Colin Attard, artistic director of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music and musical director of the Gaulitanus Choir, recollects this summer’s cultural visit to the Guang Xi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China – as part of the Malta China Cultural Centre’s 2019 Partnership Programme. Gaulitana was one of four partners, along with the Culture Ministry, Heritage Malta and Times of Malta.

As a musician, I can safely recall this as being a Symphonie Fantastique. Indeed, “iż-żjara ta’ dal-Ewropew insinifikanti”, meaning ‘the visit of this insignificant European’ – as Albert Marshall claimed in his cycle of poems echoing this particular China tour (which I hope to be able to set to music) – turned out to be a fantastic symphonic epic in all senses.

The trip, with its three flights each way, seemed to frame the cycle of several movements of the actual programme in Guang Xi with a prelude and a postlude – each in three unequal, yet complementary parts, with two relatively shorter outer ones enveloping a very extended middle one.

The various movements, or legs, of the programme, covering a seemingly unending territory, were then linked by rather extensive interludes: the rather long transfers by coach, during which we, the performers of this unfolding symphony, could relax, get to know each other better, enjoy the beauty of the sights or, as in any symphonic work, take a rest. Truly, the overall structure of the programme made it look like a complex, yet highly organised symphonic form.

The members of the orchestra, us, were divided in two groups – rather than in four, as per standard symphony orchestra: those following the Partnership Programme and those forming the Creative Art Project. While most participants came from different backgrounds, several having never ‘performed’ together before, gradually all found time and space to let their instruments resonate with their very own individual tones.

As days passed by, the empathy between the various players became ever more natural, resulting in a nicely blended sound projected through the varied orchestral palette. I would rather leave it to the organisers to proclaim which group sounded like the more boisterous brass section or the more lyrical string section. Yet I feel that one of the big successes of this venture was the eventual beautiful blending of the various individuals into one well-rehearsed orchestra.

The role of an orchestra is to discover a score, explore it, react to it and bring it to life, led by a conductor who guides throughout. In our case, the latter was the knowledgeable and likeable local girl Tora (officially Chen Donglin). Through her leadership, the orchestra could interpret this longish symphonic score in a creditable way.

An acute climax: A breathtaking view in mid-air at the Tian Men Shan ecological scenic spot.

A predominant leitmotif in the score was surely nature. The untampered natural sites with their exceptionally beautiful panoramas and landscapes provided some acute climaxes. The multitude of charming characteristic hilly, tooth-like peaks sharply contrasted with the im­mense mountains – which seemed to be a world where anyone would feel at one with nature and tempt to transform a soliloquy into a dialogue just by playing a few notes on the softest of oriental flutes and wait to perceive nature’s reverberating echoed replies. These would make up a pastorale movement par excellence within this fantastic symphony; truly a sublime, peaceful and serene andante pastorale.

Yet, natural phenomena didn’t stop there. Nature aptly kept reminding all that nothing can beat its artistic prowess. This was re­peatedly evident in the im­mense ancient caves, with their millennia-old stalactites and stalagmites, or the beautifully-shaped stones of all sizes recovered from the seabed after having been sculpted by mother nature for thousands of years, or the lakes, rivers and canals, or the rising rice fields resembling a perfectly-tiered theatre. Indeed, nature’s creative process was only a complete exploitation of all tonal, rhythmic and structural nuances which a great composer can perhaps only dream of.

This enormous contrast is perhaps what makes the symphonic palette that is China so different to others

Passing from one episode to another of this seamless symphony, one could not bypass or underestimate the significant role played by the people: the inhabitants, par­ticu­larly the various ethnic groups. Those living in the detached rural arias continuously transmit a warm tone, happily projected through their simply old-fashioned lifestyle, still unperturbed by the quick tempos, polyrhythms and cacophonic strains of more contemporary ways of life.

A perfectly-tiered theatre: The terraced rice fields at the remote Jin Ken Hong Yao.

While still doing what is expected from them, including the fairer sex, who impressively also indulge in strenuous jobs in the fields, their assai calmo e a piacere mode, re­mains very much in harmony with nature’s rhythmic order and hence so nice to witness. Of course, this provides a stark contrast to life in the much busier city centres, where undoubtedly complex rhythmic patterns in tempi vivaci and in ongoing different meters are the order of the day. Yet, this enormous contrast is perhaps what makes the symphonic palette that is China so different to others. More so when one of the key strengths of the country are the people in their huge numbers.

This incredible manpower phenomenon was surely manifest in the shows attended. Arguably, the most stunning was the one on the Li River, in which the stage and backdrop are providentially provided by nature itself, namely the river with the hilly crests in the background.

The immeasurable crowds of people who participated in the show make Berlioz’s or Mahler’s works look rather like miniatures – quite a blow for traditional perceptions from us Westerners. To achieve that, the production mingles professional artists with local folk who relish the opportunity to earn some extra money through artistic endeavours in the evening.

Created by a world-class director, the end-result is a grandiose show. Contrasting spaces, sounds, patterns, colours, imagery and emotions are permutated in an incredibly inventive and fresh way; details are perfectly synchronised and all is communicated with such an ease to a most receptive audience. Again, one wonders where western productions of grand operas or musical theatre, which we perceive as majestic, would rank.

The ‘orchestra’: The author (fourth from left) with the other partners and artists together with CCC director Yang Xiaolong (second from right) at the Fatwawilo Asian Legend.

Another often-met-with theme in this symphonic score clearly transmitted the idea of antiquity and timelessness through a recurring reminiscence of old warriors, em­perors, dynasties and religious beliefs. This aura is somehow further enhanced by the old temples, tall and imposing pagodas and impressively-built wind and rain bridges – all man-made structures created to serve a purpose, perfect examples of how architecture can co-exist in synch with nature and spectacularly lit up in warm yellowish colours or red ones at night.

Musically-speaking, one can perhaps best visualise these perceptions by juxtaposing a never-ending lento quasi religioso section with an energetic allegro barbaro one, both expressed through the rather barren sounds of the old Chinese drums and gongs, and bamboo flutes – all simple instruments devoid of the more recent technical developments.

This does not mean that modern technology was absent from our symphonic score. It could not even be the case, considering that technological and industrial development has been a fast-developing reality, metamorphosing the whole social fabric and catapulting the country to unprecedented economic heights, indeed con tanto vigore.

Modern, state-of-the-art buildings in the urban areas are foremost exponents of contemporary architecture. In certain areas their juxtaposition with older structures resemble a symphonic orchestra whose traditional organico is augmented by electronic instruments.

Indeed, despite all good intentions, time cannot stand still. Perhaps, West Street in Yangshou was the best reminder of this. Change is a necessary evil, or blessing, de­pending on one’s views. Yet, as long as this is brought about in good taste, there should be little to re­criminate. Arguably, this perspective was best remonstrated during our night cruise on the Yong River in Nanning where old temples and buildings peacefully co-exist with high skyscrapers and other modern structures. Here, the fascinating symphony also becomes a splendid symphony of lights, fully utilising the whole gamut of tone colours.

Our Chinese Symphonie Fantastique must surely have weaved nature, history, culture, art, architecture, religion, languages and lifestyles within its dense symphonic textures, making all fit in one huge, captivating and fascinating opus. Undoubtedly, this made ‘the visit of th[ese] insignificant European[s]’ a memorable one!