"While there is no doubt that the 'Elegy' is a brilliant and moving symphony, I do not think it is fit for public performance any longer.
Music is above words, it is a melody about death, and I even think the composer is abetting death.
He seemed to have experienced the whole process personally, and expressed his transcendence of death with his notes. I now have doubts and concerns about Joe's mental state.
…
People who are sensitive to music are more likely to be affected by this symphony, and the consequences are worth thinking about. I think it is because of this that Mr. Malz did not comment on "Elegy" at the exchange meeting.
Looking at the comments of the audience on social media, "No longer afraid of death" and "No longer afraid", my God, I seem to see what irrational behavior a group of neurotic and sensitive people will do.
… ”
This is a comment made by a very famous music critic, which attracted the attention of many media once it was released.
"Moonlit Night in Suzhou" made this young oriental man popular on social media, and after the release of "Elegy", discussions about him became even more heated.
Many people agree with the music critic's point of view, believing that this symphony has the power to touch people's hearts, like the tempting whisper of death, and should be banned.
Mr. Maltz's silence at the forum further fueled this view.
What no one expected was that the first person to stand up and refute was Lucas, the concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the musical prodigy who had been overshadowed by Xu Qiao recently.
He angrily accused the music critic on his homepage, saying that his words were full of the complacent self-indulgence of an opinion leader in the music field and his attitude of artistic castration, and most importantly, he completely misunderstood "Elegy".
Abetment of death? No, the symphony is completely objective and fair in its attitude, which is one of the reasons why it has become a classic.
It fully depicts the process of the protagonist's death, like a bystander, recording what the protagonist sees and hears.
From pain and fear to peace and relief, is this instigation? This is a calm record that allows people to look at the process of death more rationally.
Lucas's views won the approval of many people, and the wind direction began to change slowly.
[Yes, I think that review is weird. It seems to make sense but I can’t believe it. The feeling of “Elegy” to me is not what he said. I agree with what Lucas said]
[My previous speech was excerpted in this music review article. I would like to explain here that when I say I am no longer afraid of death, it does not mean that I will choose to try it because I am not afraid. On the contrary, it makes me cherish everything I have now.]
[The media's criticism of it is unjustified. "Elegy" makes people face death squarely, which is a good thing, isn't it?]
[Don’t try it just because you are curious about death, and don’t choose it easily just because you despise death.]
[There is a Chinese saying, "What joy is there in life, and what sorrow is there in death?" It comes from a thinker named Zhuangzi. I think "Elegy" is an interpretation of this saying. There is no disrespect for life, only relief for death.]
[In fact, I think facing death calmly makes me more respectful of life.]
Shortly after Lucas made these remarks, Mr. Maltz gave his speech a thumbs up, expressing his attitude.
This completely reversed the previous remarks that were unfavorable to Xu Qiao.
Under the attention of the media, this grand exchange meeting finally came to the final round, where gold, silver and bronze medals will be competed.
At this point, there are only ten symphony orchestras left from all over the world, and the three-month exchange meeting is about to come to an end.
Everyone knows that the competition for the gold medal will most likely be between the Chinese folk music orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
What kind of works will they bring to the final feast
Around the world, millions of viewers turned on their televisions or live streaming platforms, their eyes fixed on the magnificent music hall on the screen.
This time, the folk music band took the stage first.
On the big screen, two lines of large characters slowly appeared: "Nuwa". Composer: Xu Qiao.
This is another symphony he completed independently!
Everyone had complicated looks. Although they had guessed it before, they were still shocked when they saw the composer column.
What kind of surprises will this young oriental boy bring to them
"Nuwa".
They didn't know much about Chinese mythology, but they had some impression of this name. This was a deity from ancient China who was said to have created the human race by molding people out of yellow mud.
If "Elegy" is a symphony about death, then "Nuwa" is a hymn to life.
At the beginning of the music, the faint sound of the flute spreads, like the sound of someone yawning after waking up. Mixed in with the low sound of the drum, each sound reminds people of the rhythm deep in the earth.
Nuwa walked on the vast wilderness, gazing at the earth. The mountains and rivers were beautiful and magnificent, and the rivers were flowing endlessly. An inexplicable loneliness welled up in her.
As the gurgling sound of the pipa joined in, Nuwa walked to the river and saw her own shadow.
Suddenly, she was blessed and the melody became joyful. She dug yellow mud from the river, mixed it with the river water, and made a clay doll based on her own shadow. The clay doll turned into a human being when it fell to the ground. Seeing this, Nuwa made more.
The sound of the pipa becomes more powerful and granular, and the timbre makes people feel as if they see a clay statue falling to the ground and turning into a human being, leaping and running towards every corner of the earth.
The tall and majestic goddess looked at these little babies and suddenly felt that the speed of creating humans was too slow.
