On The Aesthetic Thought Of Music Of The Qing

Qing Zhu is a famous musician who has made great contribution to the music aesthetic theory. He penetrated deeply and systematically into the music aesthetic matter in our country, whose theory involves the essence, the particularity, the social function of the music, and the relationship between the emotional and aesthetic psychological needs and the creation and expression of music. Using the concepts of romantic music aesthetics and expressionism in Europe for reference in the study, Qing Zhu makes lots of exploiting efforts, which serves as a link between past and future in the foundation and development of the Chinese modern music aesthetic system. In his magnum opuses of on the music and a comprehensive view on music, Qing Zhu illustrates systematically his music aesthetic thought, with the idea of 'music is the language of soul' as the core. This paper tries to analyse the essence and significance of Qing Zhu's aesthetic thought through the study of his works.The first part is about Qing Zhu's life and his creation. Qing Zhu takes music creation and theoretical study mainly on the six years when he works in Shanghai National Music Institute. During this period he created lots of music works, publishing the songs collection of realm of music, and wring such works and papers as on the music, a comprehensive view on music, and so on. In these works, he discusses systematically the essence and characteristics, the elements and form, the aesthetical and social function of music, and poses such important ideas as 'music is the language of soul' and 'seek truth from the West'. His particular theoretical angle of sight and bold academic thought draw great attention at that time.The second part is on Qing Zhu's music aesthetical thought. Qing Zhu demonstrates the subject of 'music is the language of soul' from the aspects of the essence, particularity and function of the music. Firstly, he considers that people face with two different pressures from inner and outer environment, and all the music art is made of the sound produced after the inner emotional impulse because of the stimulation from outer environment. Therefore, music is the language of soul. Secondly, Qing Zhu puts emphasis on the particularity of music. He considers that music is not the description of concrete subject, but the most beautiful art to express human's soul and complex emotion. Based on these ideas, Qing Zhu's thought on music's social function focuses on the influence of music on human soul, believing that music has the function of bettering human soul. What's more, Qing Zhu considers that the music sprit and some expressing form is backward compared with the West, so he puts forward the important concept of 'seeking truth from the West', and illustrates this idea from such aspects as the nationality and internationality, national music and the western music, and the way out for Chinese music.The third part is on the significance of Qing Zhu's music aesthetic thought. The author states the theoretical contribution and contemporary significance of Qing Zhu's thought through the relations between Qing Zhu's thought and Chinese ancient music aesthetic thought, the West music aesthetic thought and the Chinese modern music aesthetic thought. Qing Zhu's music aesthetic thought inherits the thoughts of 'music is the activity of heart' in Chinese ancient music aesthetical thought. At the same time, it is against the Chinese traditional thought of considering music as the appurtenant of courtesy and the tool of Daoism, and emphasizes the artistic quality and subjectivity, advancing definitely that music is an independent art. Qing Zhu's music aesthetic thought is deeply influenced by the European romanticism and expressionism, and such theories as 'expressing emotion' of the romantic school and 'art is the soul's cry' of the expressionism school serve as the theoretical sources for Qing Zhu's theory of 'music is the language of soul'. Furthermore, Qing Zhu combines the essence of music and the state of Chinese music with the western music theory, illustrating his own ideas, instead of copying some music theory of a certain western musician. Qing Zhu points out clearly that the reason for the backward Chinese music is not method and skill but soul. Standing on the whole humanity, Qing Zhu expounds the relationship between nationality and internationality of music, and insists on getting rid off the narrow national concept and learning boldly the advanced thought from the West. As the first to introduce the expressionism aesthetic thought in the West into China, Qing Zhu plays an active role in the development of Chinese music.