Liu Xuean

Liu Xuean

Liu Xuean (1905-1985), formerly known as tingdai, has pen names of Yan Ru, Wu Qing and Su ya. He is a modern Chinese composer, music theorist and music educator. He was born in Tongliang, Sichuan (now Tongliang, Chongqing). His main works include "when will you come again", "Trilogy of exile" and "Ballad of Changcheng".

In his early years, Liu Xuean studied piano, violin, Kunqu Opera and composition in Chengdu Academy of fine arts. In 1930, he studied composition with Xiao Youmei and Huang Zi at Shanghai National Conservatory of music. He graduated from the school in 1936. At the beginning of the Anti Japanese War, he immediately took part in the Anti Japanese and national salvation movement, and successively served as a professor of composition department in Suzhou social education college, Southern Jiangsu University of culture and education, Jiangsu Normal University, East China Normal University, Beijing Art Normal University, and China Conservatory of music. During the student period, he wrote songs such as floating snowflakes and lotus picking ballads. In the 1930s, he wrote the piano piece "Chinese suite".

Main experience

Summary of characters

Liu Xuean (1905-1985) was formerly known as tingdai. Composer, music educator, born in Tongliang, Sichuan (today's Chongqing). Influenced by his brother, he loved music when he was young. In 1926, he joined Chengdu private Academy of fine arts to study piano, violin, composition and Kunqu Opera. In 1929, he was transferred to Shanghai private Chinese Art University. In 1930, he was admitted to the normal group of Shanghai National Conservatory of music and studied composition and harmony acoustics with Xiao Youmei and Huang Zi. After graduation, he was engaged in the national salvation singing movement. In 1931, he was admitted to Shanghai National Conservatory of music, majoring in theoretical composition. He studied under Huang Zi and He Luting, and is known as "the four disciples of Huang Zi". Since 1934, he has been teaching or writing in central aviation school and music magazine of Shanghai music, art and culture society. During the Anti Japanese War period, he founded the Anti Japanese War Music Journal "war song", and successively served as music consultant of China Film Studio, design member of Political Department of Military Commission, teacher of music cadre training class of Central Training Corps, associate professor of theoretical composition group of National Conservatory of music, Professor of National Academy of social education, and editor in chief of music monthly in Chongqing. After 1940s, he taught in Suzhou Institute of social education. Since the founding of the people's Republic of China, he has successively taught in Sunan Institute of culture and education, Jiangsu Normal University, East China Normal University, Beijing Art Normal University and Central Conservatory of music.

Creative achievements

In the 1930s, he created piano music "China suite" and anti Japanese songs "departure", "March", "going to the front line", "Ballad of the Great Wall", "exile trilogy II" leaving home "III" going to the front line "and" national supremacy ", etc., and created film songs such as" sons and daughters of China "," protecting hometown ", etc., at the same time, he created" Navy song "and" Air Force song "for the army. In 1941, he composed all the episodes for Guo Moruo's historical drama Qu Yuan. In 1956, according to the ancient song "wild geese falling in the sand", the piano piece "flying geese" was created. Other masterpieces include songs such as floating snowflakes, lotus picking ballads and red bean lyrics. He also wrote some articles, such as music and the individual, national form in music, etc.

Study experience

Liu Xuean was born in 1905 in a gentlemanly family in Dongmen salt shop, Bachuan Town, Tongliang. He lost his parents when he was young. In the private school of his half brother, he received the education of traditional Chinese culture and studied Kunqu Opera.

He is smart and studious, and has been admitted to Tongliang County Middle School (now Tongliang middle school) and Chengdu private art college. In 1929, Liu Xuean went to Shanghai to study in the Chinese University of Arts founded by Chen Wangdao, and was taught by Ouyang Yuqian, Hongshen and other literary celebrities. The next year, he was admitted to Shanghai National Conservatory of music. He taught himself theoretical composition from Xiao Youmei and Huang, piano from Mrs. LV weidian, a Russian teacher, Pipa from Zhu Ying, conductor from Wu Bochao, Chinese verse and poetry from long Yusheng, rhyme and free composition from Li Weining. It can be said that "learning Chinese and western, learning ancient and modern", a music star is rising.

Unjust cases in the music world

When will you come again, written by Liu Xuean, is a classic case of Chinese songs. This song with a strong Tango flavor, born in 1936, was written by composer Liu Xuean, who has created countless patriotic Anti Japanese war songs, for an advertising song and dance film "three stars accompany the moon". Without Liu Xuean's consent, director Fang Peilin asked director Huang Jiamo to fill in the lyrics. Liu Xuean was very dissatisfied with it, but because of his friend's affection, he did not protest publicly, but he was worried about his future The rough fate lays the groundwork.

In 1939, a Hong Kong Anti Japanese war movie "paradise on an isolated island" selected "when will you come again" as the interlude (Li Lili sings), which describes the scene of young men's reluctant to part with their girlfriends before joining the army. The song is just right. Since then, this song has been covered by Li Xianglan and recorded, and soon became a household name. So many people still think that "when will you come again" is the classic song that Li Xianglan first sang.

