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一位老人在写自传,已写了100余万字。那天晚上,在这位长者素朴的杭州寓所里,我只看了他的部分章节,就被深深感动了。
这是一个人的经历,但绝对不是芸芸众生的寻常故事。在他那风起云涌、跌宕起伏的命运交响曲中,有风雷激昂的时代强音,也有悠扬的民族文化乐章。他创作的《国际反侵略进行曲》被国际反侵略协会定为会歌,曾唱响全球;他的经典之作《采茶舞曲》被联合国教科文组织评为“亚太地区风格的优秀音乐教材”,至今盛唱不衰。他不仅仅是音乐家,更是教育家,他推崇因材施教、发展个性的“道尔顿制”,并一生致力于实践……
这位长者便是周大风,浙江宁波人。
《国际反侵略进行曲》:蔡元培誉为“全球同声,为国争光”
这是国际反侵略运动大会总会会歌,当时全世界反日德意侵略集会都要高奏此曲。1945年在世界反法西斯战争取得胜利的这一天,也就是中国结束八年抗战的日子,有60多个国家唱响这支歌。《国际反侵略进行曲》成了世界的同一首歌,这首歌的词曲创作者便是中国的周大风。
站起来!站起来!站起来!全世界爱护和平的兄弟姐妹们,
快为着保卫人类的文明和生存而前进!
看多少国家正蔓延着恐怖的战争,无辜人民正被蹂躏。
这是一个教训,再不起来斗争,人类将要临到末日的命运。
全世界二十万万的人民,快放弃国家民族人种的私见,
为着人类生存文明,为了世界永久和平,
一齐起来向侵略者作一次最后的斗争!
在周大风家里,他把CD片放入电脑中播放,我第一次听到这首歌。这首歌乐曲旋律高亢、激昂、壮美,极富感召力。周大风说他写这首歌时才17岁,说起这首歌,许多前尘往事,从他澄澈的记忆深潭中浮起漾出……
周大风,原名周之辉,祖籍宁波镇海大(今北仑),父亲周六吉是中国共产党最早的一批党员。周家祖辈是富商,镇海建党时,周六吉捐献4万银元作为组织经费,后来他又把家乡的所有商铺和家产变卖捐献给党的事业。
周大风自小受父亲影响,深明大义,他在家乡灵山小学毕业后到上海只读了一年初中抗战就爆发了,失学回到故里的他,与同学王博平等人一起成立了“扎马民众救亡工作团”,周大风被选为团长,当时他才15岁。该团上演过许多宣传抗日的戏,他还自己作曲,把大型话剧《铁花》变成歌剧,在当地各乡镇巡回演出,影响很大,并由此引起了国民党怀疑,于是他不得不离开家乡重返上海。
1938年冬天他进入了“上海益丰搪瓷公司”,在第五分厂打样间美术部做学徒,绘搪瓷画。他爱好音乐想学钢琴,上海国立音专王瑞娴教授发现他极有天赋,就免费教他。但到哪里去练琴呢?他想到了琴行,沪上的三家琴行他都去了,没想到开琴行的都是大人,“同乡三分亲”,于是他就轮着在这三家琴行练琴。当然,他也帮老板修琴、制琴、调律、整音等等,这可算是绝活,这样周大风又学会了一门手艺。
白天做工,晚上练琴,休息的间隙看书、撰稿。搪瓷厂的办公室订有不少报纸,有天周大风看到了蔡元培先生作的一首《国际反侵略运动大会中国分会会歌》,他哼唱后觉得词深奥曲涩口,他认为号召民众反侵略的歌应该朗朗上口、通俗易懂才能流行。于是周大风就给蔡元培先生写了一封信,对《国际反侵略运动大会中国分会会歌》提出了意见,并把自己写的一首白话词曲附寄上。
不久国际反侵略协会在全世界范围征求总会会歌。周大风的《国际反侵略进行曲》便脱颖而出,被定为总会会歌。蔡元培先生称誉该曲“全球同声,为国争光”。国际反侵略协会中国分会奖励周大风200块银圆,当他接到这笔稿费时才了解到是蔡元培推荐了他的歌,周大风不由得对先生的高尚品格肃然起敬。
除了响亮的《国际反侵略进行曲》,抗日战争时期周大风还创作了一大批爱国歌曲,如《堡垒进行曲》《黎明之歌》《自由钟声》《孤岛艺人之歌》等等,其中揭露日本侵略者暴行的《白米谣》在民众中流传甚广,还有激励民众士气的儿童歌剧《不夜天》,那是蒋经国请周大风创作的。该剧由费铿导演,当时影响很大,后来女导演费铿也因此与周大风结成了一生的姻缘。
《采茶舞曲》:周恩来修改歌词,毛泽东点名要看
“溪水清清溪水长,溪水两岸好呀么好风光。哥儿们上畈下畈勤插秧,妹妹们东山西山采茶忙。插秧插得喜洋洋,采茶采得心花放……”轻快、优美、富有浓郁地方特色的《采茶舞曲》,是一首脍炙人口的江南民歌,许多人都熟悉会唱。我在采访周大风先生时,听到了有关《采茶舞曲》的许多幕后故事:
