On New Year's Day 2024, Tao Siyao, a famous composer who lives in Beijing, was very happy to hear that there were two snowstorms before the New Year in his hometown of Nanjing, "If I were in Nanjing, I saw the snowflakes that fluttered one after another, so that the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties was covered in silver, and I would definitely write songs with passion again......He chatted with his friends in Nanjing in **, and his hearty laughter came from time to time on the other end.
A few days after the New Year's Eve, Tao Siyao will usher in his 80th birthday and the 62nd anniversary of joining the army. People are old, easy to get nostalgic, aging is irresistible, but the feeling and value of looking at life is irresistible. Besides, as a composer, his emotions are richer than ordinary people, and his experiences are more exciting.
Tao Siyao is an old friend of mine, and I heard a few days ago that he was overworked and admitted to the hospital, so I went to visit him. Who knew that as soon as they met, he talked eloquently, talked about art and life, and was excited. What is this like a sick number?It was as if there was an old urchin standing in front of him. I asked him: "After New Year's Day, it is your 80th birthday, and it is the 62nd anniversary of joining the army, do you have any plans?"Mrs. Tao and lyricist Zhang Tao, who was sitting on the side, said to me with a smile: "We have planned for a long time to compile and publish 100 songs from his second collection of songs, "The Land of China". He has sorted out 5 topics, "Singing China", "Deep Love in the Strait", "Military Love", "Jiangnan Rhyme", "Echo of the Years", and is currently sorting out his 6th topic "Splendid Jinling". It plans to launch its digital version of the calendar on New Year's Day 2024 to return to his beloved hometown of Nanjing!”
In the blink of an eye, we have entered the Year of the Dragon.
Talking about creation: "Nanjing is the root of my life and the soul of art".
Tao Siyao was born in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province in 1944, his ancestral home is Dangtu, Anhui Province, and he is a descendant of Tao Yuanming's second son in Wuliutang.
He has loved ** since he was a child, and graduated from the High School Affiliated to Nanjing University of the Arts (violin major) and Shanghai ** University (composition major). Later, he became a famous military composer and a member of the league. He successively served as the director and artistic director of the choreographer office of the former Nanjing Military Region Frontline Song and Dance Troupe. He is a member of the Creation Committee of the Chinese Association of Nationals, a distinguished professor, the first batch of national first-class composers, and the first batch of special allowance recipients.
Tao Lao's brilliance was written from the song "Mo Chou, Mo Chou" and the dance ** "Water Town Sending Grain".
Back in 1984, at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, singer Zhu Mingying's song "Mo Chou, Mo Chou" was euphemistic and beautiful, and it spread overnight. This work, composed by He Dongjiu and composed by Tao Siyao, began its journey and became a shining city card of Nanjing.
So far, he has created and published nearly 2,000 works of various kinds, of which 200 (parts) have won awards in national, military and provincial competitions. He has won the national "Five One Project" award three times, and has won the first prize of the national army for many times. The main representative works include the songs "The Land of China", "Mo Chou, Mo Chou", "Flag", "Song of the Sun", "Chinese Roots", "I Follow the Motherland 121" and so onDance** "Water Town Sending Grain", "Chen Xi and Chunni", etc.;Large-scale vocal suites "Hard Bone Six Consecutive Battle Flag Red", "Thousands of Miles Leaping into Dabie Mountain", "Towards New Glory" and so on. Published the first episode of "Tao Siyao's Selected Songs" and 13 CDs of his personal works. More than 20 songs have been compiled into the vocal music textbooks of major domestic universities.
In 2007, Tao Lao's masterpiece "The Land of China" was selected as the designated repertoire of the Tchaikovsky International Vocal Competition. Tao Siyao's personal entries have been included in the "List of China's Greatest Artists" and "Who's Who of Chinese Contemporary Artists". He presided over the planning and participated in the creation of dozens of theatrical evenings of various contents, styles and forms, and served as the director of many galas in 1985 and 1992, and served as the director of the CCTV Spring Festival Lantern Festival Gala twice, and served as the chief judge three times in the all-army art show. In the army, he was awarded a second-class merit once and a third-class merit five times.
A few years ago, Tao Siyao and his wife took a group photo in front of the "Weigang Compound".
Tao Lao has lived in the "Weigang Compound" where the Frontline Art Troupe of the Political Department of the former Nanjing Military Region took root for 61 years, and has a special and deep affection for Nanjing, and almost most of his works have flowed from the "Weigang Compound" to the whole country and to thousands of households. His works sing about the motherland, the party, the hometown, the people, and the soldiers, leaving countless classics.
