Song introduction

The Yellow River Cantata is the most representative and well-known work of Xian Xinghai. Music was born on the worst day before the Anti-Japanese War, 1938 1 1 month after the fall of Wuhan. The famous poet Guang William. J (Zhang Guangnian) led three teams of anti-enemy dramas to retreat and cross the Yellow River, which inspired the poet's creative inspiration. Arriving in Yan 'an in January of the following year, the long-simmering poetry broke out, written as Yellow River poems, and performed in recitation on New Year's Eve. At that time, Xian Xinghai, who was the director of the Music Department of Lu Xun Art College in Yan 'an, was deeply moved before the recitation took place. In a small hole, he wrote for six days. Completed on March 3 1 day of the same year. On April 13, Wu Xiling conducted the premiere of the third anti-Japanese team in the Great Hall of the People in northern Shaanxi, and on May 1 1 day, Xian Xinghai conducted the performance of Lu Xun's performance team.

Li Huanzhi, a famous composer who has now become the president of China Musicians Association, recalls his performance of The Yellow River Cantata in Yan 'an, and has such a vivid description: "It is impossible to form a complete band in the border area where material conditions are extremely scarce. At that time, all musical instruments were used as much as possible, except three or four violins, namely erhu, sanxian, flute, lyre and percussion instruments. If you don't have a music stand, make a music stand with boards. If you don't have a bass instrument, do it yourself. Look at the right corner of the band, there is a new "weapon", which is a bass huqin transformed from a gasoline drum. It makes a sonorous metallic sound and sings the magnificence of the Yellow River. Look at the profile of this new "weapon". It is a new "weapon". It's a big enamel jar with a dozen or twenty spoons for eating. When the Yellow River Boatman Song is recited, "Then listen!" As soon as he finished singing, the conductor waved his arm, and this new percussion instrument made a "crash" sound, echoing the orchestra and gongs and drums, and cooperating with the chorus's "Cough, paddle! "...", set off the trend of galloping horses.

The first performance of the Yellow River Chorus was divided into eight sections, but somehow the third section, "How the Yellow River Water Moves Out of the Sky", was accompanied by three strings and recited by human voices, which was often omitted. It is said that it is difficult to find an actor who is qualified for this kind of recitation in wartime, so it is omitted and it has become a practice over time. In terms of creative techniques, Xian Xinghai used the western "chorus" form and chorus and harmony writing skills to create The Yellow River. As far as the subject matter is concerned, it has artistically shaped the reality and people's life, making The Yellow River Cantata a work of art with Chinese style, China style and sense of the times. Today in the 1990s, although it is completely different from the birth time and life background of the Yellow River half a century ago, the spiritual inspiration of this work to the Chinese nation still exists, and it is still exciting every time it sounds. That's the reason.

Perhaps today, we will have a deeper understanding of the appreciation of this work by revisiting the Creation Notes written by Xian Xinghai 1943 to 1945 in the Soviet Union.

"This chorus was written on March 26th 1939 and completed on March 3rd1day. Written in Lu Xun Art Academy in Yan 'an, an anti-Japanese base area in northern Shaanxi. The third team of the cross-time drama came to postpone. Comrade Guang William. J wrote the lyrics of Yellow River and gave them to me for music. After the writing, Wu Xiling, the third team, conducted the first performance in Yan 'an Northern Shaanxi Public School Auditorium on April 13. Then two Lu Yi anniversary parties were held on May 1 1 Sunday and 12, which were well received by all circles in Yan 'an.

Later, there was a big party in Yan 'an, such as welcoming Vice President Zhou, Commander-in-Chief Zhu, General Deng Baoshan, Mao Dun, representatives of Shen Zhiyuan and Mongolia, and the investigation group, condolence group and northwest photography group of the National Government, all centered on The Yellow River Cantata. This song was written in a small cave in Lu Yi (the former site of Lu Yi). For the departure of the third team, I spent five or six days writing the soundtrack and chorus. Because this choir is popular everywhere in front and behind, I have long been interested in writing as a staff, and it is best to have a symphony orchestra to accompany the choir, but I am busy with educational affairs and creation, so I can't write it for the time being. But in the spring of 194 1, I successfully completed it. This orchestration method can be used in Europe, America and other countries, which is more international than the previous notation, but at the same time, this work is a national form with progressive skills.

This choir was repeatedly conducted by me when I was performing in Yan 'an. The choir increased from 100 to 500, with more than 20 bands, mostly using Chinese musical instruments. The audience could hardly hold on, and the sound could be heard far away.