那是1958年,周大风任浙江越剧二团艺术室主任。他带头搞改革,开创越剧男女合演及排演现代剧等新的艺术之路。为了创作反映现实生活的剧目,全团50人到“千年不闻锣鼓响,万年不见戏上台”的泰顺山区体验生活。
周大风住在泰顺东溪乡茶区的山农家里,每天与妇女们共同采茶,激发了创作热情,于是他开始写茶歌!他所以要写一首动听的茶歌,还因为三年前在招待罗马尼亚艺术家的一次宴会上,省交际处处长告诉他说:“周总理说杭州山好、水好、茶好、风景好,就是缺少一支脍炙人口的歌曲来赞美。”周大风听到这番话,一直将周总理的期望铭记于胸。
周大风终于在泰顺酬了夙愿:5月11日他灵感突来,一个晚上就写出了《采茶舞曲》,包括词、曲及配器。第二天,他将此歌让附近的东溪小学排演,孩子们一学就会。歌舞本来就来源于劳动,原始而自然的采茶动作伴随着欢快的节奏,孩子们唱着唱着就舞到校外的茶蓬里……
《采茶舞曲》成功后,周大风又用三天时间写出九幕大型越剧《雨前曲》,《采茶舞曲》便是《雨前曲》中的主题歌。《采茶舞曲》融越剧、滩簧、浙东民间器乐音调于一体,采用江南丝竹风格的多声部伴奏,很具艺术魅力。
在北京长安剧场汇报演出时,周恩来总理看完《雨前曲》走上后台与大家谈了一小时,他充分肯定越剧男女合演的方向,对反映当代生活的现代剧给予诸多鼓励,尤其对《采茶舞曲》非常欣赏。他说:“这曲调有时代气息,江南地方风味也浓,清新活泼。只是两句歌词要改一下,插秧不能插到大天亮,人是需要劳逸结合的;还有采茶也不能采到月儿上,要知道露水茶是不香的。”总理为此建议周大风到杭州梅家坞去体验生活。
几年后总理在梅家坞邂逅周大风。总理指着他说:“你果然来了,词改好没有?”周大风惭愧地说自己想不出合适的。总理说:“你要写心情,不要写现象。”说着他叫身边的戚秘书记下来:“插秧插得喜洋洋,采茶采得心花放,如何?”周大风一听茅塞顿开。
《采茶舞曲》很快走红,它被浙江人民广播电台作为一日两次开播时的起始曲;1959年国庆节晚上此曲又在天安门广场连续播放几十遍,为群众伴舞;后来经戏曲大师梅兰芳、舞蹈大师戴爱莲建议,《采茶舞曲》成为浙江歌舞团及中央歌舞剧院的保留节目和出国节目;1983年它又被联合国教科文组织评为“亚太地区风格的优秀音乐教材”,至今该曲已有60多种唱片、磁带、CD片等流传海内外。
《采茶舞曲》和周大风一起,也几经历史的磨难。“文革”时江青说“越剧是60年代怪现象,是靡靡之音”,于是《采茶舞曲》成了“大毒草”,周大风为此吃了不少苦头。1971年毛泽东路过杭州,在火车上召见当时的浙江省委领导时,点名要看《采茶舞曲》。毛主席看后说了12个字:“毒在哪里?我看好的,出了新的。”1972年西哈努克亲王到杭州,也提出要看《采茶舞曲》。那天,在西湖国宾馆周总理陪同西哈努克亲王观看演出,随着舞蹈欢快的节奏,总理和西哈努克亲王情不自禁一起拍手击节唱和,沉浸在馥郁的诗情画意中。
灵山小学“道尔顿制”
造就多才多艺的周大风
周大风是国家级有特出贡献的专家,他曾任中国音乐家协会常务理事兼教育委员会副主任、浙江省音乐家协会主席、宁波市音乐家协会主席等职。即便退休了,他还担任了上百个顾问职务。不过有个顾问职务让人颇感意外:那便是省创造学会高级顾问。原来,周大风不仅在音乐上造诣很深,还是个有名的杂家,擅长十八般“武艺”。
在周大风家里,我见识了他“武艺”之一斑:他那面积不大的房子,家具都是自制的;书架上他的著作繁多,《越剧唱法研究》《欣赏音乐的知识和方法》《钢琴的制作与维修》《周大风音乐教育文集》等等,他主编的《中国百科全书·戏曲曲艺卷》音乐分支、《中国民族音乐的理论》等书一直是各大音乐学院的教科书;最令人感到新奇的是周大风的“音乐作坊”,他把阳台当作工场,钻、钳、刨、锉、铣等工具一应齐全,制作乐器的材料五花八门,墙上挂着五六把古筝、小提琴的半成品,他的学生告诉说:“这些琴做好后是送人的,周老师一生制作的小提琴、古琴、钢琴等已经不计其数。”除了音乐周大风还通晓文学、绘画、雕塑、篆刻等,在他的客厅、卧室里,都挂着他的字画。其66岁生日时,他填的一首《六六吟——调寄鹧鸪天》词,活脱写照了他的真性情:
