"20th Century Chinese Piano Masterpieces" will be released in Europe, with pianist Jie Jingxian playing the Chinese Melody Piano in Munich | China | 20th Century Chinese Piano Masterpieces

On July 4th local time, Chinese pianist and associate professor of the Piano Department at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Jie Jingxian, held a special concert for Chinese piano works at the headquarters of Henle Publishing House in Munich, Germany. She performed works such as "Birds Facing the Phoenix", "Two Springs Reflecting the Moon", "Painting of Bashu", and "Yangguan Sandai". The 20th Century Chinese Piano Masterpieces, edited and arranged by Jie Jingxian, will be released by Hengle Publishing House in Europe this year. This is also the first time that the renowned Hengle Publishing House has published Chinese piano scores.

Pianist Jie Jingxian

At the concert, Jie Jingxian dressed in red and performed with a balance of strength and softness, introducing the stories behind these Chinese piano pieces to the audience in German. She studied in Germany for seven years, obtained a doctoral degree, and regarded Germany as her "second hometown". During her study abroad, she consciously promoted Chinese piano works and performed Chinese songs such as "Liuyang River" and "Jasmine Flower". Many overseas audiences fell in love with Chinese works after listening to her performances and asked her how to obtain music scores.

Jie Jingxian's Munich Concert Program Catalog

"This is the first time that Hengle Publishing House has published Chinese music scores, and it is also the first time that Hengle headquarters has held a special session on Chinese piano works, which is of great significance to Hengle." Wolff Dieter Seft, CEO of Hengle Publishing House in Germany, said, "Jie Jingxian has a deep understanding of both Eastern and Western cultures. She has an international perspective on the interpretation of Chinese works, and the audience is impressed by the rich and diverse colors of Chinese piano works, the music styles of different regions in China, and superb performance techniques. I believe that the publication of this music score will open a door for the world to understand Chinese piano works."

The score for the upcoming release of "20th Century Chinese Piano Masterpieces" by Hengle Publishing House

Almost everyone who studies music knows about the famous Hengle Publishing House. This publishing house, founded in 1948, is renowned for publishing original classics, publishing over 1100 original scores, as well as the complete works of great composers such as Bartok, Beethoven, Brahms, and Haydn. Under the copyright authorization of Beijing People's Music Publishing House, "Famous Chinese Piano Songs of the 20th Century" selected 10 widely circulated classic Chinese piano pieces created by 8 Chinese composers, including Qu Wei, Wang Lisan, Huang Huwei, Chen Peixun, Sun Yiqiang, Chu Wanghua, Wang Jianzhong, and Li Yinghai. Hengle Publishing House invites Jie Jingxian to serve as the editor in chief and arrange finger movements, which will be distributed in three languages: Chinese, German, and English.

Before Jie Jingxian's concert

At the concert on July 4th, most of the tracks performed by Jie Jingxian were selected from this upcoming music sheet. Some of these works were created based on the personal experiences of performers, such as Qu Wei's "Flower Drum", Wang Lisan's "Sonata", and Sun Yiqiang's "Dance of Grains"; Some showcase different regional cultures in China, such as Huang Huwei's "Painting of Bashu" and Chen Peixun's "Thunder in the Dry Sky"; Some of them are transplanted from Chinese ethnic musical instruments, such as "Two Springs Reflecting the Moon" and "Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix", with the original music played by erhu and suona respectively; Some are related to poetry and painting, such as "Three Stacks of Yangguan".

The closing theme of the concert is the piano concerto "Li Bai" created by Li Congjun. This work was performed by Jie Jingxian and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere at the Chinese New Year concert earlier this year. This time, a specially adapted piano solo version was performed in Munich, which received enthusiastic applause from the live audience. "I hope this concert can not only allow overseas audiences to experience the charm of Chinese music, the inheritance and innovation of Chinese culture, but also allow China's long-standing and splendid ancient poetry culture to be transmitted to further places through the piano, the king of Western instrumental music." Xie Jingxian said.

At the concert, Jie Jingxian performed while introducing the story behind the tracks in German

In recent years, Jie Jingxian has performed and promoted Chinese piano works around the world, and has premiered original works by multiple Chinese composers. She has published vinyl records such as "Chinese Melody" and "Liuyang River", which have been loved by audiences both at home and abroad. In 2018, she held a lecture concert on Chinese piano works at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark, and received a five-star music review from the Copenhagen Post.

During her performance in Munich, Jie Jingxian and the German editor in chief of "20th Century Chinese Piano Masterpieces", Joster, interpreted Chinese piano works from two different perspectives: Chinese and Western. Sitting below are several senior editors and experts from Henle Publishing House, a local piano professor in Munich, a student of Jie Jingxian in music, a doctoral student currently studying at the Hanover School of Music and Drama in Germany, and music fans who have specially arrived.

Before coming to Munich, Xie Jingxian had just recovered from COVID-19's illness and rushed to the airport to fly to Europe after transfusion in the hospital. She said, "I cherish this opportunity to communicate and reach dialogue through music. I have been promoting Chinese works on various occasions since I studied in Germany. It has been my habit for many years to perform Chinese songs in every performance. I have been thinking about how to promote Chinese works in a more sustainable way. Publishing and distributing Chinese piano scores is a good form. I hope that the publication of scores can attract more pianists and piano enthusiasts from all over the world to learn and play Chinese works, and spread Chinese works."