Chapter 17 Three, sounds of nature

Music, Pastoral, Chorus, Composition Lucia's home is in the Canela district, not far behind is the Conservatory attached to the National University of Bahia in Brazil.The mechanism of this conservatory is independent, and anyone can come here to study.Every day, the sound of music in the Conservatory of Music surrounds my ears, blowing slowly with the breeze, which makes me envious.Since life is not worrying, why not go to the Conservatory of Music to study, so as to fulfill the long-cherished wish of previous years? If vision is prepared for survival, then hearing is clearly a sense for enjoying survival.Eyes can open and close freely, but ears cannot be controlled by human will.For this reason, the eternal pulsation of the universe, a shortcut to the unity of heaven and man, penetrates the heart from the void anytime and anywhere.Therefore, like a ghost, the voice often bypasses the door and ruthlessly shakes people's heart.

Even when a person is deep in sleep, a gust of wind, a cry of frogs, or even whispers of birds busy building their nests in the trees can bring people back to the night of Cen Han from a distant place.Not only that, the exhausted body and mind are intertwined in the colorful and complicated affairs, and they are often entangled and entangled, making it impossible to escape.Suddenly, a drop of water pierced through time and space, smoothing out the ups and downs of everything in the world, causing ripples on the surface of the water. I often pretend to be a rational person, but in fact that is just a self-demand, and I try to use reason to restrain the surging tide in my heart.I did it!At least in front of ordinary people, I managed to put on a mask.

The mask is cold and solid, completely separating the inner and outer worlds and protecting them from the elements.As long as I want to, that thick film will not reveal a shred of my real face. It's just that music, a sharp sword without an edge, can often bring a trace of truth from a distant land.So I collapsed the golden mountain and fell the jade pillar. I will never be able to resist her abuse, and I will always surrender under her skirt willingly. Music is my god, I believe in her, respect and love her.Ever since I failed in my college entrance examination, I never dare to imagine, nor believe that any day, I will be able to enter her palace!

The so-called feeling of being close to home is timid, the opportunity is in front of you, what are you afraid of?What's in the way?Thinking about it again, although my Brazilian language is good, it is limited to speaking. If I want to write with a pen, I am not much different from being illiterate.Why should I go to the conservatory of music?I have never been a good student. I am nearly thirty years old today, am I still worthy? However, under the traction of chance, how much freedom is there in life? There is a client who lives in the seaside villa area. Her son plays the piano very well. Every time I go to collect the bills, I have to beg him to play a piece for me.Of course, this is the reason why I love music, but it is also a small means of dealing with people.Because of my support, they all liked me, and at the same time they were obliged to buy a few more tablecloths.

When I was hesitating to make a decision, I suddenly thought of them, so I decided to ask, is there any chance for me to go to the Conservatory of Music to audit?Her son's piano was taught by a private teacher, so he didn't know the rules of the academy.But she gave me the best gift, the ticket to the Brazilian National Piano Competition held in Shashi.I saw that the ticket price was frighteningly high, about 200 yuan converted into US dollars, and it took a week to go from the preliminaries to the finals. The ticket stipulates that you must wear a dress when you enter the venue, oh my!I only have two or three sets of casual clothes in my body. Isn't this making things difficult?Luckily Lucia's brother had a suit, which he wore to his bar mitzvah.I barely squeezed in, my whole body stretched like a monkey playing tricks at a temple fair.His younger brother couldn't wear it anymore, so Lucia's mother helped me modify it, but fortunately it was just for the concert, and everything was fine.

The concert hall is on a gentle slope on the side of Canela, with a circular dome and a square hall below.The outside is all floor-to-ceiling windows as high as the eaves, and the inside is set off by thick velvet red weft curtains, which integrates modernity and elegance. The hall is high, but not big, it looks like it can seat hundreds of people.There are no boxes here, and there is no romantic scene of eighteenth-century ladies looking for prey with small binoculars.Extending from the left and right sides of the building to the back, there is a layer of guardrails, and many people's heads are moving. I believe it is the so-called civilian seat.To be honest, I would be better suited there, far safer than being cramped among a bunch of well-dressed bigwigs.

I have never listened to music in public, I have always regarded music as a personal forbidden place, and I can only enjoy it with the people I like.The reason is very simple, notes often penetrate into the depths of my soul, and at that time, tears will burst out from my heart like the water of the Yellow River.In severe cases, I would cry like a baby and lose control completely. When I sat in the goose-feather soft chair cushion, I looked around at the ladies around me. Everyone was dressed in fashionable and precious jewels, as if participating in a grand party.I started to have stage fright. If my river bursts its bank and tears and snot fly together, wouldn't that be a big disaster?Fortunately, the scene has not yet started, so why not get out of this wrong place as soon as possible while your rationality is still there!

However, in the face of this rare event, how can I be willing?How can I be so useless!Music is just music, I'm here to appreciate it, not to surrender to her, let's be more upbeat!be strong! When heaven and man are at war, the opportunity is missed, and the show begins!One by one, the contestants walked to the center of the stage, leaping with their fingers, and turned the life of the music into a thrilling melody on the black and white keys. Generally speaking, the standard of the contestants is not bad, at least much better than some gifted children I know in Taiwan.Brazilian culture was deeply influenced by Europe in the 18th century, which was the result of deliberate management by the Portuguese for more than 200 years.As far as the social atmosphere is concerned, as long as the average family gets rid of poverty, whether their children study or not is the second priority, but they must learn music.In order to embellish their lives and enrich the meaning of life.

