Events

At the turn of the twentieth century, students returning from abroad introduced Beethoven to China.  The composer’s perseverance in the face of adversity and his musical genius resonated in a nation searching for a way forward.  Beethoven has remained a durable part of Chinese life in the decades that followed, becoming an icon to intellectuals, music fans, and party cadres alike, and playing a role in major historical events from the May Fourth Movement to the normalization of US-China relations.

First introduced to China in 1906, he inspired intellectuals like Lu Xun, who considered him a role model for dedication and aesthetic taste, and aspiring musicians. As a man who refused to bow to royalty, Beethoven was celebrated by the Communist Party in the early days of the revolution before he was banned for composing bourgeois music in the cultural vacuum of the 60s and 70s. After the Cultural Revolution and the death of Mao, a “Beethoven Fever” would sweep the country, presaging his present-day popularity.

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, the Renwen Society presents a special lecture by the conductor and music scholar Jindong Cai on Beethoven’s musical, cultural, and social legacy in China.  Cai is the co-author, along with his wife Sheila Melvin, of the book ‘Beethoven in China,’ considered to be the definitive work on the subject. Cai is also director of the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, which is dedicated to promoting the study, performance, and appreciation of music from contemporary China, and to support musical exchange between the United States and China.

Beethoven in China will be the second of eight online events on ‘China and Beethoven’ in the 3rd annual China Now Music Festival, taking place from Dec 11 to Dec 18. Learn more at barduschinamusic.org/china-and-beethoven.

Free, but advanced registration is requested.

2020年12月16日是伟大的德奥作曲家贝多芬诞辰250周年。华美人文学会特邀著名指挥家、音乐教育家、作家蔡金冬教授和听众一起探讨贝多芬和他的音乐在中国社会的传播和影响。

被誉为音乐之圣的贝多芬，在20世纪初开始由李叔同大师首先介绍进入中国大众的视野，并渐渐影响了中国社会。当贝多芬开始介绍到中国的时候，学者和翻译家们对其译名也无奇不有：“比独芬”、“悲多汶”、“华妥分”、“培陀文”、“贝多忿”、 “白提火分”等等，直到1946年傅雷先生翻译罗曼罗兰的《贝多芬传》出版，终将这位乐圣的中文译名以“贝多芬”确定下来。

贝多芬在逆境中的毅力和他的音乐天才在一个寻求出路的中国引起了共鸣。在其后的一百多年中，贝多芬一直是中国人们生活的一部分，从新人文的启示，到新文化的象征，从半殖民的烙印，到新中国的振兴，从政治之漩涡，到外交之手段，贝多芬的名字被广泛流传并家喻户晓。在纪念贝多芬250年诞辰的今天，可以说从中国各地音乐厅到大剧院，从话剧舞台到展览大厅，贝多芬在中国到处可听可见，真情无界。

蔡教授此次在华美人文学会的《贝多芬在中国》讲座是美中音乐研习院举办的第三届纽约中国当代音乐节的一部分，从12月11日至18日八天时间里，音乐节将通过音乐表演、演说论坛、电影放映等形式，呈现中国社会纪念这位伟大的作曲家的盛况，同时也从多个角度探索古典音乐在中国的发展。第三届纽约中国当代音乐节的详情可见：barduschinamusic.org/china-and-beethoven。