Xian Xinghai was born in a poor boatman's family in Macau on June 13, 1905 (May 11 in the lunar calendar). He entered the violin school of the High School Affiliated to Lingnan University in 1918, and entered the Music Institute of Peking University in 1926. Studied at the Music Department of the National Art College. In 1928, he entered the Shanghai National Music Institute to study violin and piano, and published a famous short music treatise "Universal Music". In 1929, he went to Paris for a work-study program and studied under the famous violinist Pani Obedofel and the famous composer Paul Duka. In 1931, he was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire. Studying in Shola Kontorum's composition class. While studying in France, he composed more than ten works such as "Wind", "Wandering Son Song" and "Violin Sonata in D minor". After returning to China in 1935, he actively participated in the anti-Japanese national salvation movement, composed a large number of militant mass songs, and contributed to the progressive film " He composed music for "Top Gun", "Youth March", dramas "Resurrection" and "Thunderstorm". After the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, he joined the Shanghai National Salvation Drama Team 2, and later went to Wuhan to be responsible for launching the national salvation singing movement with Zhang Shu. From 1935 to 1938, he composed "Army Song of National Salvation", "As long as there is no resistance", "Guerrilla Army Song", "We Open the Road", "The Vast Siberia", "Children of the Motherland", "Going to the Enemy's Rear Lines", "In Taihang" "Mountain" and various types of vocal works. In 1938, she served as the director of the music department of Yan'an Lu Xun Art College and taught part-time at the "Women's University". In addition to teaching, he created immortal masterpieces such as "Yellow River Cantata" and "Production Cantata". In 1940, he went to the Soviet Union to study and work. He died in Moscow on October 30, 1945.
In Xian Xinghai’s short life, he lived creatively for more than 10 years. He composed hundreds of songs (more than 250 of them exist), 4 cantata, 1 opera, 2 symphonies, and orchestral music. He has 4 suites, 1 rhapsody, and many instrumental solo and ensemble pieces for violin and piano. Among Xian Xinghai's creations, the most numerous and most influential are a variety of mass songs. Among them are the "Army Song of National Salvation", "Youth March", "Defending the Marco Polo Bridge" and "Go to the Enemy's Rear Lines", which are positive expressions of the Chinese people's anti-Japanese struggle and adopt the form of a rallying and combative march; there are also detailed battle scenes showing the magnificence of the People's War , "On the Taihang Mountains", "Guerrilla Army" and "Counterattack", which combine lyricism and agitation or description and generality; there are "Dingding", which expresses the working life of workers and peasants and uses specific labor tones and rhythms. "Hard to Go", "Song of Pulling the Plow", "Movers' Song" and "We Open the Road"; there are also "As long as there is no resistance", "Children of the Motherland" and "March 8th Women's Day" written for the women and children in the Anti-Japanese War. Song" and so on. In these mass songs, Xian Xinghai created musical images with different characteristics according to different contents, or used impactful rhythms and high-pitched, angular melodies to express passionate and generous emotions and majestic momentum; The broad-breathing melody, soothing and calm rhythm and lyrical tones reflect the rich inner world of the revolutionary people.
Xian Xinghai’s four cantata, "Production Movement Cantata", "Yellow River Cantata", "September 18th Cantata" and "Sacrificial Alliance Cantata".
Among them, "Yellow River Cantata" is the most outstanding cantata and has the widest influence.
"Yellow River Cantata" is Xian Xinghai's most important and influential masterpiece. Introduction to the Yellow River Cantata
"The Yellow River Cantata" is Xian Xinghai's most important and influential masterpiece. It was created in March 1939 and reorganized and processed in the Soviet Union in 1941. This work, written by the poet Guang Weiran and set against the backdrop of the Yellow River, passionately praises the long and glorious history of the Chinese nation and the unyielding fighting spirit of the Chinese people, laments the brutality of the invaders and the severe disasters suffered by the people, and broadly displays the Anti-Japanese War. The magnificent picture and the battle cry for national liberation were sent to the whole of China and the world, thereby creating a giant and heroic image of the Chinese nation.
