The Influence of Soviet Musicians on Education at the Shanghai Conservatory

Zhiyuan Guan' Graduate student, Lomonosov Moscow State University 141134, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Moscow str., 1, of. Raduzhnaya ts2005@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

Three Chinese cities – Harbin, Shanghai and Tianjin – were the first to have higher educational musical institutions. In many ways, the merit of the rise of musical education belonged to the Russian emigration. Various cultural figures who left their native country marked the beginning of professional music education in China.

The problem of the activity and influence of Russian musicians in China is relevant in view of the strengthening of intercultural communication between the countries. More and more students from China are seeking to receive musical education in Russian universities, which is appreciated all over the world. The beginning of this tradition was laid in the twentieth century, when Russian emigrated musicians began to teach Chinese students.

Many works by Russian and Chinese authors consider the problem of the formation of musical art in China. Among them are articles, dissertation research and monographs [1 – 15]. As for the activities and influence of Soviet specialists in Shanghai, this issue requires a deeper and broader consideration.

In this article we will focus on the activities of Soviet musicians who continued the work of Russian white emigrants, who began at the beginning of the twentieth century and formed a new layer of professional musical education in China.

Shanghai was the second city to have its own Conservatory after Harbin. The key event of the first half of the twentieth century in Chinese music education was the opening of the first Chinese National Conservatory in Shanghai in 1927 (at first the institution was called the "State Music College"), whose tasks, among others, included "importing world music, ordering national music" ^{[1, p. 138]}. The formation of professional music education continued here from the beginning of the 20-30s of the twentieth century, the beginnings of which were laid in Harbin. The Conservatory marked the beginning of professional music education in Shanghai, as well as throughout China.

The Conservatory in Shanghai was based on the system of education and teaching of European conservatories (in particular, Russia, France and Germany). Students studied at four faculties: piano, vocal, violin and composition. Later, other faculties were added (brass, choral, etc.). Researcher Li Yue notes: "Summarizing the work of European and American music colleges, the Western credit system and the system of technical modernization were combined here, and both Western and traditional Chinese music were reflected in the curriculum" ^{[2, p. 227]}.

The Shanghai Conservatory not only taught music, but also conducted scientific and publishing activities, and held numerous educational concerts. Within the walls of the Conservatory, the magazine "Sound" and "The Art of Music" began to be published ^{[2, p. 227]}. Thanks to the publishing activities of various bureaus and publishing houses in Shanghai^[1], a considerable number of works translated into Chinese by Soviet authors, musicologists and performers on teaching methods, music history and other related subjects were published. Among other books, we note the publication of the works of I. V. Pogodin^[2] – "Musical Form" (1947), "Elementary Theory of Music" (1951), "Practical Course of Harmony" (1934); "brief musical dictionary" by A. N. Dolzhansky, "Fundamentals of Orchestration" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, "Fundamentals of violin fingering" by I. M. Yampolsky, "Aesthetic problems of Soviet music" by Yu. A. Kremlev, etc. The publications of Soviet authors satisfied the need and shortage of educational materials for professional music education in China and laid a solid foundation for the future of Chinese musical culture.

Xiao Yumei^[3], a composer, teacher, musician (violinist), was at the origins of musical education in Harbin. Since 1929, he served as rector of the Shanghai Conservatory, and also taught subjects such as composition, harmony, music history and orchestration ^{[3, p. 125]}.

Despite the fact that the Conservatory was largely oriented towards Western models, there was a national grain in it, and Chinese culture developed along with European culture. Thus, each student had to master a national musical instrument, and the works of Chinese composers were included in the curriculum ^{[4, p. 12]}. The development of the national Chinese tradition was facilitated by classes in literature, poetry and the history of Chinese music. In addition, students could attend classes in pedagogy, teaching methods, psychology, etc.

Many visiting musicians worked within the walls of the Shanghai Conservatory, developing Chinese musical art. The composition of the conservatory's students was multinational, and the training was conducted in three languages: Chinese, English and Russian. In the 1930s, the teaching staff of the Conservatory was dominated by Russian teachers-emigrants. They were musicologists, pianists, vocalists, teachers of string and wind instruments ^{[5, pp. 11-13]}. Some of them became the founders of entire trends and music schools, among them – A.N. Cherepnin, B.S. Zakharov, E. Levitina, V.G. Shushlin, A.N. Pechenyuk, S.S. Aksakov, Z.A. Pribytkova, I.P. Shevtsov, E.G. Gravitskaya, E.I. Selivanova, B.M. Lazarev, V.V. Sarychev, V.A. Chernetskaya, S.I. Shvaykovsky, A.S. Spiridonov and others ^{[6, p. 34]}. It is noteworthy that since 1935 the Conservatory has completely switched to the Russian teaching program ^{[7, pp. 137-138]}. Along with a large number of foreign teachers, the number of Chinese teachers gradually grew. These were musicians who were educated abroad.

