French-Chinese Comparative Biographies of World Famous People: Volume of Musicians

Author: Huang Yanhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Legend has it that in the primordial age, the gods were far from the mortal world, living on the towering Mount Olympus. There, the peaks soared into the clouds, battered by relentless winds, snowflakes, and ice, never disturbed by ordinary people. Among them, Zeus was the highest god on Mount Olympus, ruling over the entire world of gods and mortals, known as "Father of the Gods and King of All." He possessed infinite power. He had nine daughters with Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, who were the nine Muses of myth, the goddesses of literature and the arts. In the West, the word "music" is derived from the names of these nine beautiful maidens. According to many beautiful myths and some surviving historical relics, we can know that music, one of the most wonderful gifts from heaven to humankind, the most marvelous art in the human world, has accompanied humanity for a very long time. For thousands of years (as early as 3000 BC), music has brought endless joy to humanity. People use music to sing, express sorrow, sigh, and convey emotions that words cannot describe—both personal and those of entire nations. Countless people have been captivated by it, and many have dedicated their lives to it. Those who were lost in a trance of devotion and dedication wrote many brilliant chapters in the history of music. However, the names of most of them have been forgotten by time, their relentless grinding and the prejudices of their time and society. As a result, their life-and-soul works have been neglected. Despite this, modern people should still be grateful to them. It is those now-forgotten, humble individuals who have become stepping stones, allowing the progress of human musical development, evolution, and advancement to continue. As for those who have left their names in history—of course, they were also the lucky ones—not only are their names and outstanding works passed down to this day, but their life trajectories, personal experiences, and even fabricated anecdotes about them have become the subject of lively discussion among contemporaries and later generations. And this is precisely the origin of this book.