- Yellow River Cantata
The "Yellow River Cantata" (Chinese:黄河大合唱
Pinyin : Huánghé Dàhéchàng) is acantata by Chinese composerXian Xinghai (1905–1945). Composed inYan'an in early 1939 during theSecond Sino-Japanese War , the work was inspired by a patrioticpoem byGuang Weiran , which was also adapted as the lyrics. Premiered onApril 13 of the same year in the Shanbei Gongxue Hall of Yan'an, the work soon spread to all parts ofChina and greatly inspired the people to take up arms againstJapan ese invaders.Historical background
According to official accounts by the
Communist Party of China , after the Chinese city ofWuhan fell toJapan ese invaders in November 1938, the poetGuang Weiran led the 3rd Squad of the Anti-Enemy Troupe across theYellow River near theHukou Waterfall and eastwards into the communist anti-Japanese headquarters inLüliang Mountains . During his journey, he witnessed the local boatmen battle against heavy gales and torrential waves, and heard their spirit-lifting songs.Upon reaching
Yan'an in January 1939, Guang wrote a patrioticpoem entitled "Yellow River" and recited it during theChinese New Year celebration. The poem spoke of the oppression of Chinese people under the invaders and called for all to take up arms to defend China.Xian Xinghai , who received education in theConservatoire de Paris and returned to China in 1935, was also present at the recital. He was greatly inspired to write acantata based on the poem.According to an account by Xian's daughter, he began work on the composition on
March 26 , and took merely four days to complete all eight movements. However, he was not satisfied with the Second and Sixth, which he took two more days to amend. Two weeks later, the cantata premiered in the Shanbei Gongxue Hall in Yan'an, performed by a forty-strongchoir and a primitiveorchestra conducted byWu Xiling . It soon spread to many parts of China and greatly inspired its listeners to participate in the Anti-Japanese War.Musical influence
The "Yellow River Cantata" laid the ground for Chinese contemporary large-scaled vocal music composition. In late 1960s, it was adapted into a
piano concerto entitled the "Yellow River Piano Concerto " by the pianistYin Chengzong . This arrangement, together with theviolin concerto "Liang Zhu " byHe Zhanhao andChen Gang , are the two best internationally known musical works that combined source materials that are purely Chinese with Western music methodology.Versions
There are altogether four different versions of the "Yellow River Cantata" that had been performed in public. The first was the initial composition by
Xian Xinghai while inYan'an . Accommodations were made for the lack ofmusical instrument s at that time, as theorchestra consisted of only theviolin , Chinese flute,harmonica ,sanxian ,erhu and dahu, among a few percussion instruments.A year after Xian departed for the
Soviet Union in 1940, he amended his composition for performance by a fully-equipped Western orchestra, aided by a few Chinese ethnic instruments. He also made some amendments to the choral arrangement. In addition, a prologue was added, increasing the number of movements to nine.The third and fourth revisions were respectively made by Xian's students,
Li Huanzhi andYan Liangkun . Li simplified the "Soviet" version for performance by theShanghai Orchestra , while Yan incorporated the prologue into the first movement to return the cantata to its initial arrangement of eight movements for performance by theCentral Orchestra during the 1980s. Yan also made heavy amendments to the Third Movement, "Water of the Yellow River comes from Heaven", such that the new melody was vastly different from the original. This last revision became the most played and heard version today.Current arrangement
The current arrangement of the "Yellow River Cantata" contains eight movements.
Trivia
*According to an account by
Xian Xinghai 's daughter,Guang Weiran knew Xian was Cantonese and had a sweet tooth. Guang then asked someone to buy akilogram ofsugar , a scarcity during wartime, and gave it to Xian, who ate it for snacks while composing the cantata.
*Due to the lack ofmusical instrument s, theorchestra for the premiere of the "Yellow River Cantata" consisted of only two or threeviolin s and twenty-odd Chinese ethnic musical instruments. The rest were products of innovation: diesel barrels for bass strings and washbasins forpercussion .
*Mao Zedong , who was then Chairman of theCentral Military Commission of theCommunist Party of China leading the anti-Japanese resistance inYan'an , was also present during the premiere.ee also
*
Xian Xinghai (1905–1945), pioneering Chinesesymphony composer, composer of the "Yellow River Cantata".
*"Yellow River Piano Concerto ",piano concerto adaptation of the "Yellow River Cantata" byYin Chengzong .
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.