我本乱世一书郎,天生刚直半疏狂。常辨人间美与丑,亦尝世态炎和凉。歌一曲,文千章,兴来作画镌篆方。不与俗客争名利,但创一得酬国殇。
谁能想到多才多艺的周大风只有小学毕业,他说自己靠的是“随需随学,急需急学,专需专学,平时博学”。这条令他一生都受用的格言,源自于童年母校的教导。他的母校就是镇海灵山学校(现北仑大邬隘中学),这是一所实验美国当年先进的“道尔顿教育体制”的学校,当年这所学校提倡个性发展,重视实践,鼓励创造 。在蔡元培先生“兼容并蓄、多种实验”的教育方针下,北京、天津、上海等六个城市当年均试办道尔顿制学校各一所,唯有宁波的灵山学校因地处偏僻的乡下未受战乱和政府的干涉而得以实施成功。
得益于母校独特培养方式的周大风,在其教育实践中一直执著地推行“学校即社会,生活即教学”、“以学生为本,突出兴趣”的教育理念。1943年他曾在江西赣州主持筹办过一所道尔顿式的天才学校,培养出不少人才。1982年60岁的周大风又创办“浙江社会艺术学校”,至今在杭州、宁波等地已开了8个分校。“得道多助”,他的办学经费主要靠社会热心人士资助。
现在,年高84岁的周大风应该好好颐养天年了,但他仍然忙碌,到处奔波讲学、带团演出、用电脑写文章,每天到夜里3时才睡觉雷打不动……
有人说,周大风的“风”字应改成“疯”字才对!
Specials
Music Goes Through His Life
Story and Photographs by Bao Danhong
Zhou Dafeng made his name first known all over the world in 1945 when the World Anti-Fascist War won victory. International Anti-Aggression March, a song written and composed by the 17-year-old Zhou, was adopted by the International Anti-Aggression Movement Congress, was sung in more than 60 countries on the day when China's Resistance War against Japanese Aggression came to the victorious end.
Zhou's father was a member of the CPC in its early days. As his family was wealthy, the young communist donated a fortune of 40,000 silver dollars to the CPC chapter in Zhenhai, his hometown. Later he donated all the shops and property at the hometown to the CPC. Zhou Dafeng was deeply influenced by his father. One year after he graduated from a primary school in Zhenhai and came to Shanghai for his study in middle school, the Resistance War against Japanese Aggression broke out. Zhou Dafeng returned to his hometown and organized a troupe to promote the public awareness of the Japanese atrocities in China. He wrote songs and even adapted a drama into opera. But his anti-aggression publicity efforts aroused the KMT government's suspicion. So he had to come back to Shanghai.
