What are the factors that affect the attitude of Chinese young people Essay

What are the factors that affect the attitude of Chinese young people towards classical music - Essay Example This historical period was difficult for national culture, as there were many coup detat, rebellions, national liberation movements and communist revolution. The authors demonstrate positive impact of Western classical music within instable socio-political context. Shanghai National Orchestra became the first large center of classical music, as Shanghai was an administrative center of British Empire in China. This example proves that western instruments and musical preferences can easily merge with Chinese classical music and theatre. Success of pianist Mario Pad and Chinese musician Tan Shuzen showed that the above music had a large target audience in 1910 – 1930th in China. Thus, it became an integral part of Chinese culture, education and music, as China was under continuous influence of Europe countries. In the book â€Å"Flying Dragons, Flowing Streams† Ronald Riddle draws a parallel with integration of Western music in life of Chinese Americans. Chinatown became the place of mixture of two different cultures and a gradual assimilation started. Western popular and classical music had been coexisting with Chinese classics in 1930th – 1950th. â€Å"In the late 1970s both Western classical music and arrangements of Chinese melodies were rehearsed and performed by the Chinese American Youth Orchestra, conducted by Timothy Chan and sponsored by the Chinese Cultural Foundation.† (Riddle 1983, p. 208). The orchestra consisted of young Chinese Americans and successfully performed throughout the USA. Thus, Chinese Americans incline to Western pop and classical music, but try to remain their national culture in the new motherland. Melvin and Cai regard the period of the Hundred Flowers Movement (1957) and the Cultural Revolution as decadence of Western classical music in China. Impact of foreign music was pernicious for Chinese youth, that’s why all educational institutions, orchestras and schools related to Western classical music were destroyed and