Why Erhu Rhapsodies have no market in China?

Well, I was reading this article in some Erhu forum, saying, 'the Song I hated the most, Erhu rhapsody No. 1. '

here are some comments that I read

"我最不喜欢的二胡曲： 《第一二胡狂想曲》。《一狂》完全不顾及二胡的音色特点以及二胡的音域，以设置技巧的难关为快事，整首乐曲不知所云，是二胡朝着错误方向发展的代表作和里程碑。《一狂》可以作为一首练习曲拉，也仅仅可以作为一首练习曲拉。"

"现在二胡曲的名字也越来越洋了，这个“随想”，那个“狂想”。还是以前的二胡曲名字有中国味，象“良宵”。“二泉映月”等等。"

"既然是第一狂,当然作曲的时候就是一路狂写啦~~也许写这曲子,就是想让人听了发狂,哈哈!
演奏难度高,不等于就是好音乐.否则,我明儿写个速度1000的,左手不停上下来回大跳把,右手前后不停地无规律换弦并且要求跳弓击弓抛弓连顿弓频繁切换的曲子,纵然天皇老子也拉不出来,哈哈!把他第一狂的名头抢啦~~"

"都说音乐是跨跃国界的语言。如果这种语言无人能懂或只有少数人不懂装懂，那它就是一种失败的语言，没法流行的语言，没有使用价值。有些人好象并不明白这个道理。（尽管他学历很高）"

"我有一个朋友以前把他的msn匿名写成‘观众不愿听的，指挥家不愿指挥的，演奏家不愿演奏的曲子，你听过吗’，我很疑惑，问这是什么曲子。答曰：‘一狂’"

"似这样曲子何止一狂.有人专拿这些玩艺自命高雅,卖艺炫技.所以它也有市场也时常见面.不足为怪"

"《一狂》是有一定难度技巧成分的，她可以体现一个演奏者的技艺水平，但在欣赏程度上来看，还不 如《赛马》。不知你听《火祭》有什么感觉？我看就这个《火祭》可以失去不少爱好者"

" 此曲我感觉有点像骡子，有点像我们云南香格里拉的犏牛（牦牛与黄牛的后代），似马非马、似驴非驴，似牦非牦、似黄非黄。似中非中、似西非西。绝大多数中国人不一定懂，绝大多数西洋人也不一定懂。这大概就是曲高和寡的阳（戏为“洋”）春白雪了吧？以民族音乐元素为素材，加上西洋音乐的技法进行创作，这种曲目应该很多的，比如阳光，比如梁祝。此曲与它们不可同日而语。
关于技法
俺看这曲子的谱困难极了，它真不该用简谱表达。谱子难技法肯定也难。但它果真比阳光、流浪者、卡门难多少吗？没试过也不想试。真的要炫技，还不如去拉纯外国名曲，至少它们的可听性要强得多。"

I felt really sad, not because so many people hate that song that I liked so much, it is the attitude that most people have towards the Erhu Rhapsodies. I just learnt it in Anthropology, we call it Ethnocentrism, which means we perceive whatever culture we are in superior to all other cultures/values. Anything from a foreign culture is inferior comparing to our own. People say it's too modern, it has no melody, it is just a show off of skills and techniques blah blah.. Because in Erhu Rhapsody, the composer employed many Western Music devices. Since it is not originated in China, then it is rubbish.

Also, it might because it is hard. It is so hard that they cannot play. In fact it was not the first time I hear this kind of things lah. A few yrs ago, someone told me, “《第一二胡狂想曲》有什么好？一点表现力也没有，我们不要拉这种曲子。”Why? cos they cannot play! This is damn sick lah. Condemning a song just because you cannot play!! (Most people wont admit this point lah, they will say, It is REALLY REALLY BAD.. It is NOT worth playing. I CAN play, but I DON'T want!) In the same way, songs like 《天山风情》was condemned.. all other rhapsodies were condemned..

I understand that some teachers focus more on techniques, some more on expression, and I believe they have their own reasoning for that. But nobody can deny that techniques and expressions are all essential components for music. If one told me, technique is completely useless or expression is bullshit.. there is only one conclusion that I can drew.. You SUCK in that area..

posted by panda xuan @ 12:37 AM