"Yellow River Cantata" was written during the Anti-Japanese War. In the autumn and winter of 1938, the author marched with the anti-Japanese troops to the bank of the Yellow River in the northwest. China's majestic mountains and rivers and the heroic figures of the soldiers inspired the author's creative inspiration. The call of the times prompted him to compose a large-scale recital poem "Yellow River Ode" with high patriotic enthusiasm, which was later rewritten into "Yellow River Cantata" lyrics. The work consists of eight movements. It expresses the heroic spirit of the children of the Yellow River with rich artistic images, magnificent historical scenes and majestic momentum.
[Edit this paragraph] History
After the fall of Wuhan in November 1938, the famous poet Guang Weiran led the anti-enemy drama team from the east near Hukou in Yichuan County, Shaanxi Province. Cross the Yellow River and transfer to the Luliang Mountain Anti-Japanese Base Area. On the way, I witnessed the Yellow River boatmen fighting against the strong winds and waves, and listened to the high-pitched and melodious boatmen's chants. After arriving in Yan'an in January of the following year, he wrote the lyrics for "Yellow River" and recited this poem at the New Year's Eve party of that year. Xian Xinghai was very excited after hearing this and expressed his intention to compose "Yellow River Cantata" for the theater troupe. In a simple earthen kiln in Yan'an, Xian Xinghai wrote continuously for six days despite his illness, and completed this historic large-scale vocal work "Yellow River Cantata". Afterwards, it premiered in the auditorium of Northern Shaanxi Public School in Yan'an, causing a huge response and soon spread throughout China.
"Yellow River Cantata" provides a glorious example for my country's modern large-scale vocal music creation. In the late 1960s, it was also adapted as a piano concerto.
"Ode to the Yellow River" is the lyrics of a solo song in the famous symphony "Yellow River Cantata" during the Anti-Japanese War. The author's creative intention was to inspire people's love for the Chinese nation during the Anti-Japanese War. and the national consciousness of defending our homeland to the death. Although the era of its creation is far away from ours, the unrestrained, heroic, sonorous and powerful poems and strong emotions can still arouse our cries and arouse our thoughts when we read them today. The pride of the descendants of the Chinese nation, Yan and Huang, expresses the aspirations of the Chinese nation!
Creative background
When Xian Xinghai returned to his country, he was deeply aware of the seriousness of the nation's peril and was well aware of the suffering of the people. At a critical moment when the nation was in danger, he stood at the forefront of the national struggle. He was convinced that the Communist Party of China was the mainstay of the Chinese nation, and he joined the Communist Party of China. For national liberation and "roaring for the war of resistance", he composed songs. In 1939, he visited the young poet Guang Weiran in his hospital bed. Hearing him recite "Ode of the Yellow River" and telling him about the magnificent scene of the roaring Yellow River filled his heart with joy and thoughts. It took one week to compose, and within half a month the entire score of the eight movements and accompaniment of the work was completed. It wrote the musical epic of the Chinese nation in this era.
"Yellow River Cantata", under the baptism of the flames of the Anti-Japanese War, quickly grew into a clarion call for the Chinese people to patriotism and save the nation; at the same time, with its spiritual power and national personality, it was widely praised by overseas Chinese and the world. was widely recognized on the fascist front. In peacetime, like a hero with numerous military exploits, it continues to dominate the music scene at home and abroad, becoming a proud artistic wealth of the Chinese nation.
