THE SHANGHAI QUARTET: CONQUER THE WEST WITH WESTERN MUSIC

Among the most active quartet groups in the world, The Shanghai Quartet is no doubt one of the best. They are like diplomats who travel between China and the west, but they do it with music. Western audiences are often amazed by this group of Chinese who has so profound understanding of the Western music, while audiences from their home country learn from them that what it takes to enter the world stage, the extreme preciseness and confidence from the depth of the heart.

Text by Brooke Yan Translation by Bian Jiajin& Yishan Photos by Zeng Jian & Xu Tao

上海四重奏：用西方音乐征服西方

当今活跃在世界舞台的四重奏里，上海四重奏，无疑属于最顶级的组合之一。

他们就像一群游走在东西方之间的音乐外交家。西方观众惊叹于东方人可以对自己文化理解如此深刻，东方观众惊叹于世界舞台的博大而能真正走入其中央的人，原来需要这样精准的步伐与深沉的的自信。

At 8 p.m., Nov 18th, in the middle of the stage at Xinghai Concert Hall, there were nothing more than four music stands, four chairs, and one spotlight.

Among them four gentlemen in tuxedos who stepped towards the chair. They opened the score and signalled with eye contact, the Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6 in F minor started.

The almost empty stage, at all a sudden, was filled with the vigourous melody and precise and elegant performance. Everyone's eyes and ears were attracted by the four people on the stage at a very time. The process took place neat and without redundant move.

The performance was The Shanghai Quartet Chamber Concert that have been put up on stages over 100 times all over the world. The four players have already got used to the process of marvelling audiences who have no idea what will happen with a fabulous, neat, and elegant start. In China where chamber music is still enjoyed by a niche of people, few audiences know that this quartet group with distinct Chinese mark has already been one of the best in the world.

“Once we played Haydn on a cruise ship. An Austrian old lady asked me seriously after she saw our show: 'How could you understand our music so thoroughly?' And another foreign artist said, what you are playing is what I can not draw.” The second violinist Jiang Yiwen says with a smile.

As an easterner, it's not easy to touch the western audience by performing the western music. “We don't have such kind of historical background, or such cultural popularization among the whole people as Meiji Restoration in Japan. When people hear our name, it's not Jewish or Japanese, they don't expect too much from us. In other words, if you just do as well as others, they still don't take a glance. But when you do much better than others, they have to pay attention and show some respect.” Says one of the founders and the first violinist of Shanghai Quartet, Li Weigang. “It's pretty much the same as language speaking. If you can just poorly say hello, it sounds absolutely not authentic enough. When you hear a westerner speaking better Chinese even than yourself, you think it's so impressive.”

“If not exposed to western culture, not able to master the language of music, we actually wouldn't have the right taste for the work, or say, we cannot feel the 'smell' of that person. Playing the violin is basically like communicating with an instrument. But when you can use only one sound, one gentle sound, or use only one level of strength, it's not possible to interpret different works. It's so-called the not-pure.”Says Jiang.During the rehearsal, the members were almost speaking English all the way. But someone who uttered some Chinese was the only American - cello Nicholas Tzavaras.“He is now learning Chinese, for he comes to perform in China very often, and he wants to know more about how the audience think.”says the viola, Li Honggang.

Now they have already experienced how to interpret western culture, and have wider and freer application of quartet. In 2003, Jiang Yiwen recomposed 24 Chinese folk songs and released the album Chinese Folk Songs, and this is till now their best-seller. “At first I tried to recompose for fun just because I missed my hometown so much. I didn't have an intention to spread Chinese culture among the Westerners. But if your work is good, you don't need to force anything and it will be appreciated. Just like the top Chinese art pieces in the auction house, people bid for them no matter how expensive they are.”Says Jiang.

Li Weigang explains,“ I think working on something is not for entering others' world. When you have an impure ambition, you cannot reach what you want. I believe everyone loves good music. We hope strongly that chamber music and quartet can gradually reach a high climax in China. Each has three or four groups, competing with each other. Because it's beautiful. As long as they are well performed, there are great shows and professional organizers, the audience will be cultivated."

2016年11月18日晚8:00，星海音乐厅的舞台中央，四个谱架，四张椅子，聚光灯打在正上方，没有任何多余。

三位东方面孔、一位西方面孔的绅士，身穿燕尾服走到台前，翻开谱子、拉开乐器，简单的眼神示意后，一起分毫不差地拉下《门德尔松：F小调四重奏作品80号》的第一个音。一瞬间，原本略显简单的舞台，立刻光芒四射，充盈着激荡饱满的旋律与精准优雅的演奏。所有人的听觉、视觉都紧紧地被舞台上这四个人吸引。这整个变化过程，不需要任何多余。

每年在全世界演出近100场的上海四重奏，已经非常习惯中国观众的这种变化——从无预期瞬间变为惊艳。在室内音乐还没有被太广泛了解的中国，很少有人知道，眼前这几张中国面孔以及名字中有明显中国标记的四重奏组合，其实已经是世界公认的顶级水平。

“我想这需要一个过程，等他们听过世界上各种优秀的四重奏组合后，就会对我们有一个更公正的评价。”第二提琴手蒋逸文微笑着说，他对此有足够的自信。“有一次我们在一个邮轮上演奏海顿的作品，一个奥地利老太太听完很严肃地问我：‘为什么你们可以对我们的音乐理解得这么透彻，而我们却对你们的文化完全不了解？……