Until the intermission, miraculously, I was able to forget myself completely, immersed in the music, and got through the difficulty.This may be because of the serious atmosphere in the venue, or it may be that the repertoire played is not to my liking. Not all the music can break into my fortress. For Brazilians, concerts are where they socialize.At halftime, everyone crowds into the lobby to show off each other's new outfits or gossip.I looked at the program and there was a Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in the second half.Oops, my nemesis has arrived!No matter how hard I try, I have never once escaped the relentless ravages of this piece.

I want to escape, but I can't bear to leave; I want to hang on, but I know that disaster is coming.It seems that the only hope is to take advantage of the chaos to go to the second floor and be with those civilians.I feel a little more at ease there, even if I'm being laughed at. No one asked, I easily got on the second floor.It turns out that this place is like the eaves of a house, with a row of seats overlooking the panorama below.I didn't care what happened, I found a corner and sat down.I thought to myself, the worst case is that there is already someone in this seat, but I can still use the premium seat downstairs to exchange with him.

After a while, people gradually returned to their seats.The audience here are all young people, all dressed in casual clothes, chattering and fighting with each other endlessly.Obviously, it is not the right number of seats, everyone is crowded to grab seats, each occupying a favorable angle.Some depends on the person, some depends on the key position of the piano, each has its own preferences, but no one cares about it in my corner. Seats were still empty, and the game started again.I felt relieved and followed them, putting my head on the railing.Concentrate on enjoying the performance on the music stage dozens of meters away. When a boy who was only about 16 years old appeared on the stage, the audience immediately burst into enthusiastic applause.Then, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto slid out from the keys. When my heart palpitated slightly and my eye sockets began to moisten, I immediately looked around secretly vigilantly.There is a young man and a young man on the left and right sides. Seeing their focused expressions, it is obvious that they will not be disturbed by me.What is even more comforting is that in the eyes of the girl on the left, there is a gleam of crystal light, so familiar, so kind, why should I worry? In the second movement, the complicated chords are piled up again and again, the kind of bitterness and entanglement, just like the soul suffering from the suffering in the world, struggling to climb to the sky.Expected and hoped, prayed and prayed, but the misery continued, wave after wave, relentless pressure, pouring heavily into the sunny sky, and then the dark clouds again. Disappointment, expectation, expectation, disappointment, repeated, repeated, I do not know how many times.The low chords are roaring, representing the flames in hell, and the high-pitched continuous scale, sliding up and down quickly, gives a slight opportunity.The sins of the world, the ignorance of mankind, over and over again, obliterate the helpless conscience.However, there are still some souls who, despite their torment, have not given up hope. The repetitive and turbulent musical form and the rich harmony are intertwined into a cruel truth.It is immersive, feels the painstaking ordeal, and has gone through all kinds of sad scenes of human beings. Just as the beautiful main theme slowly struggled from the sky, and a glimmer of dawn came out, I was still holding back.Suddenly, I heard a dull sound of deep breathing coming from the left side. Under the heavy blow, I couldn't stop it anymore, and I collapsed. I hurriedly hid under the railing, held my breath desperately, and let my heart and music blend together in the trembling. When I gradually calmed down and looked around, I realized that I was not alone.Even if my performance was the most outrageous, to these young people upstairs, it was only a difference between fifty and a hundred steps, and tears filled everyone's eyes. In the hall below, it is another world completely.The gentlemen and ladies were sitting upright, and after the music ended, they politely patted their left hands on their right hands, or whispered to each other, or nodded their approval.Only we, a group of aliens, stood up one by one, clapped their hands desperately, and shouted hello.Only in this way can grief and anger be turned into strength, and the emotions that have been suppressed just now can be vented all at once. After this cleansing, I made friends with these young people. It turns out that they are all students of the Conservatory of Music, and this concert hall is their classroom.I took the opportunity to ask them: As a foreigner, do I have the opportunity to study in a music academy? As soon as the girl heard it, she immediately put aside the sadness just now and said happily: Of course, there used to be a Chinese named Zhang who learned cello here.Later, he went to the United States for further study, and we all miss him very much. If you come, we will