# Just when you think you know it all...



## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

This link was sent to me:






Two baroque composers living in China: One a missionary living in China and the other a Chinese baroque composer who wrote Chinese music on Western instruments. And I thought all that Mexican baroque music was the outlier.

Mind blown.


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

I've heard of the Hixon boys from Tennessee who did Baroque banjo pieces.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Here's a little more information:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/teodorico-pedrini-baroque-concert-at-the-forbidden-city


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

Woodduck said:


> Here's a little more information:
> 
> https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/teodorico-pedrini-baroque-concert-at-the-forbidden-city


You know, the thing that I walk away with (which isn't true but still) is that in the 17th and 18th century everybody, down to the scullery maid and butler, could compose a symphony or maybe a trio sonata in their bored moments. I'm just so often blown away by the high quality music of even the most lackadaisical amateur. Not saying that Pedrini was one of them, but still. Why am I not composing string quartets in my spare time? As a way to relax? Maybe with a glass of red wine?


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## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

Probably for the same reason even good contemporary poets can’t write good rhyming couplets, and it’s quite rare to come across competent amateur string musicians: the culture has changed. Being taught rudiments of music theory and composition used to be much more common.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Its not so surprising since throughout its history China has on the whole welcomed cultural exchange from different countries and continents. The Song Dynasty had its own version of the European Enlightenment that predated it by some three or four hundred years. It only began to go awry when the West began to bully China into trade deals which it refused, subsequently you had the importation of opium by the British and two subsequent wars that resulted in China being forced to accept compromises such as eighty concession ports for the Western powers. The Westerners also built their own closed off city near the Forbidden City in Beijing to show who's boss.

They also acted like barbarians (similar to ISIL today) with the destruction of monuments such as the Summer Palace in Beijing. Only the ruins remain today:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Summer_Palace

Thereafter, particularly with China being on the side of the allies in both world wars and getting a raw deal with the West favouring the Japanese (who where on the wrong side, but for geopolitical reasons this was ignored) China under Mao largely turned its back on Western culture, classical music in particular. That after all this today China is reviving the music of this hitherto forgotten Western composer is no small miracle.


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