Zhou began to work as an apprentice of art at an enamelware company. At night he took piano lessons from a professor of Shanghai National Music School. The professor found the teenager was talented and the lessons were offered free of charge. But where could he practice? Fortunately, the three piano shops in Shanghai were all operated by business people from Zhou's hometown. There he was allowed to practice on the piano free of charge. So he also learned to repair and tune a piano to help the shops. During this time, he read extensively. One day, Zhou read the lyrics written by Cai Yuanpei for the China Branch Association of the International Anti-Aggression Movement Congress. Zhou thought the lyrics were too formal in style. So he wrote new lyrics and set it to music and sent the song to Cai. When the congress solicited a theme song for itself, Zhou's work was recommended and it was accepted as the song of the congress. Zhou was awarded 200 yuan by the China branch association for his outstanding song.
If his international reputation as a musician was only fleeting in the 1940s, Zhou Dafeng made his name well known across the country in 1958 and this reputation has lasted long. At that time he worked as director of the creation section of the Zhejiang Second Yueju Opera Troupe. Zhou pioneered in making innovations in the old opera by introducing male artists into the all-women cast and staging modern plays. In order to produce a new play that would reflect real life, the troupe came to the mountainous area of Taishun County in southern Zhejiang to get acquainted with the rural life.
It was spring time. He picked tea leaves together with local women everyday. The work inspired him greatly and he decided to write a song about tea picking. As a matter of fact, he had wanted to write such a song for three years. He had learned that Premier Zhou Enlai once commented that Hangzhou would need a popular song to sing of its beautiful scenery and tea.
Inspiration came to Zhou on May 11, 1958. That night, he wrote the lyrics, set the lyrics to music, and composed orchestration for the piece named Tea-picking Dance Song at one stroke. Next morning, he gave the song to pupils at a local primary school. Pretty soon, children learn to sing it loudly and beautifully. Zhou spent another three days writing a nine-act Yueju Opera play named A Song before the Rain, in which the tea-picking song was the theme song.
After watching the play in Beijing, Premier Zhou Enlai went to the backstage and chatted with artists there for an hour. The premier confirmed the new play and praised the innovations.
Zhejiang Television started its programs twice with the song every day. In 1959, the song was played dozens of times on the Tiananmen Square in celebration of the 10th National Day. Recommended by Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang and Dancing Master Dai Ailian, the song became part of the repertoire of the Zhejiang Song & Dance Troupe and the Central Song & Dance Troupe. In 1983, the song was recognized by the UNESCO as part of Excellent musical teaching materials of the Asia-Pacific area? So far the song has been published more than 60 times in the form of records, tapes and CD.
Today, the 84-year-old musician is still quite active. The small balcony of his apartment serves as his workshop where he still makes violins and the Chinese zithers. In his lifetime, he has made numerous violins and zithers as gifts to friends. He even made pianos, using the skills he picked up in the piano shops in Shanghai. And the textbooks he wrote have been a must for students at major music colleges across the country. And he is a calligrapher, painter and seal engraver.
It is hard to imagine how Zhou, a man with only primary school education, could be that resourceful and knowledgeable. The self-made master says his lifelong education has never stopped and when needed, he gave himself crash courses and concentrated only on what he needed for his work. Zhou attributed his life achievements to Education on the Dalton Plan, an education approach initiated by Helen Parkhurst (1887-1973) and then introduced into China by Cai Yuanpei. The primary school in Zhou's hometown used the American's education method. It was one of the six schools in China that tried the experiment. Due to its remoteness from large cities and less government interference, the experiment was a success. In 1943, Zhou presided over a school in Jiangxi, using the same method. In 1982, Zhou started Zhejiang Social Arts School and nowadays, it has eight branch schools in Hangzhou, Ningbo and other parts of Zhejiang province.
Zhou still bustles about. He gives lectures and organizes performances. He writes his autobiography on the computer. So far, he has written more than one million words. The old musician does not retire to bed before 3 of lock in the morning. Nowadays, he has an ambitious plan to set up ten international schools for the blind.