have another Chinese classmate! After the show ended, everyone rushed over, and she introduced me one by one, just like an old classmate, and I unceremoniously became one of them. Knowing that there is hope to enter the Conservatory of Music, I feel much more relaxed.People are always biased, so they pay special attention to the players of our school.In fact, there is no need to pay special attention, as soon as she appeared on the stage, she captured all my three souls and five souls.Her name is Carlo, her complexion has a healthy, light bronze color, and her face is so delicate that there is no trace of human fireworks.She has a thin figure, wearing a snow-white off-the-shoulder gauze dress, and her long hair is slightly curled, floating above her shoulders. As soon as she came out, the audience burst into warm applause.Especially upstairs, whistles and shouts came and went, especially dear Carlo. She smiled and waved to us, those dark eyes instantly penetrated into my heart, and I was fascinated by her. But her piano skills are not outstanding, at best she is proficient. Sometimes a few jerky notes jump out, and the students can't help but sigh in unison.However, if you really want to listen to music, you just need to buy a record, and she is not diminished in my impression.I began to fantasize that if I entered the Conservatory of Music, I would at least have a spiritual sustenance in the future. After a few days of competition, before the results were announced, I first determined the top three rankings.Generally speaking, the opinions of several of us are very close. Only I put the sixteen-year-old child first, and many people said that it is just my personal preference.What they liked was a girl, already twenty years old, mature and stable, who played Beethoven's Emperor.I don't think she plays with style enough, not like an emperor, but a bit like an empress. They are from majors, and I, a layman like me, said the feeling like the title music, of course they would not accept it.I didn't get their approval until the ranking was released, and the top three were all selected by me. After passing a simple written test and tests on pitch and rhythm, I entered the preparatory class to learn trumpet and vocal music.In less than a year, I passed the exam again and entered the research class, specializing in theoretical composition. The supervisor was Mr. Widman, who was also the dean of the School of Music. During this time, I was full of peace and happiness, and it was one of the few days in my life that is worth boasting about.Unfortunately, in the second year, in 1967, because of my father's critical illness, I was notified that I had to drop out of school and return to Taiwan part-time.As a result, my eternal life and music can only maintain an unattainable distance, but my heart is full of songs. The Conservatory of Music is on the side of the Canela area, on the edge of a small hill, and in front of it is a valley with a width of tens of acres.Numerous red eaves and plain walls are dotted in the green shade, full of Latin flavor.The campus is a row of two-story buildings on the hillside, surrounded by broad-leaved trees as high as Zhangxu, which is elegant and pleasant.A path winds to the left, leading to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bahia, and the recital hall of the Conservatory.Beyond that is the downtown square. As soon as I entered the school, I met a bearded young man named Renaldo, and we had a good conversation.It wasn't long before I found out that he was my teaching assistant in harmony and was in charge of conducting the school's student choir. There is also a well-known professional pastoral choir in the school, which is directed by Mr. Widman himself.As soon as I entered school, I heard their singing. The beautiful timbre and the harmony of the voices made me yearn for it.So when I joined the student choir, I gave it my all.Relying on the large volume and wide range, I sang in an opera style, trying to impress Mr. Widman and become a member of the Pastoral. Unexpectedly, Widman shook his head as soon as he heard my voice, but the student choir has a large number of people with different standards, and they just need my singing role.Because my score reading ability is very strong, from soprano to bass, I will sing whichever part is weak, and immediately raise the level of the student choir.Despite this, Widman was never favored, and the more he wanted to perform, the more he couldn't get into his choir. I specifically took Mrs. Widman's class in order to get into the pastoral choir, because she taught vocal music.After studying for a while, Mrs. Widman said that she would hold a teacher-student concert.We have five classmates, and I am the youngest.She asked me to choose a Chinese song, good or bad, because Brazilians can't understand it anyway. I chose Zhao Yuanren's "Teach Me How Not to Miss Her". After practicing for a while, I felt that it had the charm of the singer Carrousel.It's just that I don't have enough experience on the spot. Thinking of the embarrassing past in the Jaguar Kang band, I am afraid that I will forget the lyrics again.In addition, I also feel that I have a shortcoming. This song should have a lyrical meaning, but after I opened my voice, it