Theory Of Cai Zhongde Music Esthetics Research

Cai zhongde (1937~2004) is a well-known contemporary Music esthetician,Fung research sociologist and Cultural scientist in China . During his lifetime ,heserved as Professor of Department of Musicology in Central Conservatory of Music,Director of Music Aesthetics Institute. Executive director of Fung Yu-lan research.His Academic research widely involved Chinese Music Aesthetics, Chinese MusicalPhilology, Fung Yu-lan research, Chinese Culture, Traditional Chinese IntellectualsˊPersonality research etc. Since the 1980s, his academic thinking had a profoundimpact in Chinese music academic circles, Feng academic circles and Chinese cultureacademic circles.In the field of Music Aesthetics, Cai zhongde created History ofChinese music aesthetics, making important contributions to its establish.Cai zhongde’s important results in music aesthetics mainly involve two majorparts. The first part is Ancient Chinese Music Aesthetics research. In section I ofchapter II, author first introduced his thinking, methods and so on in the work ofhistorical data and system construction. He started with the basic work of historicaldata, exploring, organizing, articulating and translating ,finally to complete theModern Translation of Historical Data of Chinese Music Aesthetics with its twovolumes which laid solid foundation for his History of Chinese Music Aestheticsresearch. Author mainly investigated the features in his collecting, nature determining,distinguishing and translating of historical data. On this basis, Cai zhongde formed hisconstructive system of History of Chinese Music Aesthetics. Author made overallintroduction and comment to the object, installment and methodology of this book.In section II，the features in his Ancient Chinese Music Aesthetics research werespecifically analyzed. His research in this field are mainly History of Chinese MusicAesthetics and secondary thematic studies on paper. The former is the system ofHistory of Chinese Music Aesthetics. The latter is the thorough and meticulousmicroscopic study on the thematic issues. The two complement each other and areboth indispensable. Taking the two for object, author summed up several major features in his Ancient Chinese Music Aesthetics research.They are systematic andcomprehensive system construction, combination of Chinese and Western theory,profound and unique theoretical innovation and the humanistic ideological criticism.The second major part of Cai zhongde’s Music Aesthetics’achievement is aboutChinese modern music aesthetic issues, which clearly reflect his personal MusicAesthetics’views and thoughts. There are two important problems involved. One ofthem is music’s Ontology, including the emphasis to music’s subjectivity, therevaluation to Qingzhu’s theory that music is the language of the upper bound, thecontend of the music’s Existence and the question to the theory of the mapping ofmusic and heart. One of them is the viewpoint of path of Chinese music’sdevelopment, which is the concentrated expression and mature establishment ofHumanism Music Aesthetics’thought, and which is also the reflect of his MusicAesthetics research’s ultimate aspirations. In the discourse of this problem, authorintegrate his Culture studies about Humanism’s cultural philosophy thinking and soon which had important influences on his concept of music’s development. On thebasis, author analyzed his further play to Qingzhu’s theory with the cultural ideas ofHumanism, including the evaluation of Chinese and Western cultures, music, Chinesenew music and views of music’s national character.Cai zhongde’s rich pioneering product and profound insights laid thefoundation for Ancient Chinese Music Aesthetics research, put forward importantinsights into path of Chinese music’s development, provide extremely importanttheoretical basis and scholarly research experience for later scholars and became theindispensable part of the establishment of Chinese modern music aesthetic system.