Professor of Musicology John O. Robison's Newest Book Has Been Published
Professor of Musicology John O. Robison’s newest book has just appeared in print. Entitled Wang Xilin, Human Suffering, and Compositional Trends in Contemporary China, the book provides an in-depth examination of one of the most accomplished and controversial Chinese mainland composers, Wang Xilin (b. 1936). Growing up in poverty and the turmoil of the Sino-Japanese War, was either in prison or hard labor camps during the Cultural Revolution from 1964-1978, and could not begin to forge his unique compositional style until after 1980 when twentieth-century European music was first allowed into China. Wang Xilin is known for his compositions based on themes of the suffering individual and the governments who oppress them, a topic that has universal appeal. Published in large 8.5 x 11 format, the 240-page book includes 186 musical examples, which are supplemented by 51 mp3 excerpts available on a secure website available to book purchasers.