▲"Zheng Deren's 100th Birthday Concert" was held in the Performing Arts Hall of Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Concert Hall
Accompanied by the jazz music of "Happy Birthday", Mr. Zheng Deren, the "elder" of the Chinese double bass education undertaking wearing a red scarf and the first Chinese player in the shanghai symphony orchestra's double bass department, cut open his birthday cake. Today, the "100th Birthday Concert" for Zheng Lao was held in the Performing Arts Hall of Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Concert Hall. The conductor Cao Peng, who is in his 90s, the composer Ak Jian, who is nearly ninety years old, and Zheng Deren's students in Shanghai also came — including the first student Zheng Lao taught after the founding of New China, Hong Youlong, the 92-year-old former shanghai opera house double bass chief, who is also Zheng Lao's oldest student.
From the "Torch Festival" and "Good Scenery of Jiangnan", which are full of Chinese national customs, to the lazy jazz music "Trumpet Blues", "Night Shanghai" and "Night Fragrance", these songs composed or adapted by Zheng Lao played in the concert. "Mr. Zheng Deren is one of the cross-border predecessors in the music industry that I respect the most." As Wang Yong, vice chairman of the Shanghai Music Association, said, in terms of classical music, Zheng Lao is the grandmaster of the double bass generation, the founding school, and has made great contributions to the Chinese double bass; in popular music, he is also a jazz master, an interpreter, witness and creator of Hai school music culture.
Today, the centenarian needs three daughters to lie down in his ear to relay the reporter's questions in an interview, and Elder Zheng said, "My life is now stable and stable." "Dad is old after all. When I talk to him on the phone, he may not understand, but he can talk to me about the epidemic in the United States for an hour. He watches programs such as "Cross-Straits" every day and is very concerned about current affairs. Zheng Deren's eldest daughter, Zheng Xuemei, said, "Dad is particularly upright, God gave him a long life, he knows that the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has held such a concert for him, and he must be very happy in his heart."
He bore fruit in the field of double bass education in China
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra was the first professional orchestra to train Chinese classical music performers, and as early as 1938, the orchestra welcomed the first four Chinese players. As the first Chinese player in the shanghai symphony orchestra's double bass department, Zheng Deren joined the orchestra in 1946 and has a 45-year career as a symphony orchestra. Zheng Studied double bass, music theory and ensemble lessons with She Fu, the principal Russian professor of cello of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and chief cellist of the Shanghai Ministry of Works Bureau. He joined the Ministry of Works Band after 1946 and worked as a player until his retirement in 1991. Zhou Ping, director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, said that during his tenure, Zheng Lao successively served as a sound minister, an artistic committee member, and also engaged in the creation of musical works, making outstanding contributions to the development of the Shanghai Symphony.
▲ Zheng Deren was the former site of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
"The violin itself is very moving, and if you pluck it slightly, you will have the effect of swinging back to the intestines. In the band, although it is an accompaniment instrument, it plays a 'foundation' role for the whole band. If our performance is not solid, the whole band will not be able to hold up. Zhu Shunhua, the former principal of the double bass of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, who has just retired, is one of Zheng Deren's proud protégés. Elder Zheng's concept of paying attention to basic skills in teaching has also benefited Zhu Shunhua a lot. "I studied with Teacher Zheng when I was 14 years old. He was meticulous in his teaching, paying attention to our pitch and rhythm problems. I had a poor foundation when I first studied with him, but he didn't criticize me very harshly, but pointed out my shortcomings in a relatively euphemistic way. In normal times, Teacher Zheng is kind and amiable, and not long ago he saw me and said that I was fat. ”
▲Zheng Deren played "Ode to the Red Flag" as a member of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
From 1956 to 1986, Zheng Deren served as a double bass teacher at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music for 30 years, cultivating a large number of professional talents throughout major domestic orchestras and American orchestras. He has coached more than 50 students all over the country, no matter which band they are in; many have become the backbone of the band. Today, Hong Youlong, a 92-year-old former double bass chief of the Shanghai Opera House, came to wish his 100-year-old mentor a happy birthday. "I have been learning the piano with Mr. Zheng since 1952 and have been practicing for 70 years. For 70 years, I have visited Mr. Zheng every year, and he has been so kind to me. Not only did I follow him to learn the instrument, but I also saw him write the score. Inspired by him, I also learned to compose and orchestrate, and wrote accompaniment to opera and dance at the opera house. I hope Mr. Zheng will always be healthy! ”
He is a crossover predecessor of the classical and popular music scenes
Jeong has three daughters. The eldest daughter, Zheng Xuemei, inherited her father's mantle and embarked on a professional music path, and the 70-year-old has retired from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music; the second daughter, Zheng Jiehua, is engaged in special education and teaches special group music in schools. "I remember when I was a kid we had two pianos in our house, and we had violins, cellos, and double bass, so each of our three sisters would have more than one instrument." Zheng Xuemei recalled that when she was a child, she often went to see her father's important performances, and if there were rehearsals for ballet and symphony, her father would also come to her to the hall to feel the scene. When she was a teenager, Zheng Xuemei originally wanted to enter the Central College Affiliated High School, but was not admitted because of the times. "During the special period, in order for us to practice, my father adapted many of the leaders' quotations and songs. He was also able to adapt many violin works into double bass pieces. ”
In fact, Zheng Deren is also a veritable cross-border predecessor of the Chinese music industry. In addition to classical music performance and teaching, he has also experienced the rise and development of jazz and light music in China. Zheng Deren's jazz version of "Rose Rose" and "Evening Fragrance" have made these old Shanghai songs known to more people.
