Guoyue


Guoyue, huayue or zhongyue ), nowadays refers to the music composed for Chinese musical instruments, which is an extension of the Chinese traditional music. It is often written for some form of grand presentation through a large Chinese orchestra, as well as performances with solo instruments. It is frequently broadcast on radio and television in the People's Republic of China, and it is also the primary form of Chinese music taught in conservatories in China, as well as in Taiwan and Singapore.

Terms and definitions

Names

The term guoyue appeared in various ancient texts and had various different meanings before the 20th century. It was used as early as the Sui-Tang period to refer to court music or yayue. In the Music Record section of History of Liao, it was used to distinguish the music of the Khitan rulers from that of the Han Chinese. During the Qing Dynasty it was used to refer to the kind of ceremonial court repertoire that was seen as a representation of China.
In the early 20th century, guoyue became a popular term used loosely to include all music written for Chinese instruments in response to a particular nationalistic consciousness. Later, after Communist victory in 1949, a new term minyue, short for minzu yinyue meaning national or people's music, was used in mainland China to encompass all compositions and genres for traditional instruments including music of ethnic minorities. In Taiwan it continues to be known as guoyue, but in other Chinese communities, it may also be referred to as huayue or zhongyue.

Usage of term

In the early 20th century, the term guoyue was widely used to distinguish between imported Western music and traditional Chinese music. It therefore included all Han Chinese music but excluded anything written for Western instruments. In its broadest term it includes all Chinese instrumental music, opera, regional folk genres, and solo pieces.
Not everyone however agreed on its modern definition, and what constituted guoyue changed with time and locations. Originally it only referred to the music of Han Chinese, later it also included the music of various ethnic minorities in China. Some argued that it should only refer to music of Confucian rituals and the literati, while to others it included all Chinese forms of music as long as it is not European. In the new Republic of China in Taiwan, Guoyue emphasized the traditional music of mainland China over the Taiwanese local traditions.
The guoyue that was envisioned in the early 20th century however was not entirely traditional. To many, part of the idea was to reshape Chinese folk and art music fit for the modern age. To composer Xian Xinghai, "traditional music should be improved by adding harmony and counterpoint", while to musician Zhao Feng the national music culture would be the combination of Chinese melodies and Western professional techniques. Some also made a distinction between the regional music as performed by untrained folk musicians, i.e. the raw material from which guoyue is drawn, and the more polished national music. In this view guoyue is therefore a polished, modernized form of traditional Chinese music.
Some forms of traditional music were also excluded at various times. In mainland China after 1949, folk music was promoted but classical Chinese music was also condemned as decadent and reactionary and became sidelined. During the Cultural Revolution classical Chinese music virtually disappeared, and some only survived by being reworked in a "light" style. Much of what was taught and performed as classical music consisted of arrangement and recompositions of older repertory, however there have been more interest in the original classical repertory since the 1990s.

History

Origin

In the early part of the 20th century after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Chinese intellectuals were interested in modernizing and revitalizing traditional Chinese music. Cai Yuanpei, the president of Peking University and an important figure in the May Fourth Movement, proposed using certain aspects of Western music to compensate for the perceived weakness in Chinese music. As part of the New Culture Movement of the period, the guoyue music genre emerged to promote greater patriotism In the 1920s. Many groups in Shanghai associated themselves as "National Music Clubs" such as the Great Unity National Music Club founded by Zheng Jinwen. Chinese regional music become incorporated into modern education institution, for example by Liu Tianhua at the Peking University. Liu Tianhua promoted what was then regional folk instruments such as erhu, adopted Western music techniques and methods of teaching for such instruments. He composed music pieces for erhu and adopted violin playing techniques to the instrument. He also formed the Society for Improving National Music he formed at Peking University in 1927. National identity and pride also became important during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War throughout the 1930s.

