During the May Day holiday just passed, a famous conductor Li Xincao led a joint symphony orchestra composed of outstanding teachers and young performers from 11 concert schools across the country, and joined hands with the master pianist Yin Chengzong to play the piano concerto "Yellow River".

  As a classic carrying national memory, "Yellow River Chorus" and the piano concerto "Yellow River" are not only an exciting epic chapter in the history of Chinese music, but also condense the spiritual totem of the Chinese nation with its artistic power. As a witness to the development of China's symphony, Li Xincao, honorary chief conductor of the China Symphony Orchestra and dean of the China Conservatory of Music, not only took over the baton of inheritance of two classic works, but also witnessed the vitality of these two works across the era.

  Recently, Li Xincao was a guest at the Chinese Symphony Orchestra Art Salon, with the theme of "'Yellow River' Chasing the Waves High" to talk about his origins with these two classic works.

  A wish

  Want to be a reader of "Yellow River Chorus"

  "I may be the one who has played the most roles in "Yellow River Chorus" among Chinese conductors." Li Xincao recalled that in the 1980s, when he was 17 years old, he went to the Yunnan Symphony Orchestra for an internship after graduating from Yunnan Art School and working as a flute player. The first Chinese work he came into contact with was "Yellow River Chorus", and the conductor that time was Mr. Yan Liangkun. At that time, Yan Liangkun came to Kunming to conduct two works "The Yellow River Chorus" and Beethoven's "The Ninth Symphony". "I borrowed Bei Jiu's score from him and spent 80 yuan to copy it. This was a huge sum of money at that time."

  Because he loved music so much, Li Xincao memorized the two works he wanted to perform at that time, especially he was quite obsessed with "The Yellow River Chorus". As a player in the orchestra's flute part, he memorizes the scores as if he is in a slight way. When playing, he can only stare at the conductor instead of looking down at the score. "This work is a very important work in my youth to pursue my musical dream," said Li Xincao.

  It is this sincerity to music that made Yan Liangkun remember this Yunnan boy. Later, after Li Xincao was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music, he met Yan Liangkun again. This famous conductor who had been in charge of "Yellow River Chorus" for more than a thousand shows throughout his life suggested that Li Xincao participate in the chorus and experience the work personally as a choir member. "So, I signed up to participate in the school's choir. After more than a year in the choir, I have helped me very much." Li Xincao said that through the perspective of choir members, he has a deeper understanding of "Yellow River Chorus". The diversity of vocal forms has allowed him to always maintain awe of the structure of the work in his future conductor.

  From a performer to a chorus, to a stage conductor, Li Xincao has participated in "Yellow River Chorus" for more than 100 episodes in the past 30 years. However, his exploration of this work is more than that. He revealed that he still has a wish, which is to become the reader of "The Yellow River Chorus". "I have memorized the lyrics like a stream, but I have a very strong heart when I recite them on the stage with both passion and passion.

  Continuous research

  "Yellow River" has been played for 55 years and is still being polished

  The piano concerto "Yellow River", derived from "Yellow River Chorus", has been very popular since its premiere in 1970, and Li Xincao has also interpreted this work many times. During this May Day this year, Li Xincao held a joint symphony orchestra composed of outstanding teachers and young performers from 11 concert schools across the country, and joined hands with the master pianist Yin Chengzong to play the piano concerto "Yellow River".

  "From rehearsal to performance, I was very moved many times when facing Mr. Yin." Li Xincao has worked with Yin Chengzong for nearly 30 years. "It can be said that Mr. Yin grew up watching me." As one of the main adapters of the piano concerto "Yellow River" and the premiere of this work, Yin Chengzong is full of energy every time he appears on stage, leaving a very deep impression on Li Xincao. "He always takes light steps and holds his head upright." During his latest collaboration, Yin Chengzong staggers onto the stage, his hands trembling a little, but when his fingers touch the piano, the moving melody still reaches people's hearts. "This scene is touching. Although Mr. Yin has been playing "Yellow River" for 55 years, he has been studying music until this recent performance and constantly discussing it with the conductor. This rigorous and continuous exploration of music shocked me."

  On the night of the performance, the 80-year-old pianist performed "October" in Tchaikovsky's "Four Seasons" and "The Red Lantern" excerpts "all with a bright red heart." Li Xincao admired Yin Chengzong's performance up close on the stage, "At that moment, the scene was very quiet. I could hear the sobs of the audience, and my tears couldn't stop me. As a junior, I worked with him for so many years. At that moment, I felt a sense of happiness when I could feel the master's musical cultivation at the closest distance."

  Mission and responsibility

  Tell Chinese stories in world language

  In Li Xincao's command career, the word "inheritance" is as heavy as a tremendous amount. His legendary experience of taking the Central Orchestra at the age of 20 made him deeply aware of the profound meaning of the older generation of musicians to support his younger generations. "Princes such as Li Delun and Yan Liangkun protect the orchestra as an art holy place." After serving as the president of the China Conservatory of Music, Li Xincao has a new footnote: cultivating a new generation of musicians who can interpret classics and have an international perspective.

  Li Xincao has unique thoughts on the conducting art of "Yellow River Chorus". "The biggest challenge of "Yellow River Chorus" is structure." Although this is a household work, it is still very difficult to truly achieve structural perfection. "How should each paragraph be prepared for the arrangement of the beginning, inheritance, turn and end? There is also poetry recitation. The reciters faced by each time are different. Even if you meet the same reciter, the speed and emotions of each time may be different. How to achieve a strict fit? In fact, it is very difficult."

  In the music of "Defending the Yellow River", he realized the profound meaning of Yan Liangkun's "not greedy for pleasure". "I always thought that speed has risen before, and that kind of momentum can come out." In the past, Yan Liangkun always controlled speed in this paragraph, which made Li Xincao very puzzled. It was not until recent years that Li Xincao realized this truth, "Fast is not a pile of passion, but a delicate layout of the structure." This respect for musical logic made him more calm when dealing with this paragraph.

  On the 80th anniversary of the premiere of "Yellow River Chorus" in 2019, Li Xin hastily recorded a record in the Chinese Symphony Orchestra and solidified this national classic with modern audio technology. In October this year, Li Xincao will also cooperate with the National Grand Theater Orchestra and choir to start a new recording plan and continue to write the story of the Yellow River in the digital age.

  This artistic inheritance will also be continued during the 2025 National Jiaotong Choir overseas tour. When the melody of "Yellow River Chorus" sounded in a foreign country, Li Xincao saw not only the dissemination of his works, but also the mission of Chinese symphonymen to "tell Chinese stories in the language of the world."

  Text/Photo provided by reporter Tian Wanting/China Symphony Orchestra

[Editor in charge: Susan]