Contemporary romanticism in the Far East

[Gauk]

I am wondering to what extent members of this forum have explored the music of contemporary composers in Japan, China and Taiwan, writing in a romantic style? And what your reactions are?

As a starting point, one could take the Taiwanese composer Tyzen Hsiao (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyzen_Hsiao), born 1938 and still going, though unwell. As an introduction, the violin concerto is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg7YqcCqCOs.

[Alan Howe]

Tyzen Hsaio's VC is certainly lovely - no complaints on that score. But listening to it is rather like eating a whole cheesecake in one go. The start of the finale is a blatant rip-off of the finale of Barber's VC, by the way, although the music soon goes its own way.

Downloads of the composer's hyper-romantic VC, PC and CC are available here:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Taiwan%2BPhilharmonic%252C%2BNational%2BSymphony%2BOrchestra/MD005

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Never tried a whole cheesecake in one go, and somehow don't feel inclined to try. Doubtless a head buried in the sand attitude but, heck, there's more than enough western music to explore in a finite lifetime without venturing to the far east. Sorry Gauk!

[Alan Howe]

Here's a review at MusicWeb:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Jan04/HSIAO.htm
Having now downloaded the VC and PC, I can honestly say that it's all lushly romantic stuff with plenty of tunes and reminiscences of other composers, but not a hint of individuality anywhere. Still, a lovely listen - and of what other works written in 1988 and 1992 can one genuinely say that? 

[Alan Howe]

Just one other general - and very subjective - observation. I often have the impression that music written in a western idiom by far eastern composers is peculiarly static and doesn't really 'go anywhere'. In other words, the 'moment' is frequently very beautiful, but the music seems to meander from one such moment to another. Would this have anything to do with the nature of far eastern indigenous music?

[Gauk]

I can see what you mean, but I'm not at all sure that it is anything cultural, and I think one can find Chinese and Japanese pieces where that was not true. My suspicion is that is connected with the lack of individuality, which is a criticism I agree with in some but not all cases. In the case that a composer is writing in an essentially derivative style, the result is likely to be superficial in content.

Incidentally, I would also draw attention to the series of CDs of Japanese music brought out by Naxos over the last years, which include a variety of styles from Romantic through to various degrees of modernism. One that is more likely to be of interest to people here is Qunihico Hashimoto's 1st Symphony (http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.555881), which includes one of the most obsessive "ear-worm" tunes..

[Alan Howe]

My reaction to Hashimoto 1 is the same as the reviewer at Amazon.com:

<<Seen in historical perspective this symphony is surely an important landmark in Western composition in Japan. But standing on its own, it is hardly to be classed even with second-rate late 19th century products of Europe itself.>>

[Alan Howe]

The first Japanese symphony would appear to be that by Yamada:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yamada-New-Zealand-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B0001AXQHS/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1369413829&sr=1-2&keywords=yamada
It was written in 1912.
Of all the CDs in Naxos' Japanese Classics series, this is the one I would buy first.

[Gauk]

<<Seen in historical perspective this symphony is surely an important landmark in Western composition in Japan. But standing on its own, it is hardly to be classed even with second-rate late 19th century products of Europe itself.>>

That could possibly be read as offensive: "It's great for a Japanese, but rubbish otherwise". (Though I'm sure it was not intended as such).

The first Japanese composer I ever encountered was Moroi, whose first name is variously given as Sabur, Sabura and Saburo. His 2nd symphony, written around the time of the Japanese invasion of China and a reaction to it, is a very strange piece. It sounds more like Bruckner than anyone else, and the first movement is a massive fugue; the music pitches right into the fugue at the opening without any prelude. I know of no other symphony that does that.

Other music by Moroi that I have heard since has been much less distinctive.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I really don't think that was the reviewer's intention. I don't perceive that implication in the sentence.

[Alan Howe]

Agreed, Gareth. It simply means that, for Japanese music, the work has clear significance, but that, seen in the wider context of the tradition as a whole, the work is of much less significance. Hardly controversial. And clearly true, I would have thought.

[thalbergmad]

It does not seem to take much nowadays for someone to take offence.

I speak as someone who was labelled as racist for criticising Lang Lang.

I have now retired from criticising anything. It is safer that way.

Thal

[Gareth Vaughan]

Precisely so, Alan.  Oh, and I'll support you in your criticism of Lang Lang, Thal. And I don't care if I'm labelled a racist. Only a stupid person could think that - and a stupid person's opinion is of no value anyway.

[thalbergmad]

Thanks old chap

[Alan Howe]

The problem far too often these days is that negative criticism is taken as some sort of personal slight. In our therapeutic culture we apparently have to massage people's egos the whole time. The result, of course, is the abandonment of all discernment and the acceptance of mediocrity.