The accordion may be suffering a worldwide crisis of confidence and popularity, but its plight is especially severe in China. While other musical instruments have flourished over the past two decades, the accordion has been pushed so far that it's fallen from stage to pit，from where it provides simple backing accompaniment. To make matter worse, these difficult times have forced many musicians and students of the accordion into other professions. However, there is one young accordionist, Yang Fan, who is not so willing to accept this status quo. He is doing whatever he can to bring the accordion back to the world stage.
For those who pay little attention to the accordion, they may have first come across Yang Fan as the composer of accordion music in Peacock, this year's Silver Bear winner. However, for those in the know, Yang Fan has been a familiar name since as early as 1994, when he held his first solo concert in the Beijing Music Hall. During this debut performance, his accordion was accompanied by a full orchestra, making it a first for Chinese audiences as well as Yang Fan. Last week, he played another spectacular accordion concert in Beijing's Poly Theatre, this time with a mixture of accordion music, ballet, song and dance, and orchestral accompaniment.
A lot of people, including his musical peers, wonder what Yang Fan is playing at, or rather, why he's playing what he's playing. After all, there's no way that an accordion concert can break even, let along draw a profit and a crowd. However for Yang Fan, his mission is clear; he simply has to do something for his beloved accordion, and if a concert can reignite public interest, then it's worth the cost.
"In the past, people's idea about the accordion was that it's just a kind of organ, which is only suitable for providing a small chorus with some merry accompaniment. However I believe that the accordion can interact with other music instruments and art forms, just like the piano and the violin. What I want to do with this concert is share my understanding, interpretation and confidence concerning accordion music, to give the public an entirely new concept of this instrument. This is the least I can do for this accordion that I love so dearly."
Within the heart of this nonconformist, the aspiration is plainly to bring the accordion back to the world stage with a proper, serious reputation. Personally speaking, Yang Fan took up his chosen instrument at a very young age, but only after a great struggle with his musical parents, who saw no future in accordion playing.
Yet things weren't always so bleak for this instrument. The accordion enjoyed a glorious era in China during the revolutionary period of the early 20th century, with the accordion's popularity closely linked with its practicality. Since the accordion is able to play melody, harmony and rhythm, this means that just one instrument could take on the duties of a whole band. However, as times changed and cultural competition emerged, this one-band instrument found itself about as highly regarded as a one-man band. While other western ideas swept through China, and even folk music prospered, the accordion began to lose ground. The problem has partly been one of perception, with many considering the accordion unsuitable for grand occasions. On the other hand, our young artist, Yang Fan, sees no major division between high- and low-brow music.
"I believe that a true artist will only care that the public can understand his music. Why care so much about these terms classical and modern, high-brow and low-brow? So long as your music can really touch the audience, then it's good music."
Based on this belief, Yang's last audience heard a whole array of music, whether Chinese or Western, classical or modern, and ranging from Bizet to revolutionary ballet with The Red Detachment of Women.
Backstage at the concert, Yang Fan admits that the accordion does have some innate limitations, but he attaches greater blame to accordion players for its deflated position.
"I think that the problem sometimes resides within us. Many of us are too secluded within our own little world. Many of us see ourselves only as accordion players; we don't see accordion playing as an art form. This narrow outlook has prevented us from cooperating and interacting with other musical instruments and art forms, leaving in us in our present state. But for me, if we cooperate with other music instruments, we can accommodate the accordion's limitations and provide it with a wider scope for development."
Like many talented, outspoken musicians, Yang Fan is seen as a controversial figure, and has even been condemned by some as a rebel who enjoys going against the current trends.
The controversy over me is that some think I over-exaggerated in my performance and body language. Also, they think that my playing skills are not so good according to their own standards. In my opinion, music conveys emotion, and body language comes naturally with the flow of emotion, yet our traditional methods tell us to sit quietly when playing our music. In skill, our orthodox method stresses forceful punching of the keys, but such an unnatural technique won' produce an easy flow of music. In fact, that method nearly killed my passion for music when I was a student. My current approach is for my fingers to naturally fall upon the keys, using a rhythm in conjunction with my breathing pattern. As a result, playing the accordion has become pure enjoyment for me."
We're no judges of musical skill, but Yan Fan's performance is romantic and passionate, as well as meticulous in its detail. When Yang Fan performs, he's totally submerged in his own music world, with eyes shut for most of the concert. If you close your own eyes, his music maybe submerge you too, and leave you wondering how a simple accordion can detail such great emotions.
Apart from his own on-going fight against the orthodox, Yang Fan is also trying to build up something of a following. As a music teacher, he only gives lessons to individual students, whom he teaches using discoveries made during his own difficult journey. He also teaches according to each kid's talent and ability, allowing them to make mistakes, but helping them to deal with any problems they encounter.
"I don't want my pupils to repeat what I experienced when I was at music conservatory. I don't want them to feel that pained when learning music, because learning music should be a form of enjoyment."
Such is the character of Yang Fan, a brave young man who no doubt has even more daring plans ahead. Whatever his future course, we wish him success, although considering his final words, his confidence far outstrips our mere wishes.
"Now I'm more and more confident with the road that I've embarked on in the learning of accordion music. I feel that I will do better and better if I continue along in this way."
(CRI August 12, 2005)