Development of modern Chinese orchestra (1930s-1960s)

The Chinese orchestra represents a significant force in the development of guoyue. Although there were orchestras in ancient times, the Chinese orchestra that is now commonly found in China and overseas Chinese communities is a modern creation that gradually developed through a series of experimentation starting in the 1920s. It is modeled on Western symphony orchestra but drawn initially from traditional sizhu emsemble. Among the major contributors to its development was Zheng Jinwen, who first experimented by increasing the number of player in a Jiangnan sizhu ensemble to 35, and separated the instruments into different sections. He also started the process of standardization of the instruments, for example inventing method to resolve the problem of traditional instruments such as dizi where the fundamental tuning for various instruments may be different. In the past each player may also embellish the parts at will, but in this new orchestra, Zheng wrote specific music for each instruments or sections. In Beijing, Liu Tianhua also formed a sizhu ensemble and wrote for the ensemble, expanding on traditional musical notation so it may be used for an orchestra, specifying ornamentation details and tempo and the use of particular instruments in specific sections.
In 1935, a music ensemble was formed at the Broadcasting Corporation of China in Nanjing for the broadcasting of traditional Chinese music. Due to the Sino-Japanese war, the ensemble later moved to Chongqing, where it held its first public performance in 1942. The ensemble also held classes, and it quickly expanded with extra instruments added. It became known as the BCC Chinese Orchestra, often considered the first Chinese orchestra formed. The orchestra was organized along the line of a Western orchestra in a form that is recognizable today, with a conductor, full scores for musicians, and four different sections - wind, plucked strings, bowed strings, and percussion. The plucked strings section is unique to Chinese orchestra due to the large number of traditional Chinese lute-type instruments.
In 1953, the PRC government established its first Chinese orchestra, the Central Broadcasting Station Orchestra in Beijing, based on the early models. The tuning of the instruments was shifted to the equal-tempered tuning system. Further instruments were also added to enhance the sound and range of the orchestra. New pieces based on regional music and other traditional Chinese music were composed for the orchestra.
By the 1960s, a largely standardized form of Chinese orchestra had emerged. The modern Chinese orchestra has since become a cultural institution in China as well as Chinese communities outside of mainland China. Amateur Chinese orchestras are commonly found in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia organized by clan associations, community centres and schools. Professional Chinese orchestras include Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, China Central Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra and Taipei Chinese Orchestra.

1980s

In 1980 the Chinese Musicians' Association was formally elected to the "International Musicological Society". Chinese musical groups toured foreign countries, and foreign musical organizations performed in China. In the mid-1980s popular ballads, western folk and classical music still drew the greatest audiences, but other kinds of music, including previously banned western jazz and rock and roll, were being performed with greater acceptance especially among the youth.

2000s

Guoyue music made its comeback into mainstream popular music in the 2000s by Taiwanese composer Jay Chou and songwriter Vincent Fang, who coined the term Zhongguo Feng to describe the style of the album The Eight Dimensions which fuses modern rock and contemporary R&B together with traditional Chinese music.

Repertoire

Many of the early pieces composed were based on regional and traditional pieces. The early compositions may be written for a Jiangnan sizhu ensemble or other instruments, some may be developed later into orchestral composition. A well-known orchestral piece is the Dance of the Yao People which was based on the folk music of the Yao minority. It was originally written for a Western orchestra, but later also arranged as a Chinese orchestral piece. Similarly other popular pieces such as Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto were also reworked for Chinese orchestra as a concerto piece for erhu or pipa.
Many solo pieces for various Chinese instrument have also composed, and these pieces may be performed solo or arranged with accompaniment by other instruments or a full orchestra. Examples of these solo pieces are "Night Song of the Fisherman" which was composed for the guzheng in 1936 based on an old Shandong piece "Double Beat", Dance of the Yi People composed for the pipa in 1965, and "The Moon Mirrored in the Erquan Pool" composed for the erhu by Abing. Many of these tunes have also been arranged for a Chinese orchestra, most notably by Peng Xiuwen.