In 1949, the proclamation of the People's Republic of China took place. The authorities paid special attention to the musical education of citizens. Departments of folk singing and performing on folk instruments have appeared in all music educational institutions.

After the revolution of 1949, Russian-Chinese relations have significantly strengthened. Cooperation with the USSR became more intense, so many Soviet musicians traveled to China. They taught Chinese students, who then continued their studies at the best universities of the USSR.

On March 27, 1950, China and the Soviet Union signed the Sino-Soviet agreement on the working conditions of Soviet specialists in China, and from that moment the term "Soviet musical specialists" entered the history of music. Students from various professional music institutions in China came from all over the country to gain valuable knowledge and skills from Soviet musicians. In turn, teachers from the USSR shared their experience, gave important recommendations in the field of performing culture, contributed to the improvement of the teaching and education system, the creation of departments, the development of curricula, plans and methodological manuals.

An important role was played at that time by outstanding Soviet piano teachers: D. Serov, A. Tatulyan, K. Dmitrevskaya, T. Kravchenko, B. Zakharov and many others. The teachers of their USSR brought up musicians who continued the formation of professional music education in China, so their role can be safely called "defining" ^{[8, p. 23]}. B. Zakharov trained such outstanding musicians as Ding Shande, Li Xiangming, Wu Lei, T. Kravchenko's students were Yin Chenzuna, Liu Shikun, Gu Shening.

Among the violinists we note S. Mikityansky, I. Beridze, P.N. Makarenko, the cello school was represented by V. Chervova and others. Among the vocal teachers were P. Medvedev, N. Delicieva; conductors - V. Balashov and S. Deliciev; teachers of musical and theoretical disciplines – B. Arapov, F. Arzamanov, L. Gurov, K. Dmitrievskaya, A. Kandinsky, A.G. Begidzhanov ^{[1, pp. 274-275]}.

As a result of the work of Soviet specialists, new departments appeared at the Shanghai Conservatory: conducting, musicology, folk instruments, as well as new specialties: choral conducting, percussion instruments and music management.

Specialists from the Soviet Union helped young teachers of various educational institutions (including schools and colleges) to improve their professional skills, and also produced young talented musicians who became laureates of international competitions, taking prizes at music competitions.

Soviet pianists formed the Russian piano school in China, which was distinguished by special figurative, artistic, and technical features. Thus, Chinese students noted a special "Soviet weight game" (Zhou Guangren) ^{[9, p. 49]}, "powerful game" (Huang Ping) ^{[9, p. 56]}, "magnificent, rich sound with broad phrasing" and "strong emotions" (Lang Lang) ^{[10, c. 159, 257]}. This unique power inherent in the Russian performing style of playing left its mark on the style of the Chinese performing school – both piano and instrumental in general.

Among the pianists who worked at the Shanghai Conservatory, we will single out D. M. Serov (worked from 1954 to 1956). He organized his classes with students according to the principle "from simple to false". The most important thing he considered the development of musicality in his students, so even technical exercises were performed with constant auditory control and a desire for artistic expression. Serov sought to teach pianists to automatism in the game so that they could focus on the artistic side. Deep immersion in the image, the teacher believed, makes it more expressive. Rejecting the mechanistic path and the exercises of Ganon, Serov called for the development of imagination and creativity in the student. Exercises for training finger and other small techniques required beautiful sound and meaningful play. Serov adhered to the principles that were inherent in all Soviet teachers: technology and music were inseparable.

In addition to teaching, Serov conducted methodological work at the Piano Department at the Shanghai Conservatory. He gave recommendations on the organization of teaching, curriculum, choice of teaching materials, teaching methods and other details of teaching, helping the Piano Department to develop and improve its teaching program and curriculum. Serov was one of the initiators of the organization of chamber ensemble classes for pianists and students of other departments (string and wind). He also suggested creating classes for teaching folk instruments and expressed the opinion that it is necessary to create similar classes in elementary schools in order to train personnel for folk orchestras.

K.N. Dmitrevskaya, an associate professor at the Leningrad Conservatory and a specialist in the theory of Soviet music, worked as an adviser at the Shanghai Music Conservatory from March 1956 to June 1956 under a planned two-year contract, which was later changed to a four-month one. Despite a rather short period of time, Dmitrievskaya had a great influence on the educational and pedagogical process of the Shanghai Conservatory. She worked with curricula on music theory and history, performing arts, teaching methods, and solfeggio. In addition, Dmitrievskaya taught solfeggio teaching methods to students of the Shanghai Conservatory, took part in the organization of the student scientific society, made presentations to teachers and professors of the Conservatory.

An important role in the field of symphonic conducting was played by S. G. Delitsiev, Chief conductor of the Stanislavsky Opera Studio at the Bolshoi Theater (Moscow) and conductor of the All–Union Radio Committee. He worked at the Shanghai Conservatory from October 1956 to June 1958. Deliciev was active in teaching and concert activities, worked at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra as a conductor, teacher and artistic director. He was accompanied by his wife N. N. Delitsieva, who was the artistic director of the Vocal Chamber Music Department and the Shanghai Choir.

