“挑不起崭新的思考就无法占有一席之地”

“挑不起崭新的思考就无法占有一席之地”

"WITHOUT BRAND NEW THINKING THERE WILL BE NO POSITION FOR YOU"

N=NIHAO

T=TAN DUN

N：How do you think it's possible to tell the story of the vast Eastern traditional culture through music? Are you afraid that it may be misinterpreted?

T: Music is not like Literature, nor painting, which use stories and visuals to present culture. Music is more about feelings, enlightenment and the communication of the soul. It's just like scanning a QR code, the message will be instantly presented. My music is never about “explanation”, but a very intuitive feeling. Sometimes when I spend such a long time in one place, suddenly a single piece of melody, or set of lyrics will just hit me. It is an abstract feeling, but also one that is most likely to touch people. Recently, Coco Lee performed the theme song that I wrote for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in the reality show “I'm a singer Ⅳ”.

The song was written 15 years ago, but when the music started, it brought back people's memories. So, I believe the function of fi lm music also includes preserving stories and pictures. This May, our“The Martial Arts Trilogy” concert in Guangzhouwill attempt to overlay three different languages of arts: literary texts, images and music. I believe the energy they produce will be enormous, and it will be a very unique experience.

N: Why do you think both East and West accept your music?

T: (Laughs) probably because I'm a very sensitive person, especially towards nature and emotions. I'm a bit like Li Bai, and a bit like Du Fu. Westerners could hear the air, the land, and the nature of the East in my music. They can also hear the emotions of the Chinese people. Like poetry, it has celebrations, but it also has joys, sorrows, angers, ect. It is just like when I fi rst heard Beethoven, I was so touched by his style that was so alien to me. When Westerners hear Yo Yo Ma's performance of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" for the fi rst time, they are transported to another world. This is what I believe really connects people.

N: Why do you think martial arts music can become a representation of Chinese music?

T: No-one has proposed "martial arts" music as a genre before. I think the aesthetics of Chinese music has a lot in common with traditional martial arts. For example, musicians believe in "silence as the best music" as Kung-fu masters believe that "no action as the best move". Taoists believe that "great music rarely makes a sound", and "a great image does not have a form". When Kung-fu masters prefer to have "endless" move after move, good music should be able to be heard even after three days, to haunt the listener. The philosophical, spiritual inclination, and even rhythms of traditional music have many similarities to martial arts.

N: You have often made unexpected "transboundary" pieces. Are you trying to make innovations in traditional music and culture intentionally?

T: For an artist, how big your heart is decides how vast a horizon you can reach. If you have a greater understanding of life, you will see more possibilities, accept more, and your perception will be broadened. Art is very demanding and stingy. If your sense of art and your creative vision isn't new, then you cannot provoke a new thought, nor a new national vision. Consequently, you will not have a place in art.

N: What is the "new" thing that you have recently perceived?

T: In this age of social networking, the most valuable things tend to be the most ancient things, preserved through history, whether it's art, technology, or concepts, such as "the harmony between heaven and man". The West is even more advanced in this area. Don't you think that the core concept of Steve Jobs is the epitome of the Oriental "Zen" culture? I have often observed the most prominent scientists, politicians, and artists in the West and noticed that for the most part, their thoughts are more or less ref l ected in the most ancient Chinese cultures and music. Much of western knowledge is based upon discoveries made in the east. Chinese culture has become a valuable inheritance of the human race, so we can't afford to lose it.

N：如何用音乐讲解博大的东方传统文化，会不会因跨文化被误读？

T：音乐不像文学、绘画要用文字的、视觉的方式呈现，它更偏向感觉、感悟，是灵魂的沟通。就像扫二维码一样，一扫就联通了信息。我的音乐从来不刻意去强调“讲解”，而是很直觉地去感受。有时，突然一句音乐出来，一句歌词出来，我的眼泪会大颗地落下、心扑通地跳。这种感动很抽象，但也最容易打动人。最近，李玟在《我是歌手4》的总决赛中，唱了我为《卧虎藏龙》作的主题曲《月光爱人》，获得冠军。这是15年前的歌，但是音乐一响，那些爱恨情仇马上回来了。原来，电影音乐是可以存储故事、存储画面的。我们这次5月在广州的《武侠三部曲》音乐会，尝试将三种语言叠加——文学、画面和音乐，这种能量很大，将会是一种非常不同的体验。

N：为什么东西方都能接受谭盾？

T：（笑）可能因为我是一个对自然、对情感都很敏锐的人，有点像李白，也有点像杜甫。西方人在我的音乐里，听到了东方的空气、大地、自然，也听到中国人的七情六欲。就像诗歌一样，它里面有歌舞升平，也有喜怒哀乐。我第一次听贝多芬时被从没有见过的情怀打动。外国人第一次听马友友拉《卧虎藏龙》，也触到并进入另一个世界。这都是通的。

N：武侠音乐为什么能成为东方音乐的代表之一？

T：武侠音乐以前一直没人提过。我认为，中国音乐的美学与武侠的传统，在精神层面有很多相似。比如“无声胜有声”和“无招胜有招”，比如“大音希声”，比如武功高手出手的后劲绵绵不绝，好音乐则是声声不断。……