辉煌的奥运,深厚的文化底蕴 (来自英国华商报)

中国不仅有丰富美味的佳肴、搏击强身的功夫和太极,还有独树一帜的美妙音乐。中国的音乐和中国的文明紧密相连。古筝和琵琶都有两千多年的历史,二胡也有一千多年的记载。中国的音乐波及影响了日本、朝鲜和印度等国家的音乐发展。

今年的春节和情人节重合在一起,是浪漫中国文化的虎年幸运。英国MS-L公司多年立志于促进中西方表演艺术的交流,这次为春节组织了几场别开生面的新春民乐晚会:特别邀请来了著名音乐家董秋明先生,他是九十年代上海笛子演奏三剑客之一;王维平女士,当代琵琶演奏家;朱小萌女士,上海音乐学院古筝专业高才生;陈大灿先生,上海音乐学院二胡教师;周锦彦,中央音乐学院扬琴新秀。

中国有56个民族,5千年的辉煌文明创造了无数优美动听、余音绕梁的曲子。音乐会筹备的第一个任务就是确定上演哪些曲子,春江花月夜、梁祝和二泉映月,这些曲子深受人们的喜爱;战台风、十面埋伏、赛马和荫中鸟这些曲子能充分显示音乐家的娴熟技巧;接下来的曲子就各领风骚了:苏堤漫步、良宵是江南著名抒情曲,旱天雷等是广东地方代表作;节日的天山、彝族舞曲、孔雀舞曲、藏族舞曲、蒙古调等等民族舞曲。还有很多诗一般的古曲:仲子期与余伯牙的高山流水寻觅知音,王维的阳关三叠“劝君更进一杯酒,西出阳关无故人”。梅花三弄:梅花一弄断人肠. 梅花二弄费思量. 梅花三弄风波起. 云烟深处水茫茫. 红尘自有痴情者,莫笑痴情太痴狂 问世间情为何物,直教人生死相许,看人间多少故事,最销魂梅花三弄 这些曲子充分体现了中国人浓厚的人情味,西方文化很难理解,英语也无法准确释义。中华民族血脉相连、团结友爱、文化传承、引以为豪。张明敏的“我的中国心”能感动千百万海外赤子,正是他说出了大家的心愿。而这次音乐会的演奏家们也将用这样的情感去表演,去展现中国人醇厚的情、无私的爱,并让海外开创事业的炎黄子孙深切地体会到中西文化的差异。中国的奥运能够如此辉煌,仅仅是炫耀吗?不,这是真正的文化底蕴!海外侨胞的鼎力支持,也是任何其他国家望尘莫及的。

由于是春节晚会,所以提议还应该有一些喜庆的曲子,如春节序曲、喜洋洋等;还有中国闻名西方的代表曲茉莉花、彩云追月等。曲目定了以后,就要策划表现方式。由于西方人和华裔后代对中国音乐的欣赏还有一个认识和理解的过程,演奏会上长篇的解说会影响音乐会的节奏和气氛,所以决定采用背景大屏幕,除了言简意赅的解说外,还将展示音乐意境及中国传统文化和名胜风景。既是音乐会,视频还不能喧宾夺主。此外还有如何平衡内容与美感;中国地域广阔、人口众多,文化产品参差不齐。春节音乐晚会展示,中国人不仅仅是勤劳和善于持家,也酷爱艺术和富于创造。

演出排练正在进行。请来的每一位音乐家都是演奏高手,所以独奏没有问题。但合奏有些的问题:中国的许多流行名曲曾被多次改编,有不同的版本和形式,有的以古筝琵琶为主,有的以笛子为主,有的以二胡领头。协调艺术家可不是件很容易的事, 他们大都有很强的自尊性,作为组织者要保持和保护演奏家们的自信自尊,让大家在合奏中有充分展示出各种乐器和乐曲的特点, 也突出各个演奏家的个性风格。

音乐会2月16号在伦敦议会大厦右旁有名的圣约翰音乐厅演出。圣约翰音乐厅主要以西方经典音乐为主, 估计将会有一批西方音乐专业人士前来捕获灵感。2月13号在伯明翰音乐学院演出,那是音乐人才聚集的地方。另外在威尔士和英国南部也有演出。这是一场有档次的音乐会, 请自豪地带着您的家人和朋友前来欣赏美丽的中国之声!

‘The Music of China is truly one of a kind.  Those who have not experienced it before often develop a special feeling for the music. There is something about Chinese melodies that touch heart and soul. Such is the intricacy and lyric range it is hard to believe that these pieces are played on a five-tone scale rather than the eight-tone scale of Western music. 

From the right: Dong Qiuming, Chen Dacan, Zhu Xiangmeng, Wang Weiping, Zhou Jinyan

Dong Qiu-ming, from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, joined the Shanghai Film Orchestra as flute (DiZi) soloist. He has also served as an adjudicator for the Singapore National Music competition. He has released the album Full Moon in My Homeland.

Wang Wei-ping, from the Xian Conservatory of Music, is a remarkable pipa soloist and singer; She played for the Emperor and Empress of Japan during their visit to China in 1992. She was invited to perform a solo concert in Paris at the “ Théâtre de la Ville” and at “Radio-France” where her CD album was released under the Ocora label.

Zhu Xiao-meng, from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, is a guzheng master. She has performed many guzheng solo concerts, including performing to great acclaim before Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Shanghai. She has released more than 10 guzheng albums worldwide.

Zhou Jin-yan, from the China Central Conservatory of Music, was born in Beijing to a musical family and began practising the yangqin (dulcimer) at the age of five. She has now become an experienced professional performer and teacher.

Chen Da-can, a professor of teaching erhu at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music for many years, has produced a number of television programmes and recordings, including work for the BBC.