Solo pieces

Some of these are traditional pieces, and new composition may also be based on older traditional tunes, although some are entirely original. Many of these have also been arranged for larger orchestra.
TitleChineseComposers/ArrangersYearInstrumentsNote
The General's Command將軍令Guzheng
Night Song of the Fisherman:zh:漁舟唱晚|漁舟唱晚Lou Shuhua 1936GuzhengBased on a traditional tune
Jasmine Flower:zh:茉莉花 |茉莉花Erhu/Guzheng18th century composition
Horse Racing:zh:賽馬 |賽馬Huang Haihuai 1959Erhu
The Moon Mirrored in the Erquan Pool:zh:二泉映月|二泉映月Abing 1930sErhuLater orchestral arrangement by Peng Xiuwen
The Purple Bamboo Tune紫竹調Dizi/ErhuTraditional, orchestral version by Peng Xiuwen
Suzhou Travel:zh:姑蘇行|姑蘇行Jiang Xianwei 1962Dizi
Partridge in Flight鷓鴣飛DiziBased on a Hunan tune
Phoenix Spreading Their Wings:zh:鳳凰展翅|鳳凰展翅Hu Tianquan, Dong Hongde 1956Sheng
Hundred Birds Pay Homage to Phoenix:zh:百鳥朝鳳|百鳥朝鳳Ren Tongxiang 1953SuonaBased on a traditional tune, later piano arrangement by Wang Jianzhong
Ambushed from Ten Sides:zh:十面埋伏 |十面埋伏PipaQing Dynasty composition
Dance of the Yi People彝族舞曲Wang Huiran 1965Pipa
Spring Flowers on Moonlit River:zh:春江花月夜|春江花月夜Liu Raozhang, Zheng Jinwen 1925Pipa/GuzhengRearrangement of a traditional pipa tune

Orchestral works

Earlier orchestral pieces

English TitleChinese TitleComposerYearNote
Coloured Cloud Chasing the Moon彩雲追月Ren Guang 1932Later piano arrangement by Yin Chengzong and Wang Jianzhong
Dance of the Golden Snake金蛇狂舞Nie Er 1934Arranged from a traditional piece, later Western orchestral arrangement by Tang Jianping
Beautiful Flowers on a Full Moon花好月圓Huang Yijun 1935Later orchestral arrangement by Peng Xiuwen
Dance of the Yao People:zh:瑤族舞曲|瑤族舞曲Liu Tieshan, Mao Yuan 1952First written for a Western orchestra
Full of Joy喜洋洋Liu Mingyuan 1958Based on Shanxi folk songs

