Is Wang Guangqi the pioneer of comparative musicology in China?

A survey of the music tradition: Xiao,, and love the national music culture, but return to the survey of the value and significance of China traditional music culture from the western perspective, which is also the beginning of China traditional music research.

I studied in Germany as a child, and in 19 16, I got my Ph.D. in the University of Leipzig, Germany with the thesis "The Historical Development of Chinese Orchestra before 17 century". Xiao became the first person in Europe for China to receive a doctorate in musicology. This paper not only sorts out a lot of blank research data, but also sorts out a vein of the development of Chinese traditional musical instruments, and the purpose of writing this paper is clear, hoping to analyze the problems and shortcomings in the development of Chinese traditional musical instruments through his knowledge of comparative musicology in Europe. He talked about the imperial dynasty's interference with music rule and social unrest, "the rejection of conservative ethicists", "the failure to promote the development of conservatory education at all", and the lack of advanced acoustics, notation and polyphonic music composition technology. Finally, he pointed out that "the people of China are very musical, and if China's musical instruments are perfected according to European technology, there is also the possibility of continuous development". "I hope that one day, for China, music will usher in a new era of development and gain a new life of ancient music on the premise of retaining China's feelings. This kind of music has become the property of the people of China and will always become property. " [3]

In a real sense, it is Wang Guangqi who China scholars learn the methods of western comparative musicology and put them into practice. In the 1920s, Wang Guangqi studied in Germany, studied under Horn Postel, an important figure of Berlin School, and was influenced by comparative musicology. 1925 Writing oriental music in Germany. In this book, Wang Guangqi introduced what he thought was "the three major music systems in the world", namely, the music systems of China, Greece and Persia. He made a comparative study of these three music systems through a large number of music materials. [4] This is the first time that China scholars have investigated China's music in the scope of world music with a comparative method. Its purpose is different from the "evolutionism" thought advocated by Berlin School, but it is expected that through this comparative research method, Chinese people can fully understand the characteristics of China music and the differences with other national music, so as to revitalize the development of traditional music in China. This idea is clearly stated in the preface of "Research on the Music System of the East and the West" written by 1924. He said, "I'm going to climb the top of Kunlun Mountain and play the yellow bell method to make the music blood of China people boil again. I will let me dream of' young China people' day and night, and it will float in front of us. "