As soon as the "Yellow River Cantata" came out, it was quickly sung across the land of China and became the spiritual clarion call for the war of resistance and national salvation. And promoted the development of the situation of unity against Japan. At the premiere, the band only had two or three violins and about twenty national instruments. The bass string instruments were made of kerosene barrels, and the percussion instruments had washbasins and large spoons placed in enamel jars to shake to create the effect... This one The original band supported more than 40 powerful young people singing loudly. From then on, the "Yellow River Cantata" spread throughout Yan'an, spread throughout China, and flew to the world. It has been echoed one after another, shocking and enduring. Chairman Mao was very happy after watching the performance. He stood up and applauded vigorously, saying repeatedly: "Good! Good! Good!" Premier Zhou also wrote an inscription for Xian Xinghai: "Roar for the War of Resistance and express the heartfelt voice for the masses!"
Lyrical solo songs occupy an important position in Xian Xinghai's song creation, most of which are interludes for stage plays and movies. From different aspects, these works reflect the experiences and inner feelings of specific characters in real life, or express their love for the motherland and the people, or express their enthusiasm for the struggle. For example: "Midnight Song" and "Don't Mention" are full of passion and fantasy, singing the painful feelings and battle cries after being persecuted by feudal forces and the loss of the country; "Hot Blood" and "Yellow River Love" are both generous tragic songs, expressing "Making Cotton Clothes", "Jiangnan March" and "Wartime Lullaby" express the patriotic feelings of anti-war women with beautiful, friendly, simple and fresh folk tones.
In order to express the vast real life and make the songs more nationalistic, Xian Xinghai also explored and created some song styles with the characteristics of the new era. Among them are songs that organically combine the different performance characteristics of lyricism and combat, such as "On the Taihang Mountains" and "March 8th Women's Day Song"; the eulogizing song "Praise for New China"; and the Narrative songs that combine folk rap music with militant mass song tones, such as "Liang Hongyu" and "Down with Wang Jingwei". He is very good at exploring the rhythmic beauty of lyrics and language, and giving musical expression to them while expressing the theme and image. He was also good at using a variety of song singing forms, such as solo singing, chorus singing, leading singing, chorus, speaking and singing, etc. In particular, he widely used the form of turn singing and two-part chorus in mass songs. In the Anti-Japanese War songs at that time It is innovative and has broad influence. In addition, when he went to the Soviet Union, he mainly used art songs composed of Chinese classical poetry, and he also achieved certain results in exploring new genres and national styles.
Another important contribution of Xian Xinghai in music creation is the creation of a cantata that expresses the revolutionary struggle of our people and has national characteristics. The four cantata are the same in terms of the subject matter, the reality of the content, and the nationalization and popularization of the form of expression. However, according to different themes and contents, they are processed with different artistic techniques, so that each work has different characteristics. . The "Production Cantata", composed in March 1939, combines singing, dancing and drama performances to express the production of the people in the liberated areas through four scenes: "Spring Plowing", "Sowing and War Participation", "Autumn Harvest Assault" and "Harvest". During the life of labor and the Anti-Japanese War, the music has a folk flavor, and the chorus is rough and simple. The two passages "Come in February" and "Jujube Thorn" are often used as solo and children's chorus pieces and have been passed down to this day.
The "September 18th Cantata" was written to commemorate the 8th anniversary of the "September 18th" incident. It is a narrative cantata, using the structure of symphony and rondo. The whole song has a musical theme with dance characteristics and a long and deep refrain. The themes are contrasted and repeated, and many passages with different characters are inserted to show that the people are reviewing the course of the Anti-Japanese War while celebrating victory, and inspiring the determination to resist the War to the end; among them, the female solo and chorus passage "September 18th Night Song" uses It combines the changing techniques in opera and rap music, and has a dramatic effect. The band accompaniment of "September 18th Cantata" and "Production Cantata" is very distinctive in its use of national percussion instruments and the rhythm of Chinese music style. Composed in March 1940, the "Allied Sacrifice Cantata" is a cantata in the form of mass songs written for the anti-Japanese death squads of the Shanxi Sacrifice for National Salvation Alliance. It includes six sections: unison singing, solo singing, rotation singing, and chorus. The music has Distinctive local color.