Music brings harmony between superpowers

Musical diplomacy...?

By Cezary Owerkowicz

Music and sports compete among themselves and which is the better ambassador/messenger or diplomat? Both have the elements of competition are attractive and focus on individual and social emotions. Both don’t any need translation and are easier to avoid misunderstandings. However, I will risk my opinion on music and even not so spectacular as sport, because I have a long experience in this field.

These days we witness a global ‘match’ between the superpowers – actual and ‘pretender’ – the United States and China. We know about the actual leader but the pretender remains obscure shrouded in the fog of mystery. However, let us look through.

Music was present from the beginning of Chinese culture and throughout its long history from folk music of every region and village up to great role in country’s history of Chinese Opera and as a result it has acquired its legendary position. Western, or rather classical opera also took a prestigious place in China. The symbol of my story somehow is about musical diplomacy summed up in two operas – the Chinese operas ‘The First Emperor’ and American – ‘Nixon in China’.

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‘The First Emperor’ is an opera written by Tan Dun, regarded as one of the world’s leading avant-garde composers and conductors. He is known for imaginative blending of Western and Chinese instruments. In 2001 he won an Academy Award (Oscar) for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movie, awarded also by BAFTA and Grammy Awards.

He is also widely known for such works as the Hong Kong Symphony (1997) and Buddha Passion presented as world premiere with Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel in 2019. By the way also sports fans listened to his music during every prize awarding ceremony during the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

Tan Dun composed already several operas. His first such works, Nine Songs (1989), he composed in both: Classical Chinese and contemporary English languages. Second was Marco Polo (1996), in abstract, ‘Peking Opera’ style, with such heroes as Shakespeare or Dante Alighieri. Forth, from 2002 is amazing for me: ‘Tea: A Mirror of Soul’, (because I am addicted to tea!). The First Emperor was commissioned by Metropolitan Opera with the title role created for Placido Domingo. The original Met production was directed by Zhang Yimou.

Tan Dun during celebration of the 40th official US-China Diplomatic Relationship in May 2019 presented two world premieres: Dun’s Fanfare Overture and Vocal Concert. He studied in US, at the NY Columbia University. During Cultural Revolution he was banned from public appearances and sent to work on rice plantation. Nowadays he is a ‘flag composer’ of contemporary China, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and – as he states himself – he works for Chinese-American relations through ‘musical diplomacy’.

Such diplomacy between Western and Sino spheres began centuries ago, but the beginnings were not easy. It arrived to China when the missionary Matteo Ricci presented a clavichord to Emperor Wanli 1572-1620), the longest ruling monarch from the Ming dynasty, in return for allowing the Jesuits to open a mission. Four eunuchs were ordered to learn how to play the instrument and perform for the Emperor. The eunuchs experimented with it for a while and then the instrument was placed back in the box until it was discovered by Emperor Changzen, the last monarch of the Ming dynasty. He asked the German Jesuits to explain how it worked.

Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) was considered as one the greatest emperors. Until now his period is remembered as the ‘Prosperous Era of Kangxi and Qianlong’ (shorter ‘High Qing’: from the name of Qing dynasty ruling China from 1636 to 1911). That ruler showed also the best interest in classical music. Emperor Kangxi adapted some Taoist players to harpsichord but Emperor Qianlong formed an ensemble from 18 German training musicians, which performed in Western style suits and wigs.

Western music left the Forbidden City, it means Imperial Court and – military bands and went outside to the people in 19th century. The first true orchestra was formed in 1919, in Shanghai, primarily almost exclusively by foreigners but steadily also from Chinese and this change helped establish the first Western-style music school – the Shanghai Conservatory established in 1927. The lively cosmopolitan atmosphere helped music scene grow there.

In Shanghai, Fou Ts’ong was born (in 1934) and educated the first ever laureate of Int’l Chopin Competition (5th edition in 1955). In 1953 he moved to Europe, to Polish Warsaw Conservatory where he impressed the professors of his grasp of Chopin’s Mazurkas rhythm.