The sounds of konghou, drum, pipa and zheng became more and more rapid, the music became more high-pitched, Nuwa threw the rattan into the yellow mud to stir it, and then waved it in all directions.
The yellow mud on the vines turned into humans when they fell to the ground, and the human population on the earth increased rapidly.
They jumped and laughed, men and women got married, generations continued, traces of life extended to every corner of the earth, and the majestic music made every audience member close their eyes in a daze.
The melody is so beautiful.
After the long and clear sound, the music gradually changed.
The intensity increases, the plucking, string and wind instruments are repeated several times, and the volume increases from low to high, becoming intense and rapid.
This has never been a race that has always lived in peace, nor has it ever been a nation that has received much favor.
The audience watched as the people in the music experienced the collapse of the sky and the collapse of the earth, the cessation of the flow of rivers, the scorching sun in the sky, and the floods...
A solo performance of the pipa. Xu Qiao made extensive use of full-round, sweeping, pushing and pulling string techniques, and the sound of tearing silk echoed in the audience's ears.
They need no favor, they constantly fight for survival, and they grow stronger and stronger in countless disasters.
…
The flowing notes are endless, demonstrating the vitality and pulse of that ancient oriental nation and revealing the breathing of that yellow land.
A symphony with oriental charm, magnificent beauty, uniqueness and grandeur.
The sun and the moon pass through the sky, rivers flow through the earth, and what lasts forever is the music of life.
"… "
Malz, who was sitting in the center of the judges' seats, let out a long sigh of relief. He finally understood what Xu Qiao had said to him before. After listening to this song, he knew what he meant.
How could someone who could compose such a piece of music easily succumb to death
Xu Qiao has a stronger will than anyone else. He is capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the most outstanding music masters in history. The music of this era will shine because of him.
The last note fell.
Silence, endless silence.
After a long while, someone on the judges' bench sighed: "This is incredible..."
It's incredible.
This is a symphony that can make even the most unimaginative person imagine the magnificent picture.
It is a symphony of life, a symphony of life for a nation or even the entire human race.
Members of the folk music orchestra looked at each other, tears of excitement glistening in their eyes.
They did it. Folk music bands will no longer be "inferior imitations". They let the world see the brilliance of folk music.
This will be a significant contribution to the history of folk music.
[Oh My God… ]
[Is this really a symphony that humans can compose?]
[It's so good, I can't find any words to describe it]
[How could those stupid music critics think Xu Qiao had suicidal thoughts? The vitality of this symphony is too strong]
In the lounge, after listening to "Nuwa", Lucas calmed down.
He knew that the gold medal in this exchange meeting was a foregone conclusion.
After being slightly shocked, he and his companions accepted this fact.
"It's our turn to go on stage." Lucas smiled, "Enjoy this stage."
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra members punched each other's fists, and their faces became relaxed. The performers passed by the folk music band members who were leaving the stage, with relaxed smiles of appreciation on their faces.
The audience is still guessing, what symphony will Lucas choose
Two lines of words appeared on the big screen: "Symphony of the New Life". Composer: Lucas.
It's a new symphony!
New life. It is also a symphony about life.
Xu Qiao and Lucas, these two talented performers and composers, were surprisingly consistent in their choice of repertoire at this exchange meeting.
First there is death, then there is rebirth.
This has to be regarded as a good story.
Because they no longer had an obsession with the gold medal, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was completely relaxed and focused in their performance, achieving an even better performance than expected.
After the performance, Lucas's face lost its previous arrogance and he bowed deeply.
The judges looked at each other and sighed.
The creation of a symphony is complex. First, the composer must be familiar with the playing techniques of each instrument, and then the instrumentation, harmony, form, polyphony... all of these must be taken into consideration.
The creation of a symphony of such a grand scale requires a great deal of brainpower. Without a solid musical foundation and strong willpower, it would be impossible to complete it successfully.
There is a saying that a person can write no more than nine symphonies in his lifetime, which is enough to illustrate the difficulty of its creation.
But Lucas completed the "Newborn Symphony", or "Lucas Symphony No. 1", which is undoubtedly a symphony worthy of being included in textbooks.
It is full of emotion and powerful, ending with the sound of church bells, and the hymn-like melody touches the heart.
Lucas is worthy of being called a musical prodigy. He already possesses the demeanor of a contemporary music master. In any previous exchange meeting, he would have been the focus of everyone's attention.
But this time, there happened to be a Xu Qiao.
From the first "Gusu Moonlight Night" to the last "Nuwa", the three new symphonies, one better than the other, overshadowed all the orchestras.
This exchange meeting is destined to be the stage for the folk music orchestra and Xu Qiao.
He is a genius among geniuses. The people who can compare with him are not in this exchange meeting, but should look to the past and the future. Perhaps only in this way can we find a music master who can compare with him.