(Translated by David)
这是一个人的经历,但绝对不是芸芸众生的寻常故事。在他那风起云涌、跌宕起伏的命运交响曲中,有风雷激昂的时代强音,也有悠扬的民族文化乐章。他创作的《国际反侵略进行曲》被国际反侵略协会定为会歌,曾唱响全球;他的经典之作《采茶舞曲》被联合国教科文组织评为“亚太地区风格的优秀音乐教材”,至今盛唱不衰。他不仅仅是音乐家,更是教育家,他推崇因材施教、发展个性的“道尔顿制”,并一生致力于实践……
这位长者便是周大风,浙江宁波人。
《国际反侵略进行曲》:蔡元培誉为“全球同声,为国争光”
这是国际反侵略运动大会总会会歌,当时全世界反日德意侵略集会都要高奏此曲。1945年在世界反法西斯战争取得胜利的这一天,也就是中国结束八年抗战的日子,有60多个国家唱响这支歌。《国际反侵略进行曲》成了世界的同一首歌,这首歌的词曲创作者便是中国的周大风。
站起来!站起来!站起来!全世界爱护和平的兄弟姐妹们,
快为着保卫人类的文明和生存而前进!
看多少国家正蔓延着恐怖的战争,无辜人民正被蹂躏。
这是一个教训,再不起来斗争,人类将要临到末日的命运。
全世界二十万万的人民,快放弃国家民族人种的私见,
为着人类生存文明,为了世界永久和平,
一齐起来向侵略者作一次最后的斗争!
在周大风家里,他把CD片放入电脑中播放,我第一次听到这首歌。这首歌乐曲旋律高亢、激昂、壮美,极富感召力。周大风说他写这首歌时才17岁,说起这首歌,许多前尘往事,从他澄澈的记忆深潭中浮起漾出……
周大风,原名周之辉,祖籍宁波镇海大(今北仑),父亲周六吉是中国共产党最早的一批党员。周家祖辈是富商,镇海建党时,周六吉捐献4万银元作为组织经费,后来他又把家乡的所有商铺和家产变卖捐献给党的事业。
周大风自小受父亲影响,深明大义,他在家乡灵山小学毕业后到上海只读了一年初中抗战就爆发了,失学回到故里的他,与同学王博平等人一起成立了“扎马民众救亡工作团”,周大风被选为团长,当时他才15岁。该团上演过许多宣传抗日的戏,他还自己作曲,把大型话剧《铁花》变成歌剧,在当地各乡镇巡回演出,影响很大,并由此引起了国民党怀疑,于是他不得不离开家乡重返上海。
1938年冬天他进入了“上海益丰搪瓷公司”,在第五分厂打样间美术部做学徒,绘搪瓷画。他爱好音乐想学钢琴,上海国立音专王瑞娴教授发现他极有天赋,就免费教他。但到哪里去练琴呢?他想到了琴行,沪上的三家琴行他都去了,没想到开琴行的都是大人,“同乡三分亲”,于是他就轮着在这三家琴行练琴。当然,他也帮老板修琴、制琴、调律、整音等等,这可算是绝活,这样周大风又学会了一门手艺。
白天做工,晚上练琴,休息的间隙看书、撰稿。搪瓷厂的办公室订有不少报纸,有天周大风看到了蔡元培先生作的一首《国际反侵略运动大会中国分会会歌》,他哼唱后觉得词深奥曲涩口,他认为号召民众反侵略的歌应该朗朗上口、通俗易懂才能流行。于是周大风就给蔡元培先生写了一封信,对《国际反侵略运动大会中国分会会歌》提出了意见,并把自己写的一首白话词曲附寄上。
不久国际反侵略协会在全世界范围征求总会会歌。周大风的《国际反侵略进行曲》便脱颖而出,被定为总会会歌。蔡元培先生称誉该曲“全球同声,为国争光”。国际反侵略协会中国分会奖励周大风200块银圆,当他接到这笔稿费时才了解到是蔡元培推荐了他的歌,周大风不由得对先生的高尚品格肃然起敬。
除了响亮的《国际反侵略进行曲》,抗日战争时期周大风还创作了一大批爱国歌曲,如《堡垒进行曲》《黎明之歌》《自由钟声》《孤岛艺人之歌》等等,其中揭露日本侵略者暴行的《白米谣》在民众中流传甚广,还有激励民众士气的儿童歌剧《不夜天》,那是蒋经国请周大风创作的。该剧由费铿导演,当时影响很大,后来女导演费铿也因此与周大风结成了一生的姻缘。
《采茶舞曲》:周恩来修改歌词,毛泽东点名要看
“溪水清清溪水长,溪水两岸好呀么好风光。哥儿们上畈下畈勤插秧,妹妹们东山西山采茶忙。插秧插得喜洋洋,采茶采得心花放……”轻快、优美、富有浓郁地方特色的《采茶舞曲》,是一首脍炙人口的江南民歌,许多人都熟悉会唱。我在采访周大风先生时,听到了有关《采茶舞曲》的许多幕后故事:
