Chinese Music Classics of 20th Century – II/VI: Songs
(Continues from Chinese Music Classics of 20th Century – I/VI)
Why we need such a selection for Chinese Music?
Today Chinese music lovers are able to recite complete scores from Bach to Brahms’s; Books such as “Guide to Western Classics”, “300 Western Classical Music” fill the music section of bookstores and personal bookshelves. When it comes to Chinese music, most people would look at each other, without much to talk about.

Root of Chinese Music | by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/dayangchi/1766117633/}Dayangchi{/link}
Chinese lack of awareness of their own music as a whole because that Chinese music had never been in a systematic order, which needs a prerequisite for a broad knowledge of understanding. The best approach for understanding is to establish a full trinity system of creation, performance and appreciation.
However, until now, China has barely started a real “Music Appreciation” era. So, at present, the goal of this selection is not to fairly evaluate or accurately judge or rank certain music works through mature experience; its goal, at best, is merely to introduce representative works for the social public awareness, in the beginning of “Appreciation” era. The award is more like a promotion rather than a certified hall of fame.
(… to be continued …)
Part II: Songs (second half, after 1945, the end of WWII)
After defeating the Japanese invaders (with the help of USA and USSR) in 1945 and establishing a New Country in 1949, the history of China turned into a new page for the second half of 20th century. So did Chinese Music.
Here is the second half 24 of 49 songs selected as Chinese Music Classics of 20th Century. Lots of them are tributes to our country or land or people, showing the optimism and hope about the future of new China. And some of them are songs written for TV series or movies, which represents a switching focus onto mass media entertainment.
作品 | Year | Lyrics | Music | English Title w. video link |
---|---|---|---|---|
《咱们工人有力量》 | 1948 | 马可 | 马可 | We Workers Have Power |
《草原上升起不落的红太阳》 | 1950 | 美丽其格 | 美丽其格 | The Never-setting Sun Rises Over the Prairie |
《歌唱祖国》 | 1950 | 王莘 | 王莘 | Ode to the Motherland |
《愉快的歌声》 | 1950 | 王毓 | 吕泉生 | Pleasant Song |
《歌唱二郎山》 | 1952 | 魏风 | 时乐蒙 | Singing of Mountain Er-lang |
《我的祖国》 | 1950s | 乔羽 | 刘炽 | My Motherland |
《让我们荡起双桨》 | 1950s | 乔羽 | 刘炽 | Let Us Row Our Paddles |
《我们的田野》 | 1950s | 张文纲 | 张文纲 | Our Fields |
《我们走在大路上》 | 1963 | 劫夫 | 劫夫 | We Are Walking on the Main Road |
《马儿啊,你慢些走》 | 1964 | 李鉴尧 | 生茂 | Run Slower, My Pony |
《边疆的泉水清又纯》 | 1976 | 凯传 | 王酩 | Spring Water from the Frontier is Limpid and Pure |
《梅花》 | 1979 | 刘家昌 | 刘家昌 | Plum Flower |
《我爱你,中国》 | 1980 | 瞿琮 | 郑秋枫 | I Love You China |
《在希望的田野上》 | 1982 | 晓光 | 施光南 | On the Field of Hope |
《那就是我》 | 1982 | 晓光 | 谷建芬 | That is Me |
《长江之歌》 | 1984 | 胡宏伟 | 王世光 | Song of the Yangtze River |
《黄土高坡》 | 1986 | 陈哲 | 苏越 | Yellow Earth of the High Plateau (Loess Plateau) |
《红楼梦》套曲 | 1987 | 曹雪芹(清) | 王立平 | Dream of the Red Chamber |
《篱笆墙的影子》 | 1989 | 张藜 | 徐沛东 | Shadow of the Bamboo Wall |
《青藏高原》 | 1997 | 张千一 | 张千一 | Tibetan Plateau |
《阿姐鼓》 | 1995 | 何训友 | 何训田 | Sister Drum |
《日落西山》 | 1937 | 田汉 | 张曙 | Sunset |
《你是这样的人》 | 1997 | 宋士明 | 三宝 | You Are Such a Person |
《好汉歌》 | 1998 | 易茗 | 赵季平 | A Song to Tough Guys |
Please stay tuned and other parts will be posted soon!
[Chinese Keyword]
二十世纪华人音乐经典