▲ The old Paramount Band
In 1942, in order to make a living for his family, the young Jeong Deok-jen had been forced to interrupt his studies and form a small band to perform in major nightclubs, which was the earliest "electrocution" between him and jazz. Subsequently, he played jazz in "Paramount" and other places for a long time, not only had rich experience in playing, but also served as an arranger and conductor, publishing records such as "Shanghai Old Paramount Jazz", "Paramount Jazz Quintet", "Crazy Jazz" and so on. In 1956, Zheng Deren also organized the country's first "Shanghai Light Music Orchestra". After retiring in 1991, he continued to engage in light music activities, not only performing in Shanghai, Hong Kong and other places, but also serving as an instructor for student bands such as Jing'an District Youth Activity Center and He Luting Art School.
He experienced legendary stories in the history of Chinese music
In the interview, Zheng Xuemei told us two small stories about his father.
According to her, once she went back to Shanghai to visit her relatives, at twelve o'clock in the middle of the night, Huang Yijun, a famous conductor and veteran director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and Cao Peng, a famous conductor, rushed to his father's home. It turned out that on the same day, Prince Sihanouk visited China and wrote a very good solo work on the train, which had to be completed by Zheng Deren in two hours, and then recorded by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at nine o'clock the next day, and then performed in the Great Hall of the People. After being soloed by Zhu Fengbo, one of the most popular female singers at that time, and zheng Deren as the orchestral instrument, the work was recorded by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and later achieved good performance results in Beijing.
Zheng Xuemei's husband is the famous composer Shi Yongkang. The first time she learned that Shi Yongkang was also through her father, this brings us to the second story. When Nixon visited China in 1972, Zheng Deren, Shi Yongkang, and the famous composers Ak Jian and Zhu Jian'er were assigned an important task at that time--the four of them stayed in the Jin Jiang Hotel for a month, and in the historical context of the time, they could listen to all the records in the library of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and create works for the Shanghai Literary and Art Gala of Nixon's first visit to China. As a result, Zheng Deren and Ak Jian jointly wrote "Northern Shaanxi Folk Songs: Turning Over and Turning Over" (string quartet version), and Shi Yongkang and Zhu Jian'er wrote "White Haired Girl" (a single movement work based on some themes of the opera and dance drama "White Haired Girl"). In addition, eight players formed two sets of string quartets, and after the composer wrote the work, the two sets of string quartets took turns to practice recording, including the famous violinist Pan Yinlin.
Listening to the story told by Zheng Xuemei, it is not difficult to find that in addition to Mr. Zheng Deren, there are many such "treasure" characters in the Shanghai Symphony. Huang Yijun, the conductor who created "Flowers Good Moon Full Moon", Zhu Jian'er, the resident composer who wrote "Singing Mountain Songs to the Party", the violinist and composer Ak Jian, who composed "The Golden Hearth" and "The Thousand Year Iron Tree Blossoms"... These Chinese musicians trained by the orchestra witnessed, participated in and influenced the musical development of new China in various periods, and they promoted the prosperity of China's cultural undertakings with their inner pieces of music.
Happy birthday to Mr. Zheng Deren, "Slash Artist"!
Courtesy of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Author: Jiang Fang
Editor: Guo Chaohao
Editor-in-Charge: Xueying Wang
*Wenhui exclusive manuscript, please indicate the source when reprinting.