Guoyue (国乐; literally "national music") is a modernized form of Chinese traditional music written or adapted for some form of grand presentation, usually through an orchestra. It was created during the mid-20th century and is frequently broadcasted on radio and television in the People's Republic of China. Music of China appears to date back to the dawn of Chinese civilization, and documents and artifacts provide evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC - 256 BC). ... C-pop is an abbreviation for Chinese pop. ... Cantopop (Chinese: 粵語流行曲) is a colloquial abbreviation for Cantonese popular music. It is also referred to as HK-pop, short for Hong Kong popular music. It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop. ... Mandopop (Chinese: 華語流行音樂) is a colloquial abbreviation for Mandarin popular music. It is also referred to as Mandapop. ... Chinese rock (中国摇滚, pinyin: Zhōngguó yáogÇ”n; also 中国摇滚音乐, Zhōngguó yáogÇ”n yÄ«nyuè, lit. ... Emperor Xuan-Zong of Tang (left) and his Consort Yang Yuhuan (right) portrayed in a Chinese Opera 19th century Chinese opera Chinese opera costumes Some athletic jump Chinese opera is a popular form of drama in China. ... Yayue (雅樂; literally elegant music) is a form of Chinese classical music that was performed at imperial courts until at least the 12th century. ... Traditional Chinese musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A number of Chinese official and unofficial national anthems were made around the early 20th century, only two remain in use: the Three Principles of the People (Republic of China (Taiwan)) and the Peoples Republic of Chinas national anthem (The March of the Volunteers). The article below lists... Anthem YìyÇ’ngjÅ«n JìnxíngqÇ”   (义勇军进行曲/義勇軍進行曲) March of the Volunteers Capital Beijing Largest city Shanghai Official languages Mandarin Chinese1 Government Socialist republic2  -  President Hu Jintao  -  Premier Wen Jiabao Establishment  -  Peoples Republic declared October 1, 1949  Area  -  Total 9,596,960 km² (3rd / 4th4) 3,704,4273 sq... March of the Volunteers (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is the national anthem of the Peoples Republic of China, written in the midst of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. ... Motto Three Principles of the People (三民主義 San-min Chu-i) Anthem National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei (de facto)  Nanking (de jure)1  Largest city Taipei Official languages Mandarin (GuóyÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system  -  President Chen Shui-bian  -  Vice President Annette Lu  -  Premier Chang Chun-hsiung... At the inauguration of the Whampoa Military Academy, Sun Yat-sen delivered a speech that would later become the lyrics of the national anthem. ... This is a list of radio stations that broadcast in the Chinese language. ... Anhui is a province of China, known musically for a wide array of folk and classical styles. ... Fujian is a Chinese province. ... Gansu is a region in northwest China. ... In modern times, the Chinese province of Guangdong has become known for Guangdong music (later Guangdong folk tunes), a synthesis of a number of local folk music styles (like Kun opera), intended as an accompaniment for the regions folk operas when it arose along the Pearl River delta in... Guangxi is a region of China, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. ... Guizhou is a province of China. ... Hebei is a province of China, known for its orchestral wind ensembles and the Huangmei opera. ... Heilongjiang is a Chinese province, whose capital city, Harbin, is regarded as a center for musical innovation in China and is a major concert center [1]. The city boasts one of the most renowned symphony orchestras in the country, and also celebrates Harbin Summer Music Festival. ... Henan is a central province of China, known for an unusual way of playing the guzheng; the technique, known as you yao, consistings of using the right hand to pluck the strings, starting from the movable bridge to the fixed bridge, while using the left hand to press the strings... Hubei is a province of China, known for the Huangmei and Chu opera styles and a wide array of folk songs; Huangmei opera is especially renowned, and has spread to Shanghai, Beijing and Anhui, among other places. ... Inner Mongolia is a province of China, with traditions related to Tuvan music and Mongolian music. ... Jiangxi is a southeastern province of China. ... Jilin is a northeastern province of China. ... Manchuria is a region of China, inhabited by the Manchu and other ethnic groups. ... Qinghai is a province of China inhabited by Tibetans, Mongolians and others. ... Shaanxi is a province of China that has a long history of folk music. ... Shaanxi is a province of China that has a long history of folk music. ... Sichuan is a province of China which has a long history of both folk and classical music. ... Tibet is a region of China, culturally very distinct from the rest of China. ... Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is dominated by Uighurs, a Turkic people related to others from Central Asia. ... Yunnan is a province in southeast China. ...

Characteristics

Guoyue music is practically measured at the political and ideology level. There are basically two spectrums.

The light end is the typical "Patriotic Music". It is usually performed by some collection of instrument or orchestra. It is equivalent to national anthems performed in other countries, perhaps taken more seriously by the Chinese government.

The extreme end is termed "Revolutionary Music". It almost has a sense of cult-like presentation that is accepted only in mainland China. There is often a political or Maoist agenda behind it. Some may even classify it as "Propaganda Music". Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛澤東思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), also called Marxism-Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM), is a variant of communism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893&#8211...

Perspective

Within mainland China, guoyue music is not necessarily seen as negative, as it can represent both a communist and socialist view. Outside of the mainland, especially in the more democratic and commercialized parts of Asia, guoyue is often seen as revolutionary and pro-communistic almost without question. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ...

History

"The Red Sun" Album featuring young Mao Zedong on the cover. Revolutionary albums are only popular in the mainland

“Mao” redirects here. ...