Delitsiev made articles in the press, wrote about his work in Shanghai, and was also a member of the music section of the Union of Friendship Societies and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. His special merit was the creation of opera classes and a conducting department by analogy with the Moscow Conservatory, as well as improving the standards of teaching conducting teachers and helping to prepare the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra.

Working with Chinese students, Deliciev adhered to the Soviet teaching methods. Different students received different programs that corresponded to the course, mainly classical works by Russian and European composers. A stylistic analysis, acquaintance with the composer, his work and biography, and the history of the creation of the work were previously carried out. Then the work was carried out with the conductor's requirements and the elaboration of the conductor's gestures.

Deliciev helped in the organizational work of the orchestra, playing the role of artistic director: he compiled concert and training programs, planned rehearsals. The result of Deliciev's work was the well-established work of the conductor's department and the opera class.

His wife N. N. Delitsieva, a graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, was a pianist and singer, taught a chamber singing class at the RAM. The Gnessins. Together with her husband, Delicieva helped create an opera class in the vocal department at the Shanghai Conservatory, led an opera class and a chamber singing class. She worked with Chinese students on the repertoire, interpretation, analysis of the content of music, introduced them to the system of K. S. Stanislavsky.

Soviet musicologist F. G. Arzamanov worked in the field of music theory at the Shanghai Conservatory (from December 1956 to June 1958). He taught courses in polyphony and analysis for Chinese students, teaching them Soviet methods and techniques. In the lessons on polyphony, Arzamanov's students wrote fugues in the Chinese national style, and on the subject of "analysis of forms" they studied not only the structure, but also the content of the work, using Chinese compositions for analysis. Thus, Arzamanov, along with teaching, made a great contribution to the theoretical understanding of the form and content of Chinese works, as well as to the teaching of the theory of Chinese music.

I. G. Beridze, a Soviet violinist and teacher, worked at the Department of Violin Art at the Shanghai Conservatory. He worked from September 1959 to September 1961, teaching eight students, including Zheng Shisheng and Yu Lin, who became famous violinists. Under the guidance of Beridze, work was carried out on teaching methods and performing arts. In addition to classes with students, Beridze made presentations, conducted consultations, worked on educational and research activities, led a string quartet.

At the methodological level, Soviet teachers faced various difficulties. For example, piano students were more easily able to master technical playing skills and theoretical knowledge, but the interpretation of European and Russian works was much more difficult for them. The Chinese performers were alien to a new, unusual emotional world.

Another reason was that in many schools in Shanghai, as well as Beijing and Harbin, the emphasis was on mastering the technical, rather than the content side of the works. Pianists learned sketches and exercises by Czerny, Beyer (in Shanghai, Mario Paci had this teaching principle ^{[11, p. 24]}.

It should be noted that this problem has also been preserved in modern performing arts, when a lot of time is devoted to the development of technical skills, while the content and meaning of the work sometimes remains behind the scenes. This leads to the fact that the musicians performing the work play very virtuosically, loudly, quickly, smartly, but do not understand the music, do not feel its style, do not know anything about the composer and the era… This is confirmed by the words of famous musicians. According to Xu Bo, European piano pedagogy in China "up to the present day is a reference point for the strength of the hands, the technical equipment of the fluency of the fingers" ^{[11, p. 25]}.

The Russian performing school contained a harmonious balance of musical and technical tasks, which subsequently influenced Chinese pedagogy ^{[12, p. 107]}.

As a result of the deterioration of the political situation and the cooling of relations between the PRC and the USSR, the musicians' cooperation ceased in the early 60s. Therefore, the most fruitful period of the work of Soviet musicians can be considered the 40-60s of the twentieth century. As a result of the activities of Soviet specialists in various fields – piano, vocal, violin, conducting, theoretical subjects – the level of professional skills of students and teachers at the Shanghai Conservatory has increased, new curricula and plans have appeared that meet international standards. Students, improving their skills and expanding their horizons, had the opportunity to win various international competitions and compete with their European colleagues.

The Shanghai Conservatory, along with the Central One, has become the undisputed leader in the field of professional music education in China. The strong teaching staff of the Shanghai Conservatory attracted talented students from all over the country. An important role in this was played by specialists from the USSR, who made a significant contribution to the musical education of China. This influence on the musical career of China was more extensive and systematic than the influence of foreign musicians from other countries.

^[1] Vanye Bookstore, Pravda Bookstore, Publishing House of New Literature and Art, Chinese Youth Publishing House, Shanghai Publishing House of Literature and Art, etc.

^[2] Igor Vladimirovich Sposoobin (1900-1954) was a Soviet musicologist, music theorist and teacher. Candidate of Art History, Professor of the Moscow Conservatory. Author of popular textbooks on elementary theory of music, harmony, musical form.

^[3] Xiao Yumei (, 1884-1940) was a musician, a native of Guangdong Province in southern China. He studied in Japan and Germany, mastered composition theory and pedagogy there.