At 8 p.m. on September 6, the Macao Orchestra opened its new season with the concert "In Mo Yang and the Macao Orchestra" at the Macao Cultural Centre. Before the formal performance began, Professor Dingcheng Dai delivered a forty-five-minute pre-concert talk. Addressing both professional musicians and general audiences, he introduced the program in an engaging and accessible manner, heightening anticipation and enthusiasm for the evening's performance.

Drawing on his profound musicological expertise, Professor Dai organized the talk into nine distinct sections. He began with a comparative analysis of five works, each representing a different stylistic approach, and encouraged audience participation through interactive Q&A sessions. He placed particular emphasis on the nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage Dishui Nanyin, using it as a lens to trace Macao's musical development—from local traditions to the Greater Bay Area, to the national stage, and ultimately the international arena—a progression that underscored the cultural depth and historical continuity of Macao's musical heritage.

The lecture then transitioned seamlessly into a macro-level overview of Western art history. Professor Dai selected representative musical and artistic works from each historical period, outlining a clear trajectory from medieval modes to the establishment of the Western major–minor tonal system, and ultimately to the twentieth-century deconstruction of tonality. He introduced major genres such as symphonic music, chamber music, and musical theater, juxtaposing them with visual artworks to provide the audience with a comprehensive understanding of music's evolution within an interdisciplinary framework.

During his discussion of symphonic genres and orchestral instrumentation, Professor Dai systematically outlined the structural framework and orchestration features of the evening's repertoire. Using Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor as a case study, he offered a detailed analysis of the contrasts between movements and the logical progression of thematic material. Through this exemplar-based approach, he helped non-specialist listeners develop a holistic understanding of musical structure, deepening their appreciation of the formal elegance and aesthetic significance inherent in symphonic works.

He then turned to a concise yet illuminating analysis of three works by Joseph Maurice Ravel featured in the program. Using highly synthesized language, he offered clear listening guidance: in Boléro, he underscored how the entire piece is built upon a single rhythmic motif and theme, revealing its striking singularity and underlying tension; in Pavane pour une infante défunte, he guided listeners to appreciate Ravel's exquisite orchestration, contrasting it with Gabriel Fauré's work of the same title to highlight their distinct approaches to musical color; and in Daphnis et Chloé, he emphasized the orchestration's dazzling variety and imaginative scope, immersing the audience in Ravel's radiant sound palette. He concluded with a succinct and insightful summary of the stylistic characteristics of both Mendelssohn's and Ravel's works, further heightening anticipation for the concert.

Although the talk lasted only forty-five minutes, it was densely packed with insight and presented with remarkable clarity. Professor Dai skillfully used humor and wit to demystify the rigor and abstraction of music theory, transforming complex concepts into vivid and accessible explanations. His approach created a relaxed atmosphere while maintaining both scholarly depth and popular appeal. The lecture not only provided audiences with systematic musical context and aesthetic guidance but also highlighted the vital role of academics in public cultural events, adding depth and intellectual substance to the overall concert experience.

(The author Yaqin Zhang is a PhD candidate in Musicology at the City University of Macau, Class of 2025)