In Biographies and Notes: Chinese Music 20th Century and Beyond, Li Lanqing retells,
in an easy-to-understand language, the Chinese music renaissance that took place more
than 100 years ago through a set of chronologically arranged biographies, a style similar
to that of Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian (ca. 145- or 135-86 BC) of the
Former Han dynasty.
The book presents 18 modern Chinese composers who were born no later than 1912, active
in the first half of the 20th century, and are no longer around today. Some, like Nie Er, Xian
Xinghai, and He Luting, are household names whose songs and music are still being sung
and played today; the others, including Shen Xingong, Zeng Zhimin, and Huang Zi, may have
been closely studied by music scholars and students but remain largely obscure to ordinary
Chinese music lovers even though all of them were prominent figures in the Chinese music
scene during the first five decades of the 20th century. By retracing the life trajectories of
these music pioneers, the book offers a loosely structured yet highly fascinating historical
account of the modern Chinese music.