In the twinkling of an eye, during the cultural revolution, the song "when will you come again", which was widely spread, was accompanied by political lyrics by people with ulterior motives and became popular for a time. At that time, it was even pointed out that the song sung by Li Xianglan was written by Liu Xuean for the traitors. Liu Xuean was wrongly classified as a rightist because of this transplanted poem "when will you come again". He was put in the "cowshed" for 22 years, suffered a lot of torture, leading to blindness, and was vindicated nine years after the end of the cultural revolution.

In the early 1980s, when will you come again became popular again because of Teresa Teng's cover song entering the mainland. However, it was mistakenly regarded as "spiritual pollution" and "traitor song", so it was banned. It is also a historical injustice. Now that Liu Xuean has been rehabilitated, when will you come again has been lifted. The openness and inclusiveness embodied in it are worthy of people's cheers, changes and progress.

But when I look back, when will you come again is too unjust. Composer Liu Xuean created a large number of patriotic songs, including "the trilogy of exile", which won the unanimous praise of the people all over the country; singer Li Lili was not only the famous film star at that time, but also the daughter of Qian Zhuangfei, an outstanding communist party member who was known as "the three heroes of Longtan"; the film "paradise on an isolated island" was a patriotic film with the theme of Anti Japanese War, although the lyrics of "when will you come again" were not clear It's a little frivolous. It's not Miao Hong, but it shouldn't be banned.

Reappear the music world

In the early 1980s, Hong Kong singer Zhang Mingmin came to Beijing and sang a familiar song that has disappeared for many years in the ears of mainland audiences: "the Great Wall is thousands of miles long, outside the Great Wall is hometown, sorghum fat, soybean fragrance..." At the end of the song, the excited and tearful audience immediately responded with stormy applause. I haven't seen you for a long time. The song finally awakened the memory that had been sleeping for many years. Songwriter Liu Xuean, a famous musician and composer who was recorded in Encyclopedia Britannica, stands in people's hearts again.

Superstar fall

On May 18, 1985, the Ministry of culture of the people's Republic of China and the China Conservatory of music held a memorial service for Liu Xuean at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing. Du Li, President of China Conservatory of music, spoke highly of Liu Xuean in his eulogy. It said: "Mr. Liu has devoted half a century to China's music art and music education With his loyalty and hard work, he has trained many professional music talents, created a large number of music works, and enriched the treasure house of Chinese folk music. He respected the tradition of Chinese folk music, and had the spirit of constant exploration and innovation, so he formed his own creative characteristics and artistic style, and made valuable contributions to the development of Chinese folk music culture.

musical composition

Early creation

Liu Xuean began to compose music while he was in school.

His early works are mainly lyric music, including "walking on the snow to find plum", "falling flowers", "chrysanthemum yellow", "Night Mooring on maple bridge" and "Hongdou Ci", which are elegant, gentle and full of artistic charm, and deeply loved by the cultural people at that time. Another kind of lyric music draws lessons from the ancient Yuefu's easy to understand, such as zaoxingyue, Cailian ballad, cuckoo and Huainan ballad, which are euphemistic and pleasant to listen to, with a strong flavor of life. They are widely sung among the people, flying across the sea and startling the strange city. At that time, the publishing and music circles in Tokyo, Paris, New York and other metropolises were also busy with the singing of Liu Xuean's works, I've been excited.

the period of the war of Resistance Against Japan

1. Creative transformation

The September 18th Incident broke Liu Xuean's melodious lyric music. Instead of singing the wind and the moon, he was replaced by the cry of iron and blood. His songs such as "departure", "advance" and "going to the front line" were a call for the war of resistance against Japan to thousands of compatriots with "heart shaking" and "spirit shouting". Songs such as "Chinese Air Force military song", "Chinese navy military song" and "I am a soldier" have become war songs that encourage thousands of soldiers to fight bravely and kill the enemy bravely. However, among the songs of the Anti Japanese War, the most exciting ones were his "trilogy of exile" (2), "leaving home" (3), "going to the front line" (3), and "Ballad of the Great Wall" (3), which can be called the masterpieces at that time. "Leaving home" and "going to the front line" are after "wandering in the pass" in "on the Songhua River", they put forward the censure of "how long have you been wandering and where have you been running away", and then shout out the oath of "running to the battlefield and fighting to the death". These two songs are passionate and have high chords, which have a great influence in the mass movement of saving the nation from Japan.

2. Anti Japanese war songs

During the Anti Japanese War, Liu Xuean composed nearly 100 Anti Japanese war songs, such as "Manjianghong", "raising cold clothes" and "defending the great Shanghai". He also composed some piano songs and many movie theme songs and interludes. His Chinese suite is one of the most influential piano pieces in the world. His film songs also have great artistic appeal, such as the love song of parents and children, peach blossom fan, and thinking in Ten Mile Street

Chinese PinYin : Liu Xue An