seemed to teach me how not to kill her! One day, Mrs. Widman was ill, and the concert was coming soon, so Widman asked us to practice at his home.When I heard it, I was very excited, this opportunity is great, I must perform well! When I arrived at Widman's home, it turned out that his wife was seriously ill, so Widman had to accompany me to practice.He looked at the score first and appreciated the melody, then asked me to explain the content of the lyrics, nodded frequently, and finally said: good!good!You Chinese know how to be subtle, good!good! He played the whole song first, and the mood was completely different from my usual feelings.The reason why music is music is definitely not just the arrangement and combination of several notes. The composer's understanding of music gives life to the feeling.The interpreter must first be able to accept this kind of life, and then express it fully through musical skills. Listening to Widman playing the piano is a kind of enjoyment. I was so stunned that I completely forgot the purpose of coming here. When he finished playing, he looked at me with a smile and said: It's all on you! He played the bar of the prelude lightly, so gently, as if expecting something in the breeze. It's over, what to expect?My mind went blank, I forgot the words! When I was in a hurry, I became confused, and I told myself that Widman's interpretation was correct. I must never sing opera, and I cannot learn from Caruso! But how should I sing?What is the first sentence? Widman started from the beginning again, and I became even more anxious. It seems that I probably won't be able to enter the pastoral choir!What would happen if I was dumbfounded on stage at an important concert? Chinese, sing? When we are in class, because we need to receive guidance, we are used to standing by the side of the piano, facing the teacher.Unfortunately, there is only one copy of this score, and I can't see anything on the piano stand.But how can I admit that I don't even remember the words?Those who sing can't remember the words, it means that they haven't practiced enough, and if they don't practice enough, how can they perform? Professor, I'm thinking, maybe my usual way of singing is wrong!When people are in a hurry, they make up excuses. how?You just found out today? I just found out after listening to your playing just now! That won't work, it's too late to change, you can sing according to the usual practice method! I took the opportunity to peek at the score and memorized some clouds floating in the sky. The sound of Widman's piano sounded again, heaven!Don't forget!I kept thinking about the sky, and wanted to lower the volume a bit. As soon as the prelude ended, I took a deep breath nervously: the sky Just like the water of the Yellow River coming up from the sky, I knew it was not good when I heard it. The more I wanted to lower my voice, the louder I sang.And, what about after heaven?What about after the cloud is over?Never mind!I'm not a vocalist!I also don't like to go on stage, why did I choose vocal music?If you want to sing, just hide in the toilet and sing loudly by yourself! enough!enough!Stop singing!I was singing loudly, thinking wildly in my mind, but I saw Widman covering his ears with his hands in pain, screaming louder than me! I hurriedly stopped, and Widman was out of breath, leaning weakly on the piano, and said: Didn't you say that there is no opera in China? The concert was canceled on the grounds that Mrs Widman was unwell.But I knew in my heart that it was Widman who was afraid that I would break the chandelier in the concert hall! Over time, I found that even the music industry is a circle of right and wrong, and the phenomenon of competition for fame and fortune is not much worse than what I saw and heard at Taichung Agricultural College.Originally, no one in the student choir was willing to take charge of it. Due to Renardo’s popularity and leadership, more and more people volunteered to participate, and the level continued to improve.We are often invited by all walks of life to go out to sing, and under the unanimous praise, some people began to try to compete for Renaldo's position. That was when I was in graduate school, there happened to be a grand and grand mass in Shashi, and Brahms' Requiem was to be sung.About 200 people participated, mobilizing almost all semi-professional and amateur choirs in the city. It stands to reason that this singing should be performed by the pastoral choir, but Widman has always favored technical sketches, especially the pastoral songs of the Renaissance and some folk songs of the Baroque period.He can perfectly express the essence of various harmonies with soft and smooth techniques, and his taste is completely different from Brahms' style.Therefore, he didn't plan to use the pastoral choir as the lead singer, so he asked Renardo to use the student choir as the team, and after we practiced well, he would lead the choirs to rehearse in full. Renaldo knows that the responsibility is heavy, and he is not sure that he can practice well, but he decides to work hard.After he studied the full score in detail, he called me and two other classmates to explain the structure of the piece and the key points that should be paid attention to, and then taught