作品文字稿
标题
Universal language helps warm relations（基督教圣地的和平之音）
ROME: Music, a universal expression that transcends languages and differences - it is a view many attending the first concert performed by Chinese musicians for the Pope at the Vatican on Wednesday could agree with.
Under the baton of Chinese conductor Yu Long, the stars of the concert held at the Paul VI Audience Hall were the China Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shanghai Opera House chorus, along with Chinese soprano Rao Lan, mezzo soprano Cao Zheng, tenor Zhang Jianyi and baritone Gong Dongjian, who gave a rendition of Mozart's Requiem and Chinese folksong Jasmine.
"Music is a unique, universal language which can help people from different nations, races and cultures to understand and respect each other," Pope Benedict XVI said in his address to the audience after the concert.
The Pope then walked to the audience and cordially shook hands with Deng Rong, head of the Chinese music delegation and vice president of China Association for International Friendly Contact, Chinese Ambassador to Italy, Sun Yuxi, and the Foreign Ministry's deputy director general of European affairs, Liu Haixing.
"The arts are the treasure of the whole of mankind," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday at a regular press conference.
"We believe this (concert) helps enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and the Europeans," Qin said.
"The concert could be a good beginning to open dialogue between China and the Vatican," said Bernard Francis Law, the archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four major Catholic basilicas of Rome.
"It is an important event and useful for improving the relationship between the Vatican and China," said Vittoria Mancini, president of Association Italy and China.
Based in Rome, Association Italy and China was founded in 1963 and currently has about 2,000 members. They organize cultural and business events to promote the friendship between the two countries.
Before the Wednesday concert at the Vatican, Annick de Kermadec-Bentzmann, general manager of BNP Paribas Corporate & Investment Banking Shanghai Branch, told China Daily that she had attended a concert by the orchestra under the baton of Yu, at the St. Ignatius Cathedral in Shanghai on April 8.
A Catholic herself, Annick de Kermadec-Bentzmann was so moved by the music that when she knew the orchestra was slated to perform at the Vatican, she tried to get an invitation and headed from Paris to Rome.
"The orchestra gave a wonderful concert at Shanghai's church. Mozart's Requiem is a perfect choice for a religious venue. What's more, it is such a historic event for China - it indicates a new phrase of the relationship between the Vatican and the country," she said.
Rita Sergio, an accountant with the Italian insurance company Fondieria, was one of the 7,000 ordinary Catholics invited to the concert.
"I feel happy to get the invitation because it is a rare opportunity to understand Chinese people, their culture, and the way they think," she said.
Two years ago, Sergio herself studied in a language school located in a Chinese community in Rome. She made friends with a number of Chinese and read many books about the country.
"In my mind, China used to be an old country in the Far East and not open to other people. But in last two years, I have realized that many things are changing there and Chinese are quite involved in the international scene," Sergio said.
Like ping-pong diplomacy
The Vatican concert is now being compared with the ping-pong diplomacy between the United States and China in the 1970s. As Foreign Ministry Qin Gang said yesterday, the country is willing to improve relations with the Vatican.
"We hope to continue constructive dialogues with the Vatican side based on related principles and push for the normalization of the bilateral relations."
"I am very happy if our concert can be a step to improving the relationship between the Vatican and China. Music goes beyond religions and languages to help people understand each other. I hope people can understand, through the concert, that today's China is very much
involved in international culture," said conductor Yu Long, 44.
The success of the concert came despite its formal announcement a week ago, which was considered short notice for both musicians and people involved in preparations.
Guido Rainaldi, director of the Paul VI Audience Hall, said he officially got the news only two weeks ago.
"The concert sends the message that the Pope would like to open the doors of his home to China and listen to music performed by Chinese musicians. This is definitely a sign that the Pope is available for dialogue with China," Rainaldi told China Daily on Tuesday afternoon,
when the orchestra rehearsed at the Audience Hall.
While the notice was short, the initiation of the historic visit could actually date back to December 2004, when the orchestra made its first appearance under the baton of Yu in Rome.
Li Nan, deputy director of the orchestra, said a number of high government officials from Italy attended that concert in Rome and suggested that the Chinese orchestra should perform at the Vatican.
Yu has since made every effort to make that a reality. But some have said that has been hard to realize because of the religious and political conditions, and the sensitive relationship between the Vatican and China.
The first turning point came in November 2006, during the Beijing Music Festival, when the China Philharmonic Orchestra and the Choir of Teatro La Fenice performed Mozart's Requiem at Beijing's St. Joseph's Church (Dongtang Cathedral) in the commercial street of Wangfujing - the first time an orchestra performed in a church in China.
Yu and Li visited Chinese cardinal Fu Tianshan (1931-2007) in hospital to get approval to hold the concert. Fu and a number of government officials, including former vice-premier Wu Yi and former state councilor Chen Zhili, attended that concert.
"That concert opened up the area," said Li, adding that the performance in Shanghai's St.
Ignatius Cathedral on April 8 also helped pave the way.
Ye Xiaowen, head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, attended the concert in Shanghai.