Modern compositions

The following are several examples of pieces written for large modern Chinese orchestra. These musical works utilise Western musical composition techniques, as well as the inclusion of Western instruments like cello, double bass, harp and Western percussion.
English TitleChinese TitleComposerNumber of MovementsList of MovementsElaboration
Symphony No. 2 "Ode to Peace"第二交响曲"和平颂"Zhao Jiping :zh:赵季平|赵季平5I: Jinling and the Yangtze River 金陵·大江,
II: The Tears of the River 江泪,
III: The Sorrow of the River 江怨,
IV: The Fury of the River 江怒,
V: Ode to Peace 和平颂		A five-movement symphony that depicts the infamous Second Sino-Japanese War and the Nanjing Massacre.
Journey to Lhasa:zh:拉薩行|拉萨行Kuan Nai-chung :zh:關迺忠|关乃忠4I: Potala Palace 布达拉宫,
II: Yarlung Tsangpo River 雅鲁藏布江,
III: Heavenly Burial 天葬,
IV: Vanquishing Demons 打鬼		Composed in 1984, this four-movement symphonic suite depicts the scenery of Tibet and the culture of the Tibetan people.
Reminiscences of Yunnan云南回忆Liu Xing :zh:刘星 |刘星3I: Moderato 中庸的中板,
II: Lento 呆滞的慢板,
III: Allegro 机械的快板		A three-movement concerto for zhongruan and modern Chinese orchestra. Also known as "Zhongruan Concerto No. 1".
Impressions of Chinese Music印象国乐Jiang Ying 姜莹3I: 小鸟乐,
II: 前世今生,
III: 大曲
A Glimpse of the Taklamakan塔克拉玛干掠影Jin Xiang 金湘4I: 漠原,
II: A Lost Empire in the Desert 漠楼,
III: 漠舟,
IV: 漠州		This four-movement tone poem depicts the grand Taklamakan Desert in northwest China.
The Silk Road丝绸之路Jiang Ying 姜莹Standalone pieceAlso known as "Kumtag".
Variations of Emotion抒情变奏曲Liu Changyuan 刘长远3Unnamed movements; the three movements are simply labeled "Movement I", "Movement II", "Movement III".This piece consists of 15 variations based on one main theme, divided into three movements.
The Yellow River Capriccio黄河畅想Cheng Dazhao 程大兆Standalone pieceIt is the finale in the symphonic suite "Roots of the Chinese".
Spring春Lu Lianghui :zh:盧亮輝|卢亮辉Standalone piece
Summer夏Lu Lianghui 卢亮辉Standalone piece
Autumn秋Lu Lianghui 卢亮辉Standalone piece
Winter冬Lu Lianghui 卢亮辉Standalone piece
The Terracotta Warriors Fantasia秦·兵马俑幻想曲Peng Xiuwen :zh:彭修文|彭修文Standalone piece
Impressions of the Mountain and the Sea山海印象Su Wenqing :zh:蘇文慶|苏文庆Standalone piece
The Age of Dragon龙年新世纪Kuan Nai-chung 关乃忠4I: The Sun 太阳,
II: The Moon 月亮,
III: The Stars 星辰,
IV: The Land 大地		A four-movement concerto written for Chinese percussion, Western percussion and modern Chinese orchestra.
Dabo River Caprice达勃河随想曲He Xuntian :zh:何训田|何训田2I: Adagio 柔板,
II: Allegretto 小快板		Composed in 1982, this musical work depicts the exotic beauty of the Dabo River in Sichuan and the life of the Baima Tibetan people living in the area.
Three Melodies of West Yunnan滇西土风三首Guo Wenjing :zh:郭文景|郭文景3I: A Va Mountain 阿佤山,
II: Gino Dance 基诺舞,
III: Sacrifice, Torches, Potent Liquor 祭祀·火把·烈酒		This three-movement work depicts the cultures of three different tribal groups based in western Yunnan.
Symphony No. 1 "Jinling"第一交响曲"金陵"Peng Xiuwen 彭修文3I: Remembrance of Things Past 怀古,
II: The Qinhuai River 秦淮,
III: Vicissitudes of Life 沧桑		This three-movement symphonic work depicts the rich history and culture of Nanjing, formerly called Jinling.
The Desert Smoke Suite大漠孤烟直组曲Zhao Jiping 赵季平4II: Seek 音诗-觅,
IV: Elegy 悼歌
Northwest Suite:zh:西北组曲|西北组曲Tan Dun :zh:谭盾|谭盾4I: The Timely Rain Fall from High Heaven 老天爷下甘雨,
II: 闹洞房,
III: 想亲亲,
IV: The Sidedrum in Stoneplate Form 石板腰鼓		Also known as "Northwest Suite No. 1".
The Mohe Tribe Suite靺鞨组曲Liu Xijin :zh: 刘锡津|刘锡津6I: Warriors 武士,
II: Princess 公主,
III: 百戏童,
IV: 酒舞,
V: The Battle of Hualin 桦林大战,
VI: 踏垂舞
The Legend of Shadi'er沙迪尔传奇Liu Yuan 刘湲Standalone pieceAlso known as "The Uyghur Tone Poem".
The Great Wall Capriccio:zh:長城隨想二胡協奏曲|长城随想Liu Wenjin :zh:刘文金|刘文金4I: Strolling Through the Mountain Pass 关山行,
II: Beacon March 烽火操,
III: Memorial for the Patriots 忠魂祭,
IV: Looking Afar 遥望篇		A four-movement concerto for erhu and modern Chinese orchestra.
Empress Earth后土Tang Jianping 唐建平Standalone piece

''Guoyue'' performers

Conductors