Western China Songs: Folk Music and Composition (II)

Author: Shi Fu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: Edited by Mr. Shi Fu, the "Chinese Western Songs" series compiles folk songs collected by him personally, folk songs collected and adapted by other domestic composers, as well as songs created using Western musical materials that reflect the lives of Western people. Compiling such a collection is a monumental and arduous task, but it holds extraordinary significance. Mr. Shi Fu has spent a long time working in Xinjiang, absorbing ample nourishment from Western folk music, dedicating himself to the study of Western music, accumulating extensive knowledge and materials. He has also composed many musical works that touch on Western themes. With great enthusiasm, he has compiled this rich collection of songs, and I am honored to write the preface for this monument-like anthology.
The geographical concept of Western China, in a broad sense, refers to the vast region west of the line from Aihui in Heilongjiang to Tengchong in Yunnan, including most of the Northwest, a portion of the Southwest, and small parts of Northeast and North China. The world-famous "Silk Road," from the ancient capital of Chang'an through the Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang, into Xinjiang, across the Pamirs, and reaching Central and Western Asia, runs along the sides of the ancient northern deserts and Tibetan regions. Since the Han and Tang dynasties, this area has been a place where Chinese and Western cultures have.
On this magnificent and fertile land of Western China, numerous hardworking and pure ethnic minorities live. With their own hands, they have developed and built this land while also singing their lives with astonishing musical talent, leaving behind invaluable and abundant musical treasures. Folk songs are one of the most distinctive forms among them. The Western folk songs edited by Mr. Shi Fu are based on his long life in the vast Northwest, collecting folk songs from various ethnic groups along the sides of the "Silk Road." The "Chinese Western Songs" is named accordingly, referring to this concept.
"Chinese Western Songs" introduces folk songs and composed songs from various regions along the sides of the Silk Road, providing music enthusiasts with a relatively concentrated source of singing and research materials. The charm and unique colors of folk music from these regions shine brightly in the treasure trove of Chinese music. Many outstanding folk songs have been passed down across China and overseas in the past century, earning them the title of "masterpieces of folk songs."
Many of the composed songs in this collection are widely sung by the masses. These songs carry the rich fragrance of the Northwest's earth, and it is evident that they too draw inspiration from folk music to express their melodies.
The introduction of Western music into the Central Plains and its own development has a long history. Not to mention the distant past, the 1930s marked the beginning of a modern golden age. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Western music experienced its second golden age of self-development. Today, with new opportunities, Western music is undoubtedly stepping onto a new level. Under any circumstances, Western music has always developed while preserving its own traditions. Our approach to this history embodies both inheritance and innovation, as the saying goes, "Without the past, we cannot truly understand the present or create the future."
In the past century, the encouraging developments in Western music have shown the coexistence of "self-development" and "active introduction from the interior." This "source" and "search" form a mutual relationship. The series collection is a valuable historical record, allowing people to understand the state of folk songs in Western China. To convey this result to readers is the mission of Mr. Shi Fu in compiling this collection.
Here, I warmly congratulate the publication of this series collection.