Yellow River Piano Concerto
The Yellow River Piano Concerto
Xian Xinghai * Xian was born in 1905 in Pungu in China. * He joined the communist party in 1938 where he composed the Yellow River Cantata. * The Yellow River was considered by the Chinese as the cradle of China’s civilisation and its sorrow. * The cantata was an eight movement work for chorus orchestra and soloists with narration in between.
Yellow River Cantata * The cantata aimed to express the troubles of the people who lived on the banks of the Yellow River who had to battle against flooding and the Japanese invaders. * The piece was composed in four days. * It made use of traditional folk melodies as well as using western techniques (Xian studied abroad). * Each movement is based on an aspect of life on the Yellow River.
The Yellow River Piano Concerto * Thirty years later, the Chinese cultural revolution saw Chinese music banished in favour of Marxists and Maoists principles. * The Mao supporter Yin Chengzong suggested that Chinese music could be arranged for piano. * After Xian’s death in 1945, the Yellow River Cantata was rewritten to fit into four movements featuring the piano.
The Yellow River Boatman’s Song * The first movement is in the key o D major * The time signatures which are used in the first movement are 3/4, 2/4 and it also has an alternating metre. * The initial tempo marking is 168 crotchet beats per minute. * Parts of the movement are based on a traditional Chinese work chant. * The work chant was based on a pentatonic scale. * The work chant can be heard at figure one and three.
* Characteristics of Each Section within the Movement * The movement is composed in rondo form. * There is little modulation except in the C section. * There is an economic use of melodic material * A call and response is used which is based on a Chinese style of singing called ‘duikou chang’. * Tempo is used to establish
Xian Xinghai * Xian was born in 1905 in Pungu in China. * He joined the communist party in 1938 where he composed the Yellow River Cantata. * The Yellow River was considered by the Chinese as the cradle of China’s civilisation and its sorrow. * The cantata was an eight movement work for chorus orchestra and soloists with narration in between.
Yellow River Cantata * The cantata aimed to express the troubles of the people who lived on the banks of the Yellow River who had to battle against flooding and the Japanese invaders. * The piece was composed in four days. * It made use of traditional folk melodies as well as using western techniques (Xian studied abroad). * Each movement is based on an aspect of life on the Yellow River.
The Yellow River Piano Concerto * Thirty years later, the Chinese cultural revolution saw Chinese music banished in favour of Marxists and Maoists principles. * The Mao supporter Yin Chengzong suggested that Chinese music could be arranged for piano. * After Xian’s death in 1945, the Yellow River Cantata was rewritten to fit into four movements featuring the piano.
The Yellow River Boatman’s Song * The first movement is in the key o D major * The time signatures which are used in the first movement are 3/4, 2/4 and it also has an alternating metre. * The initial tempo marking is 168 crotchet beats per minute. * Parts of the movement are based on a traditional Chinese work chant. * The work chant was based on a pentatonic scale. * The work chant can be heard at figure one and three.
* Characteristics of Each Section within the Movement * The movement is composed in rondo form. * There is little modulation except in the C section. * There is an economic use of melodic material * A call and response is used which is based on a Chinese style of singing called ‘duikou chang’. * Tempo is used to establish