us to sing well in advance and take the responsibility of leading the singing. The Requiem is the most famous by Mozart, but the most beautiful by Brahms.Just because Brahms committed a big taboo in chorus, that is, he often uses the strongest chorus to make a large modulation after the rest without accompaniment.Because the scale is difficult to grasp when the tone is transferred, and there is no accompaniment, the singer's original sense of pitch will disappear immediately after the rest.At this time, it is extremely difficult to sing the modulation notes accurately, and it is even more difficult to use a strong and uniform chorus. Renaldo taught us a method in particular, which is to memorize the modulation in the first section, and hum slightly in the throat when it stops.When the time is up, sing boldly, and others will naturally follow.Sure enough, despite the slow progress, after more than a month, we have already sung well. At this time, it was rumored that someone was going to replace Renaldo as the commander. After we inquired, it turned out to be George, who was in my class.His father is a famous person in this city, rich and powerful. He originally went to medical school, but because he likes music, he transferred to specialize in conducting.He was in Wiedemann's pitch class with me, and as far as I know he has no pitch at all.Whether it is a fixed key or a modified key, he still can't hear the tonic and dominant chords, let alone any major or minor keys. If it was someone else, I wouldn't dare to say it yet, but the rumor is that it is him, I don't believe it at all.Unfortunately, the school issued an announcement that for this performance, George replaced Renaldo as the conductor. When the students saw the announcement, they were all very angry.Relying on being a foreign student and having great confidence in Widman, I broke into his office in spite of everything and asked straight away: Why did George replace Renaldo? Seeing how angry I was, Widman didn't answer right away.He leaned back, leaned against the high-backed seat, raised his legs leisurely, and said calmly: Why can't he? How long has he studied conducting?Can he handle such a difficult piece? How long have you been in school?More than a year?I don't think time is that important. He was right, but I mistook the subject myself, and I immediately changed my words: But as a conductor of a choir, one should always have a strong sense of pitch, right?I don't believe he can sing this piece himself. It's not that he is asked to sing. Wiedemann's opinion disappointed me so much that I couldn't help crying out: He has to guide us!It doesn't matter if you can't sing well, the notes must always be sung correctly, right?He should be able to hear when we sang the wrong note, otherwise, what would he guide? Don't worry, don't worry, I think Chinese people are very patient and speak slowly when they have something to say.With a sly gleam in his eyes, he said again: I heard that you can already sing, so what are you afraid of? Professor, we can sing because Renardo is good at conducting. In the same way, the pastoral choir is also conducting because Professor you are conducting. I don’t believe that George can replace you.I also paid him back. He shrugged and said: I can make way for George if he wants to. Why do you want to do this?Our responsibility is to provide high-level music for people to enjoy. If George has the ability, I have no objection. Why can he do whatever he wants just because he wants it? why not?He has a good father! Can a good father make a good conductor? No need, his father only wanted him to command the chorus in the cathedral in front of all the dignitaries in the city, and show off.He smiled and squeezed his eyes at me, and said: You are Chinese, so you should understand the secrets. So, I should have known, but I don't believe that Widman is so snobbish, so I finally ask: Do you agree with him being our commander? Chinese, how much power do you think I have as the dean?If you want to learn music, know that musicians are parasites.Looking at history, is there any great musician who didn't rely on others?He used to be a prince and aristocrat, but now he is a businessman and politician.You should pursue truth, goodness and beauty, and they will use you to decorate their status and achievements.If it weren't for your good performance this time, who would come to grab this command?If you want to know, I might as well tell you that besides George, there are quite a few people who are thinking about it.But at the school board meeting, George's father paid the most. Without money, how can such a big concert be held? I am very depressed, from childhood to now, from China to Brazil, money is everywhere.Even music, the last piece of pure world, cannot escape the pollution of money. Is there any clean place in the world? The power of reality is greater than everything else, can I not give in?But, can I be willing?At least there is an option, I can give up studying music, I can not join the choir. Not only me, but many classmates were resentful and quit the choir one after another.The original choir of more than 50 people suddenly had less than 20 members left.All three of us singers backed out, George's baton was still waving, but no one