In the Chopin Competition he won the 3rd Prize and the special Mazurka Prize. I was a small boy but – young, gifted pianist already. We were in the neighboring rooms and in spite of the age gap became friends. In 1958 he went to London, married to Yehudi Menuhin’s daughter and began a glorious international career as a famous Chopin interpreter.

Fou Ts’ong inaugurated the line of Chinese pianist, laureates of that the eldest piano competition, as Li MinChen (1960) or Yundi Li (Winner in 2000) and last during the 16th competition in 2015, two American pianists of Chinese origin Kate Liu and Eric Lu the astonished audience with their mastery.

Meanwhile the international career made Lang Lang (b. 1982, in Shenyang) under impression of Disney’s Tom & Jerry with Liszt’s Rhapsody No 2 (he started to play piano at the age of… two) at the age of five the winner of Shenyang Piano Competition and performed his first public solo recital. It was a point of start but at that point he had already achieved (you know it very well) the World Star status.

Other Chinese name with such deserved status was the fantastic cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. He was born in Paris and studied in the US at the Juilliard School and Harvard University. He started as a prodigy at the age of four and half, continuously performing recorded 90 albums and was awarded Grammy Awards 18 times. Unquestionably the Master of classic music he plays also jazz, American and Chinese folk as well as the Argentinean tangos. He has been a UN Messenger of Peace.

The classical music scene reemerged after the Cultural Revolution. Depending from the sources, there are up to 100 million children (youth) studying classical piano, violin or both, either at schools or with the help of tutors. In many cases, on a given afternoon in a particular neighborhood, more kids are likely to be practicing piano than playing outside. Promising musicians are given special treatment (like promising athletes in the US). They can get into top universities with lower scores on their entrance test than students without musical skills.

When the Central Conservatory reopened in 1978, 18,000 people applied for 100 places. Among those who won places were composers that would define contemporary classical music in China. The above mentioned Tan Dun, Chen Yi, and Zhou Long – all of them finally moved and acting in New York or Chen Qigang settled in Paris. One of the leading higher music schools, The Sichuan Conservatory has more than 10,000 students. (The top American, The Juilliard School has only 800).

The above-composers have achieved great successes at home, in China, as well as in the West, or rather all over the globe. They used classical music ‘lingua Latina’ (or common language) taking inspiration from rich sources of national folklore and wider tradition.

This is the way on musical fields for local cultures to appear and exist on the global scene. (The question is: only in musical field?) It is important because nowadays success on cultural, particular on music, stages results in prestige in the world on both scales – personal for artistes but also national for their countries.

From this point of view support for really is perfect and wide youth education and after the promotion of culture (e.g. music) is profitable for community and authorities. The Chinese have realized it and used it very well.

Oh, at the beginning I mentioned about opera ‘Nixon in China’. It is a 3-act work by John Adams with a libretto by Alice Goodman. Adam’s first ever opera was inspired by historical visit of American President to China in 1972.

The Opera had its premiere at the Houston Grand Opera in Oct 22, 1987. In 2011 the opera made its NY Metropolitan Opera debut.

It was scenic and music echoed of that legendary visit arranged by the real masters of diplomacy, US National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger and Chinese Premier, Chou En-lai (previous ‘eternal’ Minister of Foreign Affairs). NB. First Sino-American contacts were through sports and music fields. The old Masters of Diplomacy are aware of the importance of such opportunities. I hope the new generation of diplomats will remember this and give due consideration.

Maybe music will add rivalry to the superpowers and even an element of harmony?

Editor’s Note: Cezary Owerkowicz is the chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Philharmonia and talented pianist. He regularly organises concerts by well-known musicians for the benefit of music lovers and to widen the knowledge of music in Kuwait. His email address is: cowerkowicz@yahoo.com and cowerkowicz@hotmail.com