Lu Wencheng
Encyclopedia
Lü Wencheng (1898-1981) was a Chinese composer and musician. He is considered to have been a master of Cantonese music
(Guangdong yinyue) and Guangdong
folk music.
The gaohu
was developed, or co-developed, by him in the 1920s from the erhu
by raising its pitch and using steel strings instead of silk, and changing its playing position from on the thigh to between the knees. He composed Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake
(平湖秋月) in the 1930s and it remains one of the best known works of Cantonese music.
Lü was born in 1898 in Zhongshan
, Guangdong
Province, but grew up in Shanghai
when at the age of three his parents and him moved to Shanghai. There he developed the gaohu, composed and performed Guangdong yinyue, and made recordings. In 1932, he moved to Hong Kong, where he lived until his death in 1981.
He also played the yangqin
and was a Cantonese opera
singer. His music shows a strong influence of the traditional music of the Shanghai area as a result of living almost thirty years there.
Guangdong music (genre)
Guangdong music, also known as Cantonese music is a style of traditional Chinese instrumental music from Guangzhou and surrounding areas in Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province on the southern coast of China. The name of the music is not an accurate description because Guangdong music is not...
(Guangdong yinyue) and Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
folk music.
The gaohu
Gaohu
The gaohu is a Chinese bowed string instrument developed from the erhu in the 1920s by the musician and composer Lü Wencheng and used in Cantonese music and Cantonese opera...
was developed, or co-developed, by him in the 1920s from the erhu
Erhu
The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
by raising its pitch and using steel strings instead of silk, and changing its playing position from on the thigh to between the knees. He composed Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake
Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake
Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake is a Chinese folk song that was written by Lü Wencheng in the 1930s and is considered his most representative piece. He composed the music on a visit to the famous West Lake in Hangzhou, and is a sublime expression of his veneration for the beauty and grace of the...
(平湖秋月) in the 1930s and it remains one of the best known works of Cantonese music.
Lü was born in 1898 in Zhongshan
Zhongshan
Zhongshan , also spelled Chungshan and historically known as Xiangshan or Siangshan, is a prefecture-level city in the south of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province in southern China. Zhongshan, one of the few cities in China with an eponymous name, is named after Dr. Sun Yat-sen who was...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
Province, but grew up in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
when at the age of three his parents and him moved to Shanghai. There he developed the gaohu, composed and performed Guangdong yinyue, and made recordings. In 1932, he moved to Hong Kong, where he lived until his death in 1981.
He also played the yangqin
Yangqin
The trapezoidal yangqin is a Chinese hammered dulcimer, originally from Middle East and Persia . It used to be written with the characters 洋琴 , but over time the first character changed to 揚 , which means "acclaimed". It is also spelled yang quin or yang ch'in...
and was a Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,...
singer. His music shows a strong influence of the traditional music of the Shanghai area as a result of living almost thirty years there.
Compositions
Lü composed over 100 pieces, including:- bù bù gāo (步步高) Higher step by step
- chén zuì dōng fēng 沉醉东风 Intoxicated by the easterly wind
- jiāo shí míng qín 蕉石鸣琴
- luò huā tiān 落花天 Flowers falling from sky
- píng hú qiū yuè (平湖秋月) Autumn Moon Over Calm LakeAutumn Moon Over Calm LakeAutumn Moon Over the Calm Lake is a Chinese folk song that was written by Lü Wencheng in the 1930s and is considered his most representative piece. He composed the music on a visit to the famous West Lake in Hangzhou, and is a sublime expression of his veneration for the beauty and grace of the...
- qīng méi zhú mǎ 青梅竹马 Happy childhood
- qí shān fèng 岐山凤 Phoenix of Mount Qishan
- xǐng shī 醒狮 Awakening lion
- yín hé huì 银河会 Meeting in the Milky Way
- yú gē wǎn chàng 渔歌晚唱 Fisherman's song at dusk