那是1958年,周大风任浙江越剧二团艺术室主任。他带头搞改革,开创越剧男女合演及排演现代剧等新的艺术之路。为了创作反映现实生活的剧目,全团50人到“千年不闻锣鼓响,万年不见戏上台”的泰顺山区体验生活。
周大风住在泰顺东溪乡茶区的山农家里,每天与妇女们共同采茶,激发了创作热情,于是他开始写茶歌!他所以要写一首动听的茶歌,还因为三年前在招待罗马尼亚艺术家的一次宴会上,省交际处处长告诉他说:“周总理说杭州山好、水好、茶好、风景好,就是缺少一支脍炙人口的歌曲来赞美。”周大风听到这番话,一直将周总理的期望铭记于胸。
周大风终于在泰顺酬了夙愿:5月11日他灵感突来,一个晚上就写出了《采茶舞曲》,包括词、曲及配器。第二天,他将此歌让附近的东溪小学排演,孩子们一学就会。歌舞本来就来源于劳动,原始而自然的采茶动作伴随着欢快的节奏,孩子们唱着唱着就舞到校外的茶蓬里……
《采茶舞曲》成功后,周大风又用三天时间写出九幕大型越剧《雨前曲》,《采茶舞曲》便是《雨前曲》中的主题歌。《采茶舞曲》融越剧、滩簧、浙东民间器乐音调于一体,采用江南丝竹风格的多声部伴奏,很具艺术魅力。
在北京长安剧场汇报演出时,周恩来总理看完《雨前曲》走上后台与大家谈了一小时,他充分肯定越剧男女合演的方向,对反映当代生活的现代剧给予诸多鼓励,尤其对《采茶舞曲》非常欣赏。他说:“这曲调有时代气息,江南地方风味也浓,清新活泼。只是两句歌词要改一下,插秧不能插到大天亮,人是需要劳逸结合的;还有采茶也不能采到月儿上,要知道露水茶是不香的。”总理为此建议周大风到杭州梅家坞去体验生活。
几年后总理在梅家坞邂逅周大风。总理指着他说:“你果然来了,词改好没有?”周大风惭愧地说自己想不出合适的。总理说:“你要写心情,不要写现象。”说着他叫身边的戚秘书记下来:“插秧插得喜洋洋,采茶采得心花放,如何?”周大风一听茅塞顿开。
《采茶舞曲》很快走红,它被浙江人民广播电台作为一日两次开播时的起始曲;1959年国庆节晚上此曲又在天安门广场连续播放几十遍,为群众伴舞;后来经戏曲大师梅兰芳、舞蹈大师戴爱莲建议,《采茶舞曲》成为浙江歌舞团及中央歌舞剧院的保留节目和出国节目;1983年它又被联合国教科文组织评为“亚太地区风格的优秀音乐教材”,至今该曲已有60多种唱片、磁带、CD片等流传海内外。
《采茶舞曲》和周大风一起,也几经历史的磨难。“文革”时江青说“越剧是60年代怪现象,是靡靡之音”,于是《采茶舞曲》成了“大毒草”,周大风为此吃了不少苦头。1971年毛泽东路过杭州,在火车上召见当时的浙江省委领导时,点名要看《采茶舞曲》。毛主席看后说了12个字:“毒在哪里?我看好的,出了新的。”1972年西哈努克亲王到杭州,也提出要看《采茶舞曲》。那天,在西湖国宾馆周总理陪同西哈努克亲王观看演出,随着舞蹈欢快的节奏,总理和西哈努克亲王情不自禁一起拍手击节唱和,沉浸在馥郁的诗情画意中。
灵山小学“道尔顿制”
造就多才多艺的周大风
周大风是国家级有特出贡献的专家,他曾任中国音乐家协会常务理事兼教育委员会副主任、浙江省音乐家协会主席、宁波市音乐家协会主席等职。即便退休了,他还担任了上百个顾问职务。不过有个顾问职务让人颇感意外:那便是省创造学会高级顾问。原来,周大风不仅在音乐上造诣很深,还是个有名的杂家,擅长十八般“武艺”。
在周大风家里,我见识了他“武艺”之一斑:他那面积不大的房子,家具都是自制的;书架上他的著作繁多,《越剧唱法研究》《欣赏音乐的知识和方法》《钢琴的制作与维修》《周大风音乐教育文集》等等,他主编的《中国百科全书·戏曲曲艺卷》音乐分支、《中国民族音乐的理论》等书一直是各大音乐学院的教科书;最令人感到新奇的是周大风的“音乐作坊”,他把阳台当作工场,钻、钳、刨、锉、铣等工具一应齐全,制作乐器的材料五花八门,墙上挂着五六把古筝、小提琴的半成品,他的学生告诉说:“这些琴做好后是送人的,周老师一生制作的小提琴、古琴、钢琴等已经不计其数。”除了音乐周大风还通晓文学、绘画、雕塑、篆刻等,在他的客厅、卧室里,都挂着他的字画。其66岁生日时,他填的一首《六六吟——调寄鹧鸪天》词,活脱写照了他的真性情:
我本乱世一书郎,天生刚直半疏狂。常辨人间美与丑,亦尝世态炎和凉。歌一曲,文千章,兴来作画镌篆方。不与俗客争名利,但创一得酬国殇。