dared to speak first, everyone was waiting for someone else!For a moment, it was deserted, and the choir was still there, but the voice was silent. After more than a week, singing practice became a sacrificial ceremony, just like the original intention of the Requiem.Finally, George voluntarily resigned from the position of conductor. After all, music is music. Even if you hold a solid gold baton in your hand, you can't turn human voice into beautiful notes just by wealth. After this incident, I began to wonder if I am suitable to be a musician?In terms of age, I am already thirty years old, and I have only learned a little bit.I have analyzed Beethoven's Seventh Symphony from beginning to end. Its skillful technique and structure are so sophisticated that I can't even compare it to it. At best, I can only earn a living in the music industry in the future.However, my personality is too stubborn, and I refuse to bow to reality. If I don't have extraordinary skills, who would give in to me?Give me something to eat? But what can I do?Where is the truth of life that one seeks?In any case, music can still give me a little comfort.Now that the world has been ruled by money and power, I can still bury my head in the music and ignore all the noise in the world. I have a lot of new ideas. I always think that the reason why Chinese music lags behind is because the voice has taken over the melody.The arrangement of sounds is originally limited, but only depends on the slight changes in the throat, mouth, teeth and tongue.There are more than 300 tones in the national language, and the total number of languages ​​in the world does not exceed 500 or 600.In order to identify, many ethnic groups have adopted polyphony, using the combination of multiple sounds to increase the variety, which is the so-called pinyin method. Because of the successful development of hieroglyphs, China cannot give up easily.Therefore, when the vocabulary increases and the pronunciation is not enough to recognize the required changes, the tones are added to form four tones.With four tones, the recognition rate of individual characters has increased fourfold, resulting in more than 1,300 tones.Later, with the development of culture, a large number of vocabulary was used, and a broad road was opened.It is unique in the human language system and stands tall in the world. This practice of sacrificing the tone and enriching the language, of course, has advantages and disadvantages.The original pronunciation remains unchanged, and the writing can be started from the beginning of the people. After various changes, the orthodoxy remains the same.The development of culture is gradual, and human intelligence is also constantly developing, but if there is a gap in the era, it is impossible to trace the origin and explore the past.Moreover, without orthodoxy, culture is just scraps, and the nation loses its affinity. In addition, the simplification of Chinese characters, the richness of meaning, and the wide range of connotations are unparalleled in the world.What is even more rare is that the system of Shutongwen can successfully integrate the entire social system with a long history and complex ethnic groups.Regardless of the pronunciation of each place or nation, the result of the same language and the same origin enables the whole country to unite and identify. But at the expense of tone, music is difficult to develop. Western music originated from the early bards.Wandering entertainers make a living by singing, and they tell various folklore, or stories about wars and disasters.Later, this kind of wandering song developed into two branches, one is pastoral, and the other is composed of many people and evolved into a performance-based tragedy. It is only singing a cappella, the tone is difficult to grasp, and it is not suitable for ordinary people, so simple instruments such as the ukulele were invented.Musical instruments are originally for accompanying singing, but the wide range and varied timbres of various musical instruments have inspired people's creativity.More and richer musical instruments came into being, the most important of which was the clavichord, which can produce multiple tones at the same time. Later, the German Bach regulated this kind of keyboard, and divided the scale into twelve equal-proportional resonant frequency semitones according to the characteristics of human perception.With the theoretical basis, tonality, counterpoint, harmony, musical form, etc. are gradually developed, and music has complete vitality.Later generations praised his contribution and called him the father of music. (Reprint Note: According to textual research, 600 years ago, Zhu Zaiyu, a commoner prince in the Ming Dynasty, invented twelve well-tempered pianos, which were introduced to Europe in the sixteenth century, and Bach used them to create twelve well-tempered piano pieces.) There were also poems in early China, but since the tones were already present in the voice, there was no need to deliberately sing them, and only the characteristics of the tones were exaggerated to have the effect of changing the intonation.Everyone knows this kind of singing, so there is no need to invent musical instruments, just a stick or a stone can be used to emphasize the