Chris Weait is co-principal bassoonist of the Toronto Symphony (Canada) and a former Vice-President of the IDRS. Editor.
Between January 28 and February 9, 1978, the Toronto Symphony performed seven concerts in Peking, Shanghai and Canton in the People's Republic of China. The visit by the Canadian orchestra was in exchange for the 1977 tour of Canada by the Shanghai Dance Company. The double reed section of the Toronto Symphony includes oboists Jonathan Dlouhy, Frank Morphy, and Harry Sargous; English hornist Stanley Wood; bassoonists Mitchell Clarke, Nicholas Kilburn, and Christopher Weait; and contrabassoonist M. Bruce Bower.
The Chinese love music, and indeed anything presented upon a stage. Inexpensive musical instruments and accessories are available for purchase in department and music stores. Young people were observed with flutes, guitars and drums on the street, perhaps off to a rehearsal or song fest nearby. Many factories have "spare-time orchestras" made up of both traditional and Western instruments. The orchestras of this type which we heard were very good.
Chinese audiences are different! Their applause is short sometimes only long enough to get the conductor off stage in between compositions. There is a good deal of quiet chatter going on during the performance. In spite of this audiences listen with rapt attention. At the end of a concert, and after soloists perform, applause is prolonged and enthusiastic. Chinese performers return the compliment by applauding the audience in turn. The Toronto Symphony picked up this habit and found it most fitting as a gesture of appreciation.
The Chinese have a special place in their hearts for the flute. Outstanding flute virtuosi performed for us in each city upon the simple transverse flute (titse) with six tone holes. Three additional holes are drilled in the instrument, two at the foot for a tassle, and one between the embouchure and the first tone hole for a covering of rice paper. The thin covering is stuck on top of the hole prior to performing and produces a reedy tone in sympathy with the flute sound. The result, combined with excellent pitch control, a very wide dynamic range and broad variety of articulation produces a stunning artistic impression.
In modern China trained young adults are assigned by the government to whatever position best serves the state. Much encouragement is given, therefore, to young people settling in outlying areas in order to assist in development of rural, industrial and resource production. How this policy applies to young musicians is not clear. It was obvious, however, that the government places heavy emphasis on the entertainment of the masses. Performances of all kinds seem to be in front of audiences continually. There is an effort to provide both traditional Chinese and Western style instrumental ensembles in the larger centres, with some musicians trained in both traditional as well as Western instruments. Chou Chen, a bassoonist in the Shanghai Dance Company, also plays the Chinese violin--the erhu.
Prior to 1960 the training of some of the Chinese musicians had taken place in Eastern Europe or Russia, and others were trained in China by teachers from Eastern Europe or Russia. Toronto Symphony members who spoke German, Hungarian and Russian were able to converse directly with these musicians who often spoke these languages fluently. Problems of Chinese/English translation were more those of translating technical musical terms and names for instrument parts. Reversion to Italian terms was helpful, but often confused our Canadian and Chinese interpreters.
In Shanghai we attended a performance of "The Red Dagger Society" a recently revived dance-drama which had been banned during preceding years. The forty-five piece traditional orchestra had remarkable similarities to the sound of a Western orchestra. A large body of bowed strings (erhu, cellos and basses), flutes, sustained woodwind sounds from mouth organs, varied and sensitive percussion and loud "brass" in the sounds of the Chinese oboes (sona) were in the spectrum. Perhaps the only real difference was the inclusion of a section of plucked strings, comprised of the adaptable pipa -- sounding like a mixture of lute, mandolin and banjo, only much more versatile than those instruments. The company producing this performance was one of thirteen performing troupes in Shanghai, now one of the world's largest cities, if not the largest.
In Canton a new orchestra is being formed, A young graduate of the Peking conservatory introduced himself as a member of the orchestra. He had studied with some of the musicians we had met in Peking. In addition to the new concert orchestra, the Kwangshow (Canton) Philharmonic, there is a Folk Dance and Song Ensemble which performs on traditional instruments.
There are four orchestras in Peking including the Peking Opera orchestra and the orchestra of the Central Philharmonic Ensemble. The latter organization appears to be an umbrella management which provides various musical groups for performances in the Peking area. The 200 members of the ensemble include, in addition to an orchestra of about 80 members: a choir, vocal soloists, chamber ensembles and two conductors each for the choir and orchestra. This number may also include support staff, such as: copyists, stage hands, piano tuners, instrument technicians and bus and truck drivers.
The orchestra of the Central Philharmonic Ensemble performs concerts, makes recordings for broadcast and soundtracks for films, tours China performing at factories and communes and has toured Eastern Europe. It rehearses five days a week for three hours per rehearsal and presents about 200 concerts per year. The instrumentation of the orchestra is the same as that of a Western symphony orchestra with the exception of the occasional inclusion of a solo Chinese flute or Chinese violin.
