When I was previously reading some articles from the Cultural Revolution period discussing related issues, they basically did not answer this question from a specific theoretical perspective—that is, why a certain melody evokes certain emotions in people from this or that class. Most comments were based on the song’s lyrics, historical context, the author’s practice, the author’s class attributes, and subjective feelings. Are there any articles that analyze the melody itself and theoretically prove the class emotions conveyed by a particular melody?
6 Likes
I don’t know if JQR has read this book. This book is a compilation and summary of revolutionary articles discussing the “class nature of untitled music” during the socialist China period. Some articles analyze specific songs; although there are no specific scores or melodies, the meanings represented by the melodies are also mentioned.
Collection of Comments on the Class Nature of Music (People’s Music Publishing House) (Z-Library).pdf (8.2 MB)
1 Like
I’ve read part of this book but haven’t finished it; I’ll take another look later.
Additionally, regarding the question about music in the context of class struggle on the front line, besides criticizing untitled music, yellow music was also criticized in earlier years. Several articles provide specific analysis and critique of the literary and artistic techniques of yellow music, which you can refer to, especially the second article:
Looking at “Love” in Yellow Songs through Several Examples_ Zhou Yongxiang.pdf (268.0 KB)
Yellow Songs Are Poisonous Weeds, Must Be Eradicated!_ Wang Yunjie.pdf (249.3 KB)
Actually, I have seen these two, and I feel that they also talk about the kind of feeling a certain melody gives, this kind of analysis. Uh, although it’s not to question the reliability of such analysis, the bourgeoisie also provide similar explanations for melody, harmony, etc. They also say that a certain harmony or melody gives people a certain feeling, reflecting certain emotions, but the specific principles behind it are not very clear.
Melody is a form through which the author’s thoughts and emotions are expressed in music, and it can be divided into internal and external forms. In terms of external form, this type of melody serves different functions in different contexts. For example, minor keys tend to be more somber and winding; if minor keys are overused at the moment when revolutionary forces achieve victory, it generally means deliberately singing a dirge and promoting defeatism, which of course plays a reactionary role. Or if this kind of tune is used when counter-revolutionary forces are destroyed, it also has the reactionary intention of trying to evoke resonance between the audience and the counter-revolutionary forces. Of course, major keys are the same; their meaning varies depending on the context. You can understand this better by looking at how socialist literature and art (such as model operas, revolutionary films, documentaries, etc.) use music. For example, the tune for the appearance of antagonists will be very eerie, the tune for the appearance of protagonists will be very vigorous, the tune will be rapid during intense struggles, very exuberant when great victories are achieved, and sorrowful when comrades sacrifice themselves, and so on.
Another situation is that melody is connected with a certain internal form, meaning that some melodies must inherently be linked to the literature and art of a particular class. For example, the melodies of virtual idols often sound “superficial” and cannot express the content of revolutionary realism in socialist literature and art. Ultimately, music comes from real life, and revolutionary music must come from revolutionary practice and be adapted to revolutionary practice. If your tune sounds neither human nor ghostly, and there is no corresponding scene in reality, then no matter what, it cannot serve the proletariat. For example, now that the bourgeoisie is already in decline, they have begun to adopt eclecticism in the field of music. Thus, they vehemently oppose the bourgeois classical music division of major and minor keys, arguing that the division is too extreme and that there should be a melody capable of expressing “complex” emotions. The so-called “modern popular music” nowadays is all of this kind, including the melodies of virtual idols. The reason the bourgeoisie dare not explicitly express their emotions in music as straightforwardly as bourgeois classical music is that they want to “package” their emotions to conceal their reactionary nature of ideological emptiness and obsession with decaying things. For example, the melodies of virtual idols correspond to the content of virtual idols. Even if you remove the lyrics and leave only the pure music, the emotions expressed are still “complex”. Ultimately, it is a twisted and hesitant expression of some kind of nostalgia and infatuation, somewhere between major and minor keys, between fast and slow tempos, strong and weak beats, taking the middle path. Why is this so? Because virtual idols promote extremely decadent pornographic culture. If pornographic culture did not use this “complex” melody to package itself, it could not be concealed at all. But precisely because of this, this kind of eclecticism and hesitant melody can never conform to the principles of Marxism: bbCommunists disdain hiding their views and intentions. They openly declare: their goal can only be achieved by violently overthrowing all existing social systems.bb Only clear and straightforward melodies can reflect the revolutionary feelings of revolutionary people and revolutionary forces. bbBe open and aboveboard, not scheming and cunning.bb
9 Likes
Those who are deeply fascinated by the melodies of virtual singers, philosophically speaking, are also those who oppose the philosophy of struggle, oppose dialectics, and advocate for compromise and the middle way. Politically speaking, they are the ones who pursue conciliatory policies, seek to reconcile class contradictions, and want to take the middle path.
3 Likes
This is also why leftist circles who promote the two-dimensional revolution theory like to use music from virtual singers, because they truly are that kind of people.
1 Like
It’s hard to say… I’ve also seen cases where the so-called “second dimension revolution” songs created by leftist circles completely contradict the original author’s creative ideas. I feel more that these people lack talent and can only plagiarize various other types of second dimension music.
Some truth…
It doesn’t really matter what the original author intended here; the main point is that the core of compromise within this is something that people in the leftist circle like.
What do some principles mean?
Even if the thematic ideas are completely different, the melody itself, as a form, can serve different content. Just as a melody that can express the idea of eclecticism can also be used to serve the ideological content of the two-dimensional revolution theory.
Uh, I don’t quite agree with this… I more think that the arbitrary modifications by some leftist circles are, at times, more of a defamation and desecration of the original author and the work itself, sacrificing the artistic value of the work in exchange for political opportunism capital for themselves…
No matter how much it changes, music ultimately sticks to its basics. Even if the melody is altered, it essentially remains the same; the key doesn’t change, and the emotions expressed are still that same “complex,” compromise-driven feeling. It’s just that by wrapping it in a “revolutionary” veneer, it appears more refined, but it’s still a pile of yellow trash. And if you say there’s any artistry, then the virtual singer’s trivial songs originally had no artistic value either. The lyrics, melody, and structure are all terribly bad, and aside from deliberately selling sexuality, there’s nothing else that can attract people.
I can’t agree with that… Do you have any references to support this?
Uh, it’s not more exquisite
Your class stance is problematic. You say that the left circle’s tampering with secondary creation songs is a defamation and sacrilege against the original authors, which is directly taking a stance in defense of bourgeois secondary creation? People in the left circle do want to seek political gains for themselves, but this is not contradictory to the idea of moderatism that erases class struggle in secondary creation songs. And about your mention of “sacrificing the artistic quality of the works,” does this artistic quality speak of class?
1 Like
Even from the perspective of capitalist literature and art, it can be considered a reduction in artistic quality…
You speak as if you are merely engaging in academic discussion, but look at your previous statements and your choice of words—terms like slander, desecration, sacrifice. Isn’t this just an attempt to defend capitalist literature and art, to defend bourgeois second-dimensional songs? Your desire to get an answer about whether their artistic value has been diminished is merely an attempt to emphasize that they are ultimately still good.
2 Likes