rhythm. Just because there is no need for musical instruments, without the development background of the keyboard, there is no harmony environment, and the concept of chromatic scale cannot be produced.As a result, Chinese music became extremely monotonous, and we had to follow the freehand music of the literati (with brushes and paper, calligraphy became popular, and painting came from calligraphy, so traditional Chinese painting did not emphasize realism but artistic conception).In the end, there are fewer and fewer confidants, and they will always stay in the pentatonic stage of early folk music. The combination of Chinese music and poetry began around the Shang Dynasty, and it was too early to break away from the narrative color, and gradually became a refined culture.Therefore, the rulers used it as a tool to teach the code of conduct, so there was an act of Zhougong system of rituals and entertainment.As a social education tool, human nature is cultivated, and the technical development of music is deliberately ignored. The fault of modern culture occurs here. After the 20th century, we imitate foreign countries everywhere. Traditional poetry and poetry have been discarded by modern people, and new ideas have not been established.We imported Western songs, embedded Chinese tones, and sang every word and sound, and the sound of the words and the sound of the music were mixed.Singing like this, unless the lyrics are known in advance, the listener really doesn't know what to sing! In a backward country with a thousand wastes waiting to be raised, who cares about music?The rise and fall of a nation depends on people, and the power of people comes from the self, and the growth of the self is based on cultural edification and belief in tradition.Human beings are just a mass of flesh and blood at the beginning, so that they can break out of the navel from physiological dependence, and thus self-knowledge, enrichment, and formation of strength. As the saying goes: It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to grow a person, this is by no means empty talk!Wood is a tool, and the use of tools depends on technology, and ten years is definitely enough to learn any technology.But people are different. The so-called hundred years refers to more than one generation.All the powerful countries in history have a strong cultural background; there has never been a country that can stand for a hundred years without a cultural foundation! Back then, I wrote a lot of music theory in my diary. Unfortunately, I don’t have the materials at hand now, so I can only record what I can remember.Taking Mandarin as an example, the four tones can be regarded as the three tones of the main chord: MI|DO|MI SOL (lower octave)|DO MI|SOL (lower octave).The first tone is extended flatly, the second tone rises horizontally (both are called flat tone), the third tone rises from the dominant harmonic tone of the lower octave, and the fourth tone needs to slide down from high (it is called the flat tone), and the speed Be fast, in order to break the sense of sound, so some people call it broken sound. When speaking Mandarin is standard, it should be the main chord of the major scale, with a generous and grand sound.It is said that when deciding on the national language, the Hubei dialect of my hometown was also taken into consideration because of the factors of the 1911 Revolution.However, the tone of Hubei belongs to the minor scale, which has more than enough tact but not enough vigor, so it is not favored. I have done systematic research on several Chinese dialects. For example, Sichuan dialect has no consonants, and the tone is crisp and blunt.Every sound in Shandong dialect has a change in the final sound, and it is not rigorous enough.In Cantonese, the four tones are changed to eight tones, which is too complicated.Of course, in addition to pitch, there is also the factor of timbre, that is, the mouth shape and position of pronunciation, but this has nothing to do with music.Among all the dialects, the advantage of Beijing dialect is precisely the characteristics of its musical nature. If you want to sing Chinese songs, you must first master the audio changes in the four tones of the text, so that the tune of the music becomes a vehicle, and the tones of the text float on it.This will not hinder the progress of the music, but also take into account the characteristics of Chinese characters, so that you can understand it as soon as you hear it.For the convenience of later learners, some rules can be set, just like the counterpoint method, those who are interested may wish to give it a try. Widman taught new music, and there were no textbooks at all in the class.He just provided some works, and under his guidance, everyone discussed with each other. For example, in Schonberger's works, in Wiedemann's explanation, there are four creative principles.These four laws sounded very serious. As soon as I heard them, I told Widman that these laws have only one purpose, which is to avoid the tonality of music. How can this be called a law? Widman disagrees with me. He believes that no matter what method is used, as long as the first-tone music can be turned into atonal music, it can be called a law.He even asked me if there is any other way to get the same result? I was indeed passed by him on the spot, but I was not to be outdone.After class, I wrote a simple formula (it's been a long time, and I can't remember it completely now), which is to unfold all the changes in the arrangement and combination of the main chord.