Wang Guangqi and Feng Zikai: Two Ways of Appreciating European Art Music in China

Abstract

This paper focuses on two musical textbooks written by Wang Guangqi 王光祈 (An Outline of the History of Western Music, 1930) and Feng Zikai 丰子恺 (Introduction to Music, 1926). During the 1930s in China, these publications emerged as the dominant genres of literature explaining Western art music: music history and music theory textbooks. The paper examines the influence of German comparative musicology on these notable works. By conducting a comparative analysis of these publications in the context of the themes and values of comparative musicology, the paper seeks to investigate how these influential texts reflect the state of Chinese music culture during the transformative period that followed the May Fourth Movement. The conclusion will summarize the reception of these two influential textbooks at the time of their publication and evaluate their significance in contemporary China.