Life Of Zhang Ruogu And Research Into His Music Reviews And Literary Theories

Zhang Ruogu (1905-1967), formerly known as Zhang Tiansong, called Ruogu in ancient Chinese,named Mark baptismally,was a writer of Shanghai style, editor, professor and translator, music critic. He, who once used the pen name of Mark, Lily, South Zhang, Lady LiuWuxin, Master of Fast, OuYangZhongZheng, Xiang Ju(or MoJu), etc., whose works embodied the style of Chinese modern urban prose, was a representative of urban prose writer of Shanghai Catholic in the first half of the 20th century.Due to the background of Catholic school education, Zhang Ruoguo loved music and arts, and, with good music accomplishment and a good knowledge of French, in his early twenties he began to have various articles related to music published in the newspaper.1925-1930 was the peak in his music comments and creation, of which especially the influential the Town Hall Concert series and the report of the grandness of the Shanghai concert with wide contents, published in Shanghai News-the Arts, gave rise to a large quantity of comments.In the 1930s, accumulating his literary theories and papers, he gradually had his music papers published, with music books "the Views of Three Schools on the Arts" (Good Friends Printing Company in 1927), "Music ABC" (World Publishing House,1929), Opera ABC, the World’s Press 1928), "Go to the Concert" (Good Friends Printing Company in 1926), the Urban Symphony (1929) Truth Good Beauty Bookstore, etc. available.