Passing on the Flame, Sounding the Guzheng - Research on the Transformation of Chinese Guzheng Art in the 1950s

Abstract

This article aimed to 1) investigate the social identity transformation and musical perspective of Chinese Guzheng musicians in the 1950s; 2) study the development of Chinese Guzheng art in the 1950s; and 3) study the impact of the transformation of Guzheng art in the 1950s on the later development of modern Guzheng art. The sample was in the 1950s. Chinese Guzheng art was characterized by a long history, an extensive number of schools, and a significant level of artistic interest. However, Chinese Guzheng art has progressively transitioned from tradition to modernity in the modern sense since Zhao Yuzhai in the 1950s, as evidenced by the works of Changyuan, Yanjia, Manqin, et al. The development of modern Guzheng art is commonly understood in academia in this way. This qualitative research used literature review and field study methodologies to objectively compile and synthesize important research on this topic for theoretical support. This interdisciplinary study used musicology and music sociology methods to understand the relationship between the transitional era's background and artistic production. The research results were as follows: 1) This study revealed that during the initial period of the People's Republic of China, the Guzheng major was introduced to universities, and folk Guzheng performers transitioned into university lecturers and 2) This research commenced with the "representation of workers and peasants" in the narrative of contemporary Chinese history.