Origin

In the 1920s, as part of the New Culture Movement, the guoyue music genre came about to promote greater patriotism after the fall of the last dynasty. Many groups in Shanghai associated themselves as "National Music Clubs" (国乐會). Identity and national pride became important during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War throughout the 1930s. Students in Beijing rallied during the May Fourth Movement. ... The Qing Dynasty (Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ching chao; Manchu: daicing gurun; Mongolian: Манж Чин), occasionally known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the ruling Chinese Dynasties. ... Combatants Republic of China Empire of Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai Fumimaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Matsui Iwane, Jiro Minami, Kesago Nakajima, Toshizo Nishio, Yasuji Okamura, Umezu Yoshijiro Strength 5,600,000 4,100,000 (including 900... Combatants Nationalist Party of China Communist Party of China Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War...

Birth of Revolutionary songs (1949-1970s)

In 1949 the Kuomintang relocated to Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China was established. The Communist Party would promote revolutionary music while suppressing traditional music and Chinese popular music. The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung1-kuo2 Kuo2-min2-tang3)[1], also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China, now on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China, a position guaranteed by the countrys constitution. ... C-pop is an abbreviation for Chinese pop. ...

The songs were presented differently from the usual national anthems, since the government made a genuine effort to upgrade the music for a political cause. An example is Lin Biao in 1964 promoting that "all Chinese were urged to learn from the People's Liberation Army", who were taught 11 revolutionary songs. For the musicians of the era, they were expected to model their work after the army's musical organization^[1]. The Communist movements and propaganda during the 1960s and 70s was successful enough that people listened to revolutionary music as a main genre. The national anthem of March of the Volunteers was suspended in favor of The East Is Red during the cultural revolution. An artistic rendition of Mao Zedong and Lin Biao as his heir apparent in the style of socialist realism in the prime of the Cultural Revolution. ... March of the Volunteers (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is the national anthem of the Peoples Republic of China, written in the midst of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. ... The East Is Red (Chinese: 东方红; Pinyin: Dōngfāng Hóng) is a song that was the de facto anthem of the Peoples Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. ... The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wénhuà dà gémìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or even simpler, to 文革 wéngé, Cultural Revolution) was a period of social chaos and political anarchy in the Peoples...

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. A ballad is a story in song, usually a narrative song or poem. ... Folk can refer to a number of different things: It can be short for folk music, or, for folksong, or, for folklore; it may be a word for a specific people, tribe, or nation, especially one of the Germanic peoples; it might even be a calque on the related German... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

Mao nostalgia period (1990s)

As recent as 1991, anthems to Mao Zedong were updated into disco-like arrangements released in Shanghai by the China Record Company. The album titled "The Red Sun" (紅太陽) became an instant best seller. For nostalgia, social, patriotic or entertainment purposes^[2], there are many reasons why the genre have leaned so close to commercial music in the past. Alot has to do with the Communist censorship imposed in other genres, giving the people less choice. “Mao” redirects here. ... Disco is a genre of dance-oriented pop music that blends elements of funk and soul music that was first popularized in dance clubs (discothèques) in the mid-1970s. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... One may feel nostalgic for the familiar routine of school, conveniently forgetting the painful experiences such as bullying. ...

Music Style

Regular non-maoist patriotic songs can be found in other parts of Asia

Patriotic Songs

Guoyue patriotic songs ensembles range from chamber groups to quite large orchestras which are led by a conductor. Orchestral guoyue compositions are often arranged in concerto-like form, for solo instrument and orchestra, and often incorporate some use of Western harmony.

Usually it combines traditional instruments with western ones. Like in The East is Red, melodies of traditional instruments like erhu and sheng are combined with western ones such as Violin and trumpets. The East Is Red (Chinese: 东方红; Pinyin: Dōngfāng Hóng) is a song that was the de facto anthem of the Peoples Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. ... Side view of an erhu. ... The Chinese sheng (Chinese: 笙, Pinyin shēng) is a mouth-blown free reed instrument (the first) consisting essentially of vertical tubes, in the Chinese orchestra. ...

Revolutionary Songs

Any given patriotic song can be performed for a revolutionary cause. Sometimes compositions are done to reflect a legacy. An example is compositions by Zhang Guangtian's (张广天) in 1993 idolizing the Cultural Revolution^[3]. The lyrics did get censored by the government to some degree for being too extreme. But it demonstrates how far the lyrics can go. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wénhuà dà gémìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or even simpler, to 文革 wéngé, Cultural Revolution) was a period of social chaos and political anarchy in the Peoples...

Guoyue performers

Conductors

• Peng Xiuwen

Peng Xiuwen (彭修文; pinyin: Péng Xiūwen; surname Peng; b. ...

References

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (137th in leap years). ...

See also

• Cultural Revolution
• Musical nationalism
• Historical Chinese anthems

The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; literally Proletarian Cultural Great Revolution; often abbreviated to 文化大革命 wénhuà dà gémìng, literally Great Cultural Revolution, or even simpler, to 文革 wéngé, Cultural Revolution) was a period of social chaos and political anarchy in the Peoples... Musical nationalism refers to the use of musical ideas or motifs that are identified with a specific country, region, or ethnicity, such as folk tunes and melodies, rhythms, and harmonies inspired by them. ... A number of Chinese official and unofficial national anthems were made around the early 20th century, only two remain in use: the Three Principles of the People (Republic of China (Taiwan)) and the Peoples Republic of Chinas national anthem (The March of the Volunteers). The article below lists...

External links

• Introduction to solo music and musical instruments