for the Year of the Snake and was looking for a "good" snake in stories and mythology. "Madame White Snake" is a perfect fit and I looked for a perspective that people today can relate to. As for "Golden Cudgel," I always loved the Monkey King and wanted to write a song that fits his eclectic personality and outstanding skills. So, of course, the song (of repeated words) is very difficult to sing and has very different aspects, just like the Monkey King.
The most important thing was to stage the songs during TV shows and we tried something new, we created little stories and staged the songs like miniature musicals. It was a lot of fun for us, and hopefully, for the audience.
Q: What is Chinese new art music?
Lao Luo: We are not pop music, not rock, not traditional, not Western classical. Our music is Chinese, newly created, and we take quality very seriously. We don't want to create a narrow concept again but allow many musicians to find their own new, Chinese musical language.
It's important that with this term, Chinese new art music, we avoid Western stereotypes and we should keep our mind open and free to create versatile music. China has incredibly old culture and history but where is the sound to represent China in the 21st century? The world is waiting for this sound, music to help people understand the soul of Chinese people. And it isn't just one sound, but should be as colorful as today's China.
Q: How does Chinese culture affect your music?
Lao Luo: To cite just one point. If you want to understand the beauty of Chinese music, consider the term "yun," which is often translated as "elegance." Yet this does not really capture the idea of "yun" in Chinese music. It's something like flavor, but it is not a condition, it's a process, the movement in a melody, slides, tiny variations - like the flight of a butterfly, or the movements of a taichi master.
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