只要十二個半音中，能夠產生大、小和弦音階者，不令其出現在同一小節中，至於三和音更不可出現在同一樂念中，這樣就可以得到同樣的無調性音樂。 威德曼看了大吃一驚，從此對我刮目相看。 還有一次上聽聲、辨音課，目的在訓練我們分辨各種音調及調性。訓練時，聽者一聽到鋼琴聲，就要說出該音的名稱。每次他一按鍵，我都能快速而正確地指出，到後來他只好禁止我再開口，好讓別人練習。 下課時，他問我是不是有絕對音感，我說沒有，同時告訴他有關中國語音的調性特色。他聽了，建議我改學指揮，我表示沒有興趣，他好心說： 我是為你好，作曲是沒有前途的，總有一天你會知道。 我知道他的好意，可是，我如何解釋自己的心態呢？不得已，我只好說： 我只是希望多瞭解一點音樂而已。 well!中國人真難讓人瞭解。 我曾寫了一首曲子，是以標題音樂的方式，描述有幾隻蟬正在引吭高歌時，飛來了一隻鳥，逐一把蟬吃了。最後被吃的是一隻大蟬，與鳥掙扎了片刻，雖然不幸性命難保，卻卡在鳥的喉嚨裡，鳥也因此不能歡唱了。 威德曼叫我拿去給管弦樂團試練，由於主角是隻大蟬，我選了巴松管來演奏。不幸吹巴松管的是位業餘的老樂師，對一口氣要吹八個音節無法勝任。不得已我只好改成四個音節，蟬聲於是變得斷斷續續的，氣勢全無。 更令我難以為繼的是，這位老樂師不能掌握節奏。我要求的是很平滑地由慢而快，先是一拍、兩拍，在四拍後，則用五連音、六連音一直到十連音。每換一小節，則升高半個音階。練了幾天，老樂師不知所吹，連聲咒罵不止。我也頭大如斗，只聽到一片鬼哭神嚎，最後不得不宣佈放棄。 我還設計過一種曲式，利用中國織錦緞的結構，以一部分樂器相互交錯，形成很規律的背景。宛如錦緞的襯底花色一般，於上層再用主奏樂器繡出樂念主題。這種方式倒是很適合中國五音階的調性，也能充分表現中國音樂的特殊風格。威德曼很欣賞，可是基於種種機緣，我中途變節，計劃又胎死腹中。 另外我還寫了一首混聲合唱曲，中國民謠式的塞外組曲。可惜巴西人學中文發音有問題，唱來始終像田中群蛙競鳴，後來只好不了了之。 在教他們中文時，讓我對中文有了更深一層的認識，從而開啟了後來致力中文自然語言的契機。其中細節將在第三集<炎夏>中討論，在此從略。 學期中，作曲班的同學有一個新曲發表會，由於我所作的曲子都不可行，所以沒有報名參加。那一次的演出令我目瞪口呆，萬萬想像不到那就是我所積極努力的方向與遠景。從此，心裡又蒙上了一層陰影，對未來的前途完全失去了指望。 參加那次發表會的，一共有七位同學，都是本院的菁英。在學習了幾年的作曲以後，各自拿出了他們嘔心瀝血的作品。當著沙市近千名衣冠楚楚的名仕淑女，在威德曼先生的指揮下，由本校的管弦樂團盛大隆重的演出。 第一個節目，曲名叫風，威德曼先生出場後，全場均報以熱烈的掌聲。只見他把指揮棒一舉，樂隊各自作好準備動作，然後就僵在那裡，足足有三分鐘之久。除了聽眾席中偶而傳來輕微的咳嗽聲外，一切都靜悄悄的。然後威德曼把指揮棒放下，返身向聽眾席深深的一鞠躬。全場無不愕然，原來風聲已經止息。 第二個節目的曲名是女高音，原意是由橫笛起一個音，而且是自由音，也就是不硬性規定什麼音，越隨興越好。然後一位女高音由後台出場，接著下去自由發揮。這首曲子的作者曾與我討論過，他的構想是要製造一種飄逸的效果。 在現場表演時，吹橫笛的是位女仕，好心的想吹一個比較適合的音調。不幸因為太自由了，一時拿不定主意，吹走了音。鬧得表演的女高音跟不上去，場面尷尬，只好草草了事。 第三個不知何名，也不知道台上是在演奏，還是樂師們在調音。一陣混亂，定音鼓聲越敲越響，突然間，又演奏完畢。 第四個，第五個簡直沒有一首能稱為音樂。只可憐了那些樂師們，他們多半是我們的老師，平素頗有幾分威嚴，此刻都變成了舞台上的小丑。依據演奏曲子的指定，一下搬搬椅子，一下很勉強的哈哈狂笑，再不然就拿心愛的樂器當作玩具耍弄。總之，出盡了各種醜態，人人想笑，但大家都咬緊了牙關，裝出很能欣賞的神情。連威德曼這位偉大的導師，也多次的摸摸鼻子，揩揩臉，一副忍俊不住的模樣。 演奏全部結束了，照例全場一致熱烈的掌聲。每個天才般的新秀作曲家，在威德曼的介紹下一一出場，接受聽眾的歡呼。彷彿大家都是知音，要表示一己內心的愧疚，以補償以往那些曾被埋沒的大師們。 如果說這是一場馬戲團的娛樂節目，我覺得倒很有欣賞價值。再不然，用來嘲弄那些自以為很懂音樂的淑女紳士，也不失為絕妙的場合。但是，人人都那樣認真，作曲家紛紛高論他們的意境，聽眾也若有所悟，連威德曼也掛著神聖的面具。他們一致認定這就是新音樂，我則完全迷失了。 事後，我找到威德曼教授，請他指點迷津。我們在學校的福利社裡，喝著苦澀香濃的咖啡，拋開了師生的立場，作了一次令我頓開茅塞的討論。 他首先說： 新音樂不一定是好音樂，但是一定要有創意。歷史証明了當代人所不能接受的，未來很可能成為主流。巴哈、貝多芬、狄布西、史特拉文斯基、荀伯格等，沒有一個例外。正因為他們有些新的觀念，而這些新觀念在當時還沒有習慣，沒人能夠領受。因此，身為一個作曲家，不能不走在時代的前端，為創造而創造。 我同意，可是音樂總有音樂的範疇，為了創造而創造，離開了音樂的領域，又怎麼能稱為音樂呢？ 你能為音樂下個定義嗎？當年巴哈創立平均律時，人們說那不是音樂。貝多芬首先使用屬和弦的第七度不協和音，也被人斥為離經叛道。狄布西開啟了印象派，採用東方的五音律，人們覺得他很怪異。另外史特拉文斯基打破了節奏的觀念，荀伯格揚棄了主調，採用十二半音階這些在當時都曾被人們批評過，認為那不是音樂，現在呢？你怎麼能說你不能接受的就不是音樂？ 至少，那還是聲音的變化，還有一個符合人性需求的理論基礎。 新音樂當然有它的理論，每一個新觀念都是既有領域的突破，在這麼長遠的音樂史中，所有可能的組合都被以往的大師發揮到極致。曾經有人用電腦計算過，最後一個和弦被狄布西用掉了。此外，節奏、調性也不可能再有新的變化，音樂還剩下什麼呢？只有音色、音量罷了。但那只是技術，由各種不同的樂器，發出不同的樂音，產生不同的效果而已。要突破，就要嘗試不同的方向。 為什麼一定要為突破而突破呢？多出幾個貝多芬一樣的大師，不是更能令我們享受音樂的神韻嗎？只為了求新的變化，又有什麼意義呢？ 我知道你的想法，可能你是中國人，不瞭解我們西方人的思想及背景。我們的社會只崇拜第一，沒有與別人不同的特色，再好也得不到應有的地位。例如布拉姆斯，他的作曲技巧以及才華天分，沒有一點比貝多芬遜色。可是，由於他的風格與貝多芬雷同，那就等於說，他沒有任何突破，所以得不到應有的評價。 這又有什麼關係呢？他提供了我們美妙的音樂，我們一樣地欣賞、感動，這不是一個作曲家的最高目的嗎？ 所以我說你可能不懂，我看過一些介紹中國文化的書，你們把個人的名利放在其次，為藝術而藝術，為音樂而音樂。甚至一些思想家還把他們自己的作品，冠上前人的名字。這種忽視自我的現象，對我們來說才是不可思議的。 可是，為了自我的成就，也不是標新立異就可以達到的呀！文化上的殊異，的確是很難溝通。 那你更不能懂了，就以繪畫來說吧，達達派米勒的畫，到今天為止又有幾個人真正的欣賞？在畫布上畫個圈，有誰不會？只因為他是第一個這樣做的人，所以有了不朽的地位，正因為我們鼓勵求新求變，所以才有變化，才有進步。 進步的結果呢？藝術品成了懸掛的裝飾，音樂成了冒充知音者的點綴。人們只為了表示自己有欣賞的水準，不惜互相的欺騙、抬哄，以至於讓真正喜愛的人感到失望，而遠離了這些虛偽不誠實的市場。很顯然的，任何古典音樂會的聽眾，都比不上熱門音樂會的多，那不正是我們從事音樂者的恥辱嗎？ 不能這樣說，真正有價值的藝術品，不是人人能接受的。 why?我聽過很多由古典音樂所改編的通俗曲子，一樣能被大眾接受。 那是因為我們聽多了，就習慣了，習慣了就會喜愛。如果荀伯格的曲子，大家都聽習慣了，一定也會喜歡的。 這點我不同意，人們能夠習慣的，一定是能符合人類生理特質的。比如說，和弦用盡了，還可以在曲式上變化，也可以在配樂上創新。然而，那些噪音或是胡鬧一番的表演，只有讓人刺耳作嘔，不但不能習慣，反而還會敬而遠之。 你錯了，曲式和配樂不能算是新的概念，要求新就不應該有限制。全世界的音樂演奏會上，都有些所謂的新音樂，而且分量一天一天的在增加。當年那些大師的作品，也是經歷了一樣的過程，到今天才被肯定的。 據我所知，在以往，樂團只是貴族專用的，一般社會大眾終年難得聽到幾次音樂演奏。所以，再好的音樂也要很久才能漸漸傳播開。What now?音樂會隨時都有，再不然，人人可以買一張唱片、一捲錄音帶，一天聽上千百次，能不能聽習慣，並不需要很長的時間才能証明。我們所知的新音樂，至少也有近半個世紀了，可是任何音樂節目單上，印象派以前的曲子，還是佔了四分之三以上。如果這樣還不能習慣，究竟要多久才能習慣？不僅如此，我們在市面上能看到的古典音樂唱片中，所謂的新音樂還不到百分之一。如果不是大眾的唾棄，無法習慣，還有什麼其他的原因呢？ 總算我提出的這個論據，讓他停下來想了一會，然後反問我說： 那你是反對追求新的音樂囉？ 教授，我沒有這個意思，也不會這樣想，求新求變是人性的特質。但是，音樂是給人的耳朵聽的，要配合人生理、心理的特徵，才是求新求變的正確方向。 我承認你有些觀念超乎我的想像之外，可是我不認為世界上有所謂的正確方向。當今的哲學都趨向於空談，宗教也被視為迷信，甚至理論物理學家也走到了人類思考範疇的盡頭。你怎麼能肯定地說，什麼是正確的？ 他觸到了我所追尋的問題核心，我當然還不知道什麼才是正確的，但是我會去追求，絕不輕易接受良知所不能接受的定論。或許他有些精闢的見解，至少他是我所見到的人中，唯一能真正提出理論，能對我有所啟示的。因此我又問: 那麼，您認為創作的標準是什麼呢？如果您自己都不同意有正確的方向的話。 我認為只有憑著個人追求創新的良知，以及追求作品的完整性，才是一個藝術家所應稟持的標準。 藝術是一種純主觀的創作，個人的色彩豐富其藝術價值，創新則開拓了其領域。由於客觀環境對主觀個體的影響，任何一個時代的個人，他的經驗和認知，必然會與新事物、新觀念相融合。如果藝術家真能本著良知，去追求藝術創作，倒不失為一個正確的原則。但他人又能憑藉什麼去判斷，以証明一件藝術品，是出自藝術家的良知呢？至於作品的完整性那更抽象了，可是這是技術的層面。在求新的原則下，不能有任何成規加以限制，只有靠作者自我的努力以及大眾和時間的選擇。 我再沒有理由反駁他的看法，只是感到由衷的失望，我不知道應該如何去學習，以符合這種標準。如果顧慮到自己的良知，那做不做音樂家又有何分別？如果為的是名或利，更不必考慮做音樂家了。事實上，有不少人從事通俗音樂或流行歌曲的創作，他們名利兼收且自得其樂。如果以上述的原則去衡量，難道我能肯定的說他們不符合標準嗎？ 今天的藝術家，深陷於方向和原則的矛盾之中。在西方自我成就的價值觀下，既受到名與利的誘惑，又在古典大師的精神中，渲染了濃厚的完美理想主義。藝術家們在兩個極端之間，激盪徘徊，無所適從。於是各式各樣的理論大批出籠，各行其是。 藝術需要創新，且在創新的過程中失敗的機率極高。我就是個最勇於創新的人，學音樂原來的目的，就是想要學些創造的方法。但我總認為創新不等於純粹的排列組合，如果說只要沒有人做過，就算是創新，這必然會產生極其嚴重的後果。 因為，若人人求新，世界上藝術家不知道有多少，我們憑什麼認定是否有人曾如此這般地創新過？如果不知道，藝術終將歸於虛無。如果確實是創新，但只是為了求新，這種藝術品的意義又在哪裡？最後一點，藝術原是用來美化人性，充實人生的精神糧食，求新作為知識追求的標準或許可以。然而人性從來沒有更新過，短短數十年的人生，能夠瞭解認知身旁繁複的事物已屬難能可貴了，又怎能接受永無止境的新藝術？ 其結果，正是這個時代所顯現的，藝術家已成為點綴品。如果沒有商業行銷的手法，得不到企業界、政界或媒體的推銷，藝術家就無法生存。當藝術品成了商品時，藝術的真諦已然宣告死亡。 現代藝術家的這種地位，比處於封建時期者還要可悲。至少那些附庸風雅的王公貴族，對藝術家還持著一份尊敬的態度。而新時代呢？利用了人性的貪婪，藝術品的價值不斷被哄抬，其目的只是想使倉庫中的收藏品更值錢罷了。