Folk Music in the New Era
After 1949, the musicians in the People’s Republic of China started to modernize the traditional Chinese music. On the one hand, they summarized the characteristics of the traditional Chinese music, and on the other hand, by absorbing the strength of the Western classical music, they adapted traditional Chinese music and made it easier for circulation and acceptance.
In the 1950s and 1960s, many traditional Chinese tunes went through such a process. The Chinese musicians also created many pieces of excellent new music with traditional Chinese characteristics. The Chinese New Year Overture, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, and A Spring Night with Flowers and Moonlight are some notable examples.
Symphony of Traditional Chinese Music – The Chinese New Year Overture
Composed by musician Li Huanzhi in 1956, The Chinese New Year Overture is a symphony with string and brass instruments, and depicts the happy and lively atmosphere in the traditional Chinese New Year, when all members of the family come together and congratulate each other. This piece of music is now a symbol of traditional Chinese culture, just like spring couplets, dumplings and firecrackers.
Violin Concerto – Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai
Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is a violin concerto composed by Chen Gang and He Zhangang in 1950, based on the traditional Yueju Opera of the same title. Traditional expressions used in the Chinese operas are deployed in the violin and the beautiful tones of the violin help to tell a romantic yet sad love story. This piece of music has been named the “Romeo and Juliet of the Orient” and is one of the most famous violin lunes in China.
Symphony of Traditional Chinese Music – A Spring Night with Flowers and Moonlight
A Spring Night with Flowers and Moonlight is a representative work of traditional Chinese music. Originally, it was a Pipa solo called Vertical Flute and Drum in Sunset, Later, it was adapted into an ensemble to be played with traditional Chinese musical instruments. The music is beautiful and it sounds like the running of a river, so the title was changed to A Spring Night with Flowers and Moonlight, a famous line from a Tang poem.
Vocal Works
There are three types of vocal works in the Chinese singing: Western Opera Singing, Folk Chinese Singing and Popular Singing.
Western Opera Singing, as the name indicates, is the singing style commonly used in the traditional Western operas.
Folk Chinese Singing is a brand-new way of singing which is full of Chinese characteristics. It has been created on the basis of the singing techniques used in the traditional Chinese folk songs and operas. Characteristics of modern music and new vocalization methods are incorporated. In short, the Folk Chinese Singing has a high-pitched tone, clear diction and flexibility in its expressions. Here are two famous examples of this type of songs:
On the Field of Hope by Peng Liyuan
On the Field of Hope was a popular song in the 1980s in China. Lt describes the new era, praises the new life and is full of hope for the future. Peng Liyuan, the singer of the song, was not even 20 years old when she first sang it, and she later became one of the most famous singers in China. This song has a very important influence in China, as it depicts the dreams of the Chinese for the future when China had just opened up and started its reforms.
Spice Girls by Song Zuying
Spice Girls (Girls of Hunan Province) is one of Song Zuying’s best repertoires. It carries the folk song styles in Hunan and Guizhou provinces, both famous for spicy cuisine. With simple and lively lyrics, the song is full of blithe sauciness, just like the girls in these regions.
Popular Singing is the way a singer sings with the natural voice, and with the assistance of a microphone. Each singer has his or her unique voice, so there are many ways in the Popular Singing style. The personality of the singers could be emphasized, making the listener feel very close and real.
The Moon Represents My Heart by Teresa Teng
Teresa Teng, whose Chinese name is Deng Lijun, has been recognized as a super star in the Chinese pop music circle. Her singing is gentle and sweet, and warms the heart of the listeners. “Wherever there are Chinese people, there will be Teresa Teng’s songs.” Her representative works include The Moon Represents My Heart, Sweet as Honey, and The Story of a Small Town.
The Moon Represents My Heart was composed in 1973 by Weng Qingxi when he was studying in Boston, U.S. Sun Yi later wrote the lyrics for it. In 1977, Teresa Teng made it popular by singing it as the cover song in her new album.
Popular Music
China’s popular music industry started in the 1970s in Taiwan and Hong Kong. After the reform and opening-up, popular music in China’s mainland developed swiftly.
With the improvement of living standards, the demand for music diversified. At the same time, modern Western music began to merge with traditional Chinese music. As a result, new musical styles and forms have been created. The music in China has entered an era of diversified development, and the contemporary popular music has been digitalized, Internet-based and industrialized. With the development of radio, tape recorders, videotapes, and television, ordinary people can enjoy music freely at home. Absorbing the elements from the Western pop music, the Chinese pop music has always maintained its national characteristics, and has developed its unique "‘Chinese Wind” with a lot of Chinese dements. The “Chinese Wind” pop songs make use of classic verses from the traditional Chinese literature, and employ traditional Chinese musical instruments, such as Pipa, Guzheng, Erhu, etc. Some traditional singing techniques in traditional Chinese operas are also used.
Blue and White Porcelain by Jay Chou
Jay Chou is generally regarded as the pioneer of the “Chinese Wind”. In some of his songs, such as Breaking the East Wind, Blue and White Porcelain, Silver Hair Like Snow and Chrysanthemum Platform, traditional Chinese cultural elements have been used for the background, as seen in the use of the literary images in Tang and Song poems, thus illustrating the unique beauty of the Orient by way of contemporary pop music.
Rock and roll music was introduced to China in the 1980s. This form of “angry” and “anti-tradition” way of expression was quickly accepted by a group of young people. In the 1980s, Luo Dayou from Taiwan, and Beyond, a band from Hong Kong, heralded China’s rock and roll music. After the 1990s, singers like Cui Jian and bands like Tang Dynasty and Black Panther gradually pushed rock and roll music in China’s mainland to a peak.
Boundless Ocean Vast Sky by Beyond
Beyond is a Hong Kong band established in 1983. They insisted in the originality of their songs, and they sang in the Cantonese dialect.
They sang songs of peace, love, family relationship and ideal, sought their dreams through their songs, and opposed the excessive commercialization of music. Wong Ka Kui, the lead singer of the band, died during a performance in 1993, but many of Beyond’s songs have become Chinese rock and roll classics.
The Girl in Her Flower Chamber by Cui Jian
Cui Jian is known as the “godfather of rock and roll” in China. In 1989, Cui Jian launched his first album, entitled Rock and Roll on the New Long March, which established his unique rock and roll style. He has influenced a generation of musicians. To this day, Cui Jian still performs live. The Girl in Her Flower Chamber is a relatively soft song by Cui Jian, which expresses young people’s unique hesitation and confusion when faced with love and choice for the future.
Questions
1. What are the three very important characteristics of the Tang poetry? Can you recite some Tang poems?
2. What are the Four Classical Novels? Can you name a character you like?
3. Do you like any of the contemporary Chinese writers? Please share your views with your classmates.
4. What are the main characteristics of traditional Chinese operas? Please explain the singing, reciting, acting and acrobatic fighting skills of traditional Chinese opera.
5. What is your favourite traditional Chinese musical instrument? Do you know its history and famous tunes?
6. Do you have any favourite Chinese singers or bands? Do you think their music will be popular in your country? Why?