The Peking and Toronto orchestras participated in an "exchange concert" one morning. The Central Philharmonic performed Chinese works written for Western orchestra, the first movement of Beethoven's Eroica symphony (from their own hand-copied parts) under the direction of our conductor Andrew Davis, and solo pieces on the erhu, pipa, titse, and piano. Mr. Li, one of the Peking conductors, led the Toronto Symphony in the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth symphony. An appreciative audience of students, diplomats, musician's families and hotel staff attended the session.
The sound of the orchestra of the Central Philharmonic Ensemble is refined, well-schooled and precise, particularly in the string section. The woodwinds create a tone reminiscent of a good East European orchestra. The brass players are practically inaudible! (Some T. S. players were heard trying to arrange a swap of brass players!) The Chinese players admitted to desiring better-toned instruments in all sections of the orchestra. The members of the orchestra appear to be all of the same age and most had been in the orchestra since its founding in 1956.
After the performances all musicians were able to gather with their counterparts. From every corner of the auditorium building, in hallways, lobbies, dressing rooms and stage came the sounds of musical shop talk. Violinists played for one another, percussion sticks were tested, flute trios with two on a part were heard, bassoon quartets performed, and oboe reeds squawked! It was the most warmly remembered of our contacts with the Chinese people.
There are about 100 male and female bassoonists in Peking. Twenty play in the army ensembles. There are four oboists and five bassoonists in the orchestra of the Central Philharmonic Ensemble. The contrabassoonist specializes in reed-making and appeared to be an instrument technician as well. The first oboist was playing on a clear lucite oboe made by Moennig in 1947. He studied in China with an East German teacher. There was also a Mirafone oboe, but none of the double reed players in the orchestra seemed to be playing on Chinese-made instruments. In Canton, Harry Sargous, principal oboist of the Toronto Symphony, saw a Chinese oboe called the "Lark".
On the evening of our very first day in China we were invited to an official welcoming banquet. Steeling ourselves for a dull time of speeches and protocol we were very surprised by an exchange of questions and answers. Amongst the welcoming committee were two bassoonists from Peking orchestras. Assisting our discussions were two ladies from Radio Peking, Chou Hung and her assistant Tong Ping. Both spoke English very well and are responsible for music broadcasts in English. Chou Hung is married to a broadcaster who specializes in Swahili.
Liu Chi, age 41, is principal bassoonist of the Central Philharmonic Ensemble and teaches at the Peking Conservatory. He has three bassoons, one each from East Germany, Czechoslovakia and China. With the cooperation of workers in an instrument factory he has helped to design a Chinese made bassoon.
Liu Chi's early music study was on the violin and piano. At age 12 he began bassoon lessons. He studied bassoon with Liu Kuang Ya, who was also ambassador to Cyprus and Second Secretary of the Chinese Embassy in Paris. Liu Chi also composes and conducts. Liu Chi's son, Liu Chang, is a bassoonist in an army ensemble in Peking.
The other gentleman we met was Szu Gwang Han, a bassoonist with the Peking Opera orchestra. He is a respected reed-maker and has researched the growth and development of native bamboo cane for reedmaking in cooperation with the Institute of Botany in Nanking. He stated that Chinese double reed players used French cane in the 1950's. Gradually, because of import difficulties and cost, they began to use cane grown in the Nanking-Shanghai area. He discovered that the biggest competitors for good reed-making cane were the manufacturers of food steamers such as those needed for the delicacies of dim sum. He has learned to evaluate cane by appearance and texture and has been able to determine the best soils for production of good reed cane. These soils he called mak kang and huang bai. Sandy soil produces cane large enough, but not dense enough for bassoon. The best bassoon cane comes from the lowest part of the stalk. Bamboo is known as luchu in Peking. Toronto Symphony members were delighted to be given some Chinese cane to try out, with results from "too green" to "good".
Only German system bassoons are played in China according to Liu Chi. Prior to 1949 there were French system bassoons in the country but they are no longer used. The Shing Hai bassoon, made in China, is a copy of an East European, German-system bassoon. The keys were finished in what looked like German silver and the wood had a bright red stain finish. I was unable to try the instrument because it was shown to me during a formal question and answer meeting between Peking and Toronto musicians. One remarkable feature was the tunable bocal. A screw-operated telescoping section about two inches (5 cm) from the bocal tip allows the player to shorten or lengthen the bocal to accommodate pitch level changes. These bocals were not available for sale and seem to have been made especially for the Peking musicians. There are five bassoon factories in China. They do not produce a contrabassoon, nor do the oboe factories produce an English horn.
I was very surprised to learn that bassoon pupils receive instruction using methods and studies similar to those in use in Europe and North America including the Weissenborn Method, Milde studies and the concertos of Mozart and von Weber.
The overall impression of our short visit is one of admiration and awe. The "team spirit" which pervades all activities in China leads to remarkable events. Imagine our astonishment on observing the conductor, Mr. Li, helping to move the piano on stage during the Toronto Symphony concert! My personal impression is of a self-reliant people who value strong family ties, of a keen and conscientious people anxious to show the best of their world to their guests.
Central Philharmonic Ensemble of Peking:
Peking Opera:
Shanghai Dance Company:
Canton Song and Dance Company:
Canton Philharmonic: