Scott No: -
Serial number: 2010-19
Values in set: 4
Denomination: 810 fen
Date of issue: July 25, 2010
Designer: Wang Huming
Size of stamp: 44 * 33 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 12
Size of sheet: 202 * 160 mm
Printing process: engraving and offset
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

On July 25, 2010, the commemorative stamp "Foreign Musicians (I)" (catalog number 2010-19) was officially issued, coinciding with the 29th World Conference on Music Education held in Beijing. The set consists of four stamps with face values of 1.20 yuan, 1.20 yuan, 1.20 yuan, and 4.50 yuan respectively, for a total face value of 8.10 yuan. The stamps were designed by Wang Huming, with original paintings by Li Zhihong, engraving by Danish engraver Martin Mørck, and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works using a combination of offset and intaglio (engraving) printing.

This set is China Post's first stamp issue dedicated to foreign musicians, featuring four milestone masters of Western classical music: Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. They represent the entire development of Western music, from the Baroque period, through the early Classical period, to the peak of the Classical period and the dawn of Romanticism. The stamps present portraits of these musical giants, promoting Sino-foreign musical exchange and popularizing classical music. A subsequent issue, "Foreign Musicians (II)," was later released, forming a complete thematic series.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background:

Bach

Image: A half-length portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach, with faint musical score fragments in the background.
History: Bach is revered as the "Father of Western Music." As a culminating composer of the German Baroque period, he synthesized musical styles from across Europe, composing numerous organ works and cantatas that laid the foundation for later Western music.

Haydn

Image: Portrait of Franz Joseph Haydn.
History: Austrian composer, known as the "Father of the Symphony" and the "Father of the String Quartet." He established the structural norms for classical symphonies and quartets, and was a foundational figure of the Classical school.

Mozart

Image: Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
History: Austrian prodigy composer and the culmination of Classical music. His works span operas, symphonies, concertos, and various other genres, characterized by pure and elegant melodies.

Beethoven

Image: Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven.
History: German composer, a pivotal figure connecting the Classical and Romantic eras. Despite his declining hearing, he continued to compose, producing works imbued with a spirit of struggle that greatly expanded the intellectual depth of music.

Artistic and Design Features:

Format: Uniform vertical portrait format, with consistent composition across the four stamps, providing strong coordination as a set.
Technical Highlight: The stamps were engraved by the internationally renowned engraver Martin Mørck, with fine detail and a sketch-like quality.
Design Details: The background of each stamp features faint patterns from the composer's representative works, along with a replica of the composer's signature.
Narrative Logic: The composers are arranged in chronological order, clearly presenting the development of Western classical music.

This stamp set is the first issue in New China dedicated to foreign musicians, and its cross-national engraving collaboration holds special technical significance. It covers Western classical music and Sino-foreign cultural and artistic exchange. Available in multiple formats including stamp set, large sheet, and stamp booklet, it can be collected together with "Foreign Musicians (II)," making it a core issue for thematic collections on music and foreign figures.