谁能想到多才多艺的周大风只有小学毕业,他说自己靠的是“随需随学,急需急学,专需专学,平时博学”。这条令他一生都受用的格言,源自于童年母校的教导。他的母校就是镇海灵山学校(现北仑大邬隘中学),这是一所实验美国当年先进的“道尔顿教育体制”的学校,当年这所学校提倡个性发展,重视实践,鼓励创造 。在蔡元培先生“兼容并蓄、多种实验”的教育方针下,北京、天津、上海等六个城市当年均试办道尔顿制学校各一所,唯有宁波的灵山学校因地处偏僻的乡下未受战乱和政府的干涉而得以实施成功。
得益于母校独特培养方式的周大风,在其教育实践中一直执著地推行“学校即社会,生活即教学”、“以学生为本,突出兴趣”的教育理念。1943年他曾在江西赣州主持筹办过一所道尔顿式的天才学校,培养出不少人才。1982年60岁的周大风又创办“浙江社会艺术学校”,至今在杭州、宁波等地已开了8个分校。“得道多助”,他的办学经费主要靠社会热心人士资助。
现在,年高84岁的周大风应该好好颐养天年了,但他仍然忙碌,到处奔波讲学、带团演出、用电脑写文章,每天到夜里3时才睡觉雷打不动……
有人说,周大风的“风”字应改成“疯”字才对!
Specials
Music Goes Through His Life
Story and Photographs by Bao Danhong
Zhou Dafeng made his name first known all over the world in 1945 when the World Anti-Fascist War won victory. International Anti-Aggression March, a song written and composed by the 17-year-old Zhou, was adopted by the International Anti-Aggression Movement Congress, was sung in more than 60 countries on the day when China's Resistance War against Japanese Aggression came to the victorious end.
Zhou's father was a member of the CPC in its early days. As his family was wealthy, the young communist donated a fortune of 40,000 silver dollars to the CPC chapter in Zhenhai, his hometown. Later he donated all the shops and property at the hometown to the CPC. Zhou Dafeng was deeply influenced by his father. One year after he graduated from a primary school in Zhenhai and came to Shanghai for his study in middle school, the Resistance War against Japanese Aggression broke out. Zhou Dafeng returned to his hometown and organized a troupe to promote the public awareness of the Japanese atrocities in China. He wrote songs and even adapted a drama into opera. But his anti-aggression publicity efforts aroused the KMT government's suspicion. So he had to come back to Shanghai.
