The View from Abroad

Abstract

In January this year, Liu Yuxi, a Chinese violinist, and Zhou Shiqiong, a Chinese pianist, both taking advanced classes in France, gave two extraordinary concerts, one in Paris, another in Grenoble, a city and cultural center in southern France. The programs they performed were half Western classical music and half Chinese, including "White-haired Girl," "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai," "The Spring of Xinjiang," "Pastoral Song," and "The Grief" in memory of Premier Zhou. This was an attempt on their part to use Western instruments in playing Chinese musical works for the Western public. The French audience not only appreciated the Chinese musicians' skillful performance of the Western music with which they were familiar, but also enjoyed even more the music with a distinctive Chinese national flavor. After the performance, listeners in large numbers came forward to extend their congratulations. The Chinese audience, including students from the mainland and from Taiwan as well as local overseas Chinese, all were very excited. They were greatly inspired by the music of their homeland. Some had this to say: "When listening to the music, I almost felt that I was right in my native land." "When I witnessed the Western audience's warm reception of Chinese music, I couldn't help but take pride in our home country."