Violinist Xue Wei seems to be better known abroad than in China after moving to Britain in 1985 and then to the United States in 2001. But after living in the West for 20 years, he is finally back home.
In March 2005, Xue became a professor at his Alma Mater, the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
For Xue, who was already a professor at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Britain in 1989 at the age of 25, his recently accepted position might not prove too challenging, but as he said, he's lucky to be able to develop his career in his homeland.
Over the past 20 years, Xue has gone through some changes.
From when he was a student to the first few years of his professional career, Xue was mainly concerned with displaying his personality and talent.
But as the years went by, he tried more and more to let music speak for itself.
Xue sees the last three or four years as the most critical, for he not only let the music speak for itself, but also looked for the magic in the music he was playing.
"I hope to hold on to the moments of beauty in music," said Xue. "In such moments, it feels like time has stopped."
But Xue knows better than anyone that he's living in an environment far removed from that of musicians of the past.
"In contemporary society, people are living with faster rhythms and under greater pressure," he said. "Music is also changing."
He said that older generations of violinists such as Heifetz and Milstan did not play at a loud volume, unlike today's musicians who have to play louder for the bigger concert halls, which sometimes harms the elegance of classical music.
Xue himself will perform on July 14 at the Great Hall of the People, a venue that seats 10,000, and, acoustically speaking, is not the best place to play.
Classical music today also has to compete with the mammoth pop music and entertainment industry. So it's fortunate Xue knows how to adapt to this changing world.
In his 2003 EMI album "Salut d'Amour," which topped the classical CD chart in China just three months after its release, he played not only with pianist Michael Dussek and cellist Qin Liwei, but also guzheng (Chinese zither of 13-25 strings) players Qi Yao and Fan Weiqing.
Later this year, he will release two CDs with Warner Music (China), one of which will be devoted to classical repertoires and the other to pop tunes.
"The forms of classical music can be varied, as long as its taste is not lowered," he said.
Besides performing, teaching is the best way to pass on his skill. Xue not only teaches at the conservatory, but also extends his classes outside the school.
On June 25, Xue gave a lecture titled "From Notes to Music" at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for hundreds of staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Together with his piano accompanist Huang Mengmeng and student Gu Lisha, Xue analysed and demonstrated two works, the well-known Chinese violin concerto "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" (or "Butterfly Lovers") and Kreisler's "Schon Rosmarin."
He said he didn't make his analysis abstract and trivial, as he didn't want to deprive the audience of their basic passion for music.
By analyzing "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" in steps, he led the audience through the creation of music.
He explained to Gu that when a long note was played that took the music to a higher level, the playing could be freer, therefore giving the audience of sense of distance.
A little change in the tonal colour was also needed at times to free up the audience's imagination, he said.
"This is an art of time," said Xue. "Through this detailed description and adjustment of rhythm is reflected an attitude, a custom, and even a culture."
There have been many versions of "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai." But Xue's rendition is known for his highly dramatic and expressive interpretation, sometimes even at the cost of regular rhythm.
As Xue was not in front of professional musicians during the lecture, he tried to avoid technical issues. But sometimes such issues are not only related to technique, but are part of musical expression, the use of slur for example, he said.
"A player must have a very deep understanding of the music that he or she plays," he said. "I often spend months on two or three measures, but as soon I understand them, I can read the notes like words."
For Xue, this method of learning adapts not only to music, but to other aspects of life as well.
Xue's friend, world table-tennis champion Deng Yaping, once had a hit with Xue, and she was very impressed with Xue's performance.
"Though he was a beginner in table tennis, he played with a good sense of rhythm," Deng was quoted as saying. "I can't say that he plays well, but he has a very strong ability of comprehension."
The key of doing any work is to get to the core of it, Xue said.
"As long as the code of music is interpreted, everyone can enjoy the beauty of it."
(China Daily July 8, 2005)