译文：
基督教圣地的和平之音
—— 记中国爱乐乐团在梵蒂冈的破冰之旅
中国日报消息：罗马：音乐作为人类共享的表达方式，能够超越语言和文化差异，这得到了那些欣赏了周三中国音乐家为教皇本笃十六世举行的首场演出的观众们的一致认同。
在中国爱乐乐团音乐总监余隆的指挥下，中国爱乐乐团、上海歌剧院合唱团以及女高音饶岚、女中音曹峥、男高音张建一和男中音龚冬健联袂在梵蒂冈城的保罗六世大厅演出了莫扎特的《安魂曲》和中国民歌《茉莉花》。
在音乐会结束时教宗发表了简短的讲话，他说：“音乐是一个特殊而又全球通用的语言，能够帮助来自不同国度、种族和文化的人们相互理解和尊重”。
然后，教宗走到观众中间，诚挚地与中国音乐家代表团团长、中国国际友好联络会副会长邓榕、中国驻意大利大使孙玉玺和外交部欧洲司副司长刘海星一一握手。
音乐会的第二天，中国外交部发言人秦刚在例行新闻发布会上表示，中国爱乐乐团在梵蒂冈城的演出是一次成功的民间文化交流，有助于加强中欧人民相互了解，增进友谊。秦刚说，艺术是全人类共同的财富，音乐可以架起沟通的桥梁。“我们祝贺这次演出取得圆满成功，我们认为这将有助于加强中欧人民之间的了解，增进相互之间的友谊。”罗马四大天主教堂之一的圣玛丽亚教堂的主教伯纳德·佛朗西斯· 劳在音乐会后接受中国日报采访时表示，这将成为中梵双方友好对话的一个良好开端。
应邀参加这场音乐会的意大利中国友好协会的主席维多莉亚·曼菁妮女士说，“这不是一场普通的音乐会。它有助于改善中国和梵蒂冈之间的关系。”总部位于罗马的意大利中国友好协会成立于1963年，每年定期组织双向的文化经济交流活动。目前会员超过2000人。
法国巴黎银行上海分行行长甘安懿女士今年4月8日曾经在上海听过余隆指挥中国爱乐在静安天主教堂演出的莫扎特《安魂曲》，并深受感动。她本人是天主教徒，又有四分之一中国血统，因此听说中国爱乐要来梵蒂冈的消息后，就直接从巴黎飞过来听。演出结束后甘安懿对中国日报记者说，“演出太感人了。安魂曲本身就是很适合这种场所的宗教音乐。而且，这场音乐会对中国有特殊意义。”
在罗马一家保险公司做会计的瑞塔·瑟乔是音乐会现场数以千计的意大利普通教徒之一。她说这是个了解中国人民以及中国文化和思维方式的难得的机会。两年前，她曾经在罗马一个华人社区的语言学校学过一段时间中文，在那里交了很多中国朋友，还读了一些关于中国的书。她说，“以前我以为中国只是在远东地区一个古老而封闭的国家。自从在华人社区生活学习了一段时间后，我了解到，中国正在发生很大变化，他们在很多方面很国际化。”
中国爱乐在梵蒂冈成功演出后，很多人联想到七十年代的中美乒乓外交。
秦刚表示，中方愿意改善中梵关系，并一直为之积极努力。他说：“我们愿在有关基本原则的基础上同梵方进一步开展建设性对话，推动双边关系朝着正常化的方向取得进展”。
作为此次梵蒂冈之行的策划者和主要参与者之一，演出成功结束后，余隆的心情久久不能平静，他在接受中国日报采访时说，“我很荣幸指挥中国的乐团和歌唱家为教皇演出。音乐超越了任何宗教，文化，语言，它让不同国家不同背景的人们互相理解。这场音乐会注定将载入中国现代音乐和外交的史册，很荣幸，我们能亲历这一历史时刻。”
出于各方面原因，中国爱乐的梵蒂冈之行在出发前一周才对外宣布，不过，演出仍然获得成功。
保罗六世大厅的负责人吉尔多·雷纳尔蒂告诉记者，他本人也是两周前才得到该音乐会的消息。“音乐会传达了这样的信息，就是教宗本笃十六世愿意向中国打开大门。聆听中国音乐家演奏的音乐本身说明教宗愿意与北京对话。”
尽管演出消息公布的很晚，中方为此所做的准备其实可以追溯到2004年12月，余隆和中国爱乐在罗马为意大利议会演出。中国爱乐的副团长李南告诉记者，当时很多意大利议会和政府的高官出席了音乐会，有人建议他们到梵蒂冈为教皇演出，认为这是改善梵蒂冈和北京关系的有效途径。李南和余隆都认为这是个好主意，但是真正实施起来遇到了很多阻力。“毕竟中梵双方关系敏感，涉及到政治，宗教等问题，操作起来决不是一次普通的出国巡演。”李南说。
转折点出现在2006年11月的北京国际音乐节。作为艺术总监，余隆特意策划了一场音乐会在王府井教堂演出。由他指挥中国爱乐和意大利凤凰歌剧院合唱团联袂演出莫扎特的《安魂曲》。为此，李南和余隆专程去医院拜访了当时正病重住院的中国天主教爱国会主席、北京教区主教傅铁山，得到他的许可在王府井教堂演出。在中国大陆这是第一次在教堂举行正式的音乐会。傅铁山本人和很多当时的政府高级官员包括国务院副总理吴仪和国务委员陈至立都应邀出席了音乐会。
2006年的王府井教堂音乐会开中国教堂音乐会之先河，此后2008年4月在上海静安天主教堂的演出又进一步为后来的梵蒂冈之旅铺平了道路。国家宗教事务局局长叶小文出席了静安教堂音乐会。
