# New user: Chinese classical music?



## Jason Hu (Jun 13, 2016)

Hi everyone, I'm from China and love classical musics. I'm still exploring world of classical music, and my favorite composer is Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. As a new user, I wonder whether we can discuss classical music all over the world, such as some classic ones in China's history, or the forum is mainly focused on Western classic musics.
Thank you, and nice to meet you guys!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Jason Hu said:


> Hi everyone, I'm from China and love classical musics. I'm still exploring world of classical music, and my favorite composer is Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. As a new user, I wonder whether we can discuss classical music all over the world, such as some classic ones in China's history, or the forum is mainly focused on Western classic musics.
> Thank you, and nice to meet you guys!


Warm welcome Jason, we have a lot of discussions going on, not so many Chinese though I am afraid, not so many members from your neck of the woods.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

We've had a few discussions about Indian Classical music, but mostly the discussion here focuses on Western Classical music, because it's the tradition we're all familiar with here.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Jason Hu said:


> I wonder whether we can discuss classical music all over the world


Well certainly we can discuss it since we can discuss about non-classical music as well...


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

Welcome Jason

Do you know what I might expect of this? I'm tempted.
https://www.eno.org/whats-on/thunderstorm/


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## Jason Hu (Jun 13, 2016)

Dim7 said:


> Well certainly we can discuss it since we can discuss about non-classical music as well...


Wow, your head portrait is amazing! What's its origin?


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Jason Hu said:


> Wow, your head portrait is amazing! What's its origin?


I'm pretty sure it's from the medieval times, but I couldn't find any specifics about with quick googling. They had a surprising amount of weird and silly paintings back then.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Dim7 said:


> I'm pretty sure it's from the medieval times, but I couldn't find any specifics about with quick googling. They had a surprising amount of weird and silly paintings back then.


Portrait...all I see is a woman on the back site with curtains.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Jason Hu said:


> Hi everyone, I'm from China and love classical musics. I'm still exploring world of classical music, and my favorite composer is Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. As a new user, I wonder whether we can discuss classical music all over the world, *such as some classic ones in China's history*, or the forum is mainly focused on Western classic musics.
> Thank you, and nice to meet you guys!


Tan Dun's Symphony of 1997 is well worth hearing (and discussing), as it commemorates Hong Kong's freedom & ascension from British rule. Marco Polo (label) had released some valuable recordings of Chinese composers over the years.

But yes, that said, Asian composing art outside India is rarely discussed (discussing performing art in Asia, or by Asians, however, is quite a different story).


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

I have to say that the term "classical music" does not mean "ancient music", although the Chinese translation of the word "classical" implies something "ancient and selected". Strictly speaking, classical music refers to works that were made with serious/academic Western compositional techniques, and had some influence/significance on the history of Western music. Normally the term is not largely defined by and restricted to the time and period during which a piece was made.
In fact, there are some Chinese composers who compose "classical music", including Xilin Wang, Qigang Chen and Jianer Zhu. I think their music fits with the discussion here.
However, ancient or traditional Chinese music is totally another story which has nothing to do with "classical music". The same to ancient music from other nations.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Jason Hu said:


> Hi everyone, I'm from China and love classical musics. I'm still exploring world of classical music, and my favorite composer is Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. As a new user, I wonder whether we can discuss classical music all over the world, such as some classic ones in China's history, or the forum is mainly focused on Western classic musics.
> Thank you, and nice to meet you guys!





Dim7 said:


> Well certainly we can discuss it since we can discuss about non-classical music as well...


Even if the consensus is that ancient classical Chinese music is not what is understood on this forum by the term 'classical music', I for one would love to learn more about Chinese music of this type.

As Dim7 suggests, the 'non-classical music' box would do at a pinch - unless the mods decide that discussion of classical music from the Eastern tradition is okay in 'the main forum'?

If the 'non-classical music' forum was renamed 'Other Music', it would at least stall any linguistic argy-bargy - just a suggestion.

In any case, welcome to Talk Classical, Jason, and I look forward to reading your posts. :tiphat:


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Bruckner Anton said:


> I have to say that the term "classical music" does not mean "ancient music", although the Chinese translation of the word "classical" implies something "ancient and selected". Strictly speaking, classical music refers to works that were made with serious/academic Western compositional techniques, and had some influence/significance on the history of Western music. Normally the term is not largely defined by and restricted to the time and period during which a piece was made.
> In fact, there are some Chinese composers who compose "classical music", including Xilin Wang, Qigang Chen and Jianer Zhu. I think their music fits with the discussion here.
> However, ancient or traditional Chinese music is totally another story which has nothing to do with "classical music". The same to ancient music from other nations.


The term classical music is often applied by analogy to the written traditions of non-European countries, as the main thing that distinguished the Western classical tradition was that it was a written tradition, unlike folk traditions.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

I have a small collection of Chinese classical/ancient music but presently I am more acquainted with Japanese, Persian, Indian and Indonesian music (ie: Gamelan).


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