Talking about life experience: Seven generations have lived in Nanjing for a long time
When it comes to family history, Tao Lao is very proud. He said: "In 1864, my great-grandfather Tao Youren followed Zeng Guofan into the city of Nanjing, and since then he has settled in Nanjing, which has been counted for seven generations. Zeng Guofan built the Jinling Book Office in Yecheng Mountain, which made Nanjing again become a cultural center in the Jiangnan region and even the whole country at that time. I grew up in Jinxiufang in the south of the city, according to the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", this is the only way for Hua Tuo to go to Diaoyutai to treat people. When I was a child, I often frolicked in Confucius Temple, Mochou Lake, Chaotian Palace and other places. I remember when I was seven or eight years old, because I had no money to buy a ticket, I went into the Confucius Temple Theater, and I was excited about the first performance of Yan Fengying, the master of Huangmei Opera. That's why I love my hometown so much. At that time, the songs of Nanjing were written without pay, and when the passion came, I immediately started writing and almost all the scenic spots in Nanjing were written into songs......”
On August 1, 2019, in the renovated and reopened Mochou Lake Park in Nanjing, there was another collection of modern celebrities. In a display case on the right side of the hall, there is an introduction by Tao Lao and more than 10 pieces of his collection. He donated the text and score information of the song "Mo Chou, Mo Chou" and the six songs of "Love in Mochou Lake", different versions of the record tapes, award certificates and precious handkerchiefs printed with the song "Mo Chou Ah Mo Chou" to the park's permanent collection, adding a new cultural landmark to Mochou Lake Park.
After Tao Lao retired, he traveled to Nanjing, Beijing, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other places every year, and the best creation that has been integrated into his bones has become the daily life of his life, and the pace of creation has never stopped, and the original intention of serving the people has never changed. In his words, it is "my second life, from the past to the present day, and forever."Life is the source of my creation, I will always follow it, and I will always stick to it. ”
Talking about the calendar: Nanjing will always be the song in his heart
To make the "2024 "Splendid Jinling" Electronic ** Calendar, Tao Lao took a lot of effort, first to find out the manuscript of all the more than 30 songs written in Nanjing, and then scrutinize, modify, and review them one by one, and finally select the 12 songs required for the calendar. It is also according to Tao Lao's life footprints - he lived in the Mochou Lake area of Confucius Temple in his childhood;When he was a teenager, he studied at Dingjiaqiao Nanyi High School on the shore of Xuanwu LakeWhen he was young, he joined the army and went to work in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing.
In the electronic calendar, the songs from January to December are arranged as follows:
January: "Jinling Spring Morning" lyrics He Dongjiu, composer Tao Siyao, singing Cao Lin.
February: Tao Siyao, the lyrics and music of "Trouble in Qinhuai", sang by Yu Qing and Li Yuesheng.
March: "Plum Blossoms on Plum Blossom Mountain" lyrics Ge Xun, composer Tao Siyao, singing: Zhang Huiyong, Gao Yi, Qian Kun, Song Yin, Zhang Yan.
April: Tao Siyao, the lyrics and song of "Meet at Xuanwu Lake", sang Zhu Hong.
May: "Mo Chou Smoke and Rain" lyrics Chen Teming, Chen Xilou, composer Tao Siyao, singing Qian Lin.
June: "I Love You, Nanjing's Boulevard" was written by Xiang Tong, composed by Tao Siyao, and sang Xiang Xuwen.
July: Tao Siyao, the lyrics and song of "White Clouds Drifting Over the Purple Mountain", sang Su Yun.
August: "Hometown Alley" lyrics Huang Shuzi, composer Tao Siyao, singing Cai Honghong.
September: Ge Xun was the lyricist of "Jinling Love", Tao Siyao was the composer, and the song was virtuous.
October: "Nanjing Welcome Song" lyrics Red Moon, Tao Siyao, composer Tao Siyao, sung by Yu Qing.
November: Tao Siyao, lyrics and song of "New Style of Nanjing Ancient City", sang Ye Fan.
December: "Mo Chou, Mo Chou" lyrics He Dongjiu, composer Tao Siyao, singing Zhu Hong, Liu Gang.
This ** calendar is the crystallization of his long-term accumulation and historical precipitation. It created a successful model of Nanjing authors writing about Nanjing and Nanjing singers singing Nanjing.
Talking about the future: inheritance and innovation are eternal pursuits
Tao Lao said affectionately: "* Creation should be serious and rigorous, meticulous, and not in a hurry for quick success." Every note is an expression of truth, goodness and beauty, and every melody is the flow of love from the bottom of my heart. He pinned his hopes on the future, the back waves of the Yangtze River pushed the front waves, Jiangsu talents came out in large numbers, and there was great hope for his career. At the end of the interview, Tao Lao took out the new word he had just written, "Ah!".Nanjing, Nanjing", as a New Year's message to share with friends:
Heaven and earth love you Leave mountains and forests The Yangtze River is attached to you Breed wealth and civilization You are the world-famous ancient capital of the Six Dynasties After all the vicissitudes of life are still young Ah Nanjing, Nanjing;
Mountains and rivers and forests grow up with me You are the brightest star in the hearts of your children The spring breeze blows you Leaves a sweet song Zhongshan embraces you Full of infinite affection You have the people of Nanjing who forge ahead and innovate Playing the strong voice of the new era Ah Nanjing Nanjing;
Mountains and rivers, cities and forests move forward with me You are the eternal longing in the hearts of your children!
Written by Liang Ping (*Courtesy of Zhang Tao).