Zhou began to work as an apprentice of art at an enamelware company. At night he took piano lessons from a professor of Shanghai National Music School. The professor found the teenager was talented and the lessons were offered free of charge. But where could he practice? Fortunately, the three piano shops in Shanghai were all operated by business people from Zhou's hometown. There he was allowed to practice on the piano free of charge. So he also learned to repair and tune a piano to help the shops. During this time, he read extensively. One day, Zhou read the lyrics written by Cai Yuanpei for the China Branch Association of the International Anti-Aggression Movement Congress. Zhou thought the lyrics were too formal in style. So he wrote new lyrics and set it to music and sent the song to Cai. When the congress solicited a theme song for itself, Zhou's work was recommended and it was accepted as the song of the congress. Zhou was awarded 200 yuan by the China branch association for his outstanding song.
If his international reputation as a musician was only fleeting in the 1940s, Zhou Dafeng made his name well known across the country in 1958 and this reputation has lasted long. At that time he worked as director of the creation section of the Zhejiang Second Yueju Opera Troupe. Zhou pioneered in making innovations in the old opera by introducing male artists into the all-women cast and staging modern plays. In order to produce a new play that would reflect real life, the troupe came to the mountainous area of Taishun County in southern Zhejiang to get acquainted with the rural life.
It was spring time. He picked tea leaves together with local women everyday. The work inspired him greatly and he decided to write a song about tea picking. As a matter of fact, he had wanted to write such a song for three years. He had learned that Premier Zhou Enlai once commented that Hangzhou would need a popular song to sing of its beautiful scenery and tea.
Inspiration came to Zhou on May 11, 1958. That night, he wrote the lyrics, set the lyrics to music, and composed orchestration for the piece named Tea-picking Dance Song at one stroke. Next morning, he gave the song to pupils at a local primary school. Pretty soon, children learn to sing it loudly and beautifully. Zhou spent another three days writing a nine-act Yueju Opera play named A Song before the Rain, in which the tea-picking song was the theme song.
After watching the play in Beijing, Premier Zhou Enlai went to the backstage and chatted with artists there for an hour. The premier confirmed the new play and praised the innovations.
Zhejiang Television started its programs twice with the song every day. In 1959, the song was played dozens of times on the Tiananmen Square in celebration of the 10th National Day. Recommended by Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang and Dancing Master Dai Ailian, the song became part of the repertoire of the Zhejiang Song & Dance Troupe and the Central Song & Dance Troupe. In 1983, the song was recognized by the UNESCO as part of Excellent musical teaching materials of the Asia-Pacific area? So far the song has been published more than 60 times in the form of records, tapes and CD.
Today, the 84-year-old musician is still quite active. The small balcony of his apartment serves as his workshop where he still makes violins and the Chinese zithers. In his lifetime, he has made numerous violins and zithers as gifts to friends. He even made pianos, using the skills he picked up in the piano shops in Shanghai. And the textbooks he wrote have been a must for students at major music colleges across the country. And he is a calligrapher, painter and seal engraver.
It is hard to imagine how Zhou, a man with only primary school education, could be that resourceful and knowledgeable. The self-made master says his lifelong education has never stopped and when needed, he gave himself crash courses and concentrated only on what he needed for his work. Zhou attributed his life achievements to Education on the Dalton Plan, an education approach initiated by Helen Parkhurst (1887-1973) and then introduced into China by Cai Yuanpei. The primary school in Zhou's hometown used the American's education method. It was one of the six schools in China that tried the experiment. Due to its remoteness from large cities and less government interference, the experiment was a success. In 1943, Zhou presided over a school in Jiangxi, using the same method. In 1982, Zhou started Zhejiang Social Arts School and nowadays, it has eight branch schools in Hangzhou, Ningbo and other parts of Zhejiang province.
Zhou still bustles about. He gives lectures and organizes performances. He writes his autobiography on the computer. So far, he has written more than one million words. The old musician does not retire to bed before 3 of lock in the morning. Nowadays, he has an ambitious plan to set up ten international schools for the blind.
(Translated by David)