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GU

Guangdong music (genre)

Guangdong music, also known as Cantonese music (廣東音樂 Jyutping: gwong2dung1 jam1ngok6, Yale: gwóng-dūng yām-ngohk, Pinyin: Guǎngdōng yīnyuè) is a style of traditional Chinese instrumental music from

Instrumentation#

The gaohu is the most common lead instrument used in performing Cantonese music. It was invented by Lü Wencheng (吕文成, 1898–1981) in the 1920s. Prior to this, the erxian was the most common lead bowed string instrument in the Cantonese ensemble. Ensembles led by the erxian and also featuring the tiqin are called yinggong (硬弓, literally “hard bow”) ensembles, while those led by the gaohu are called ruangong (软弓, literally “soft bow”) because the erxian and tiqin have thick bamboo bows, while the gaohu has a thinner, flexible bow. Guangdong music gradually evolved into a string ensemble format by the 1960s, led by the gaohu with ruan, qinqin, yangqin, sanxian, yehu, tiqin and various woodwind (including houguan) and percussion instruments. Alto saxophone, xylophone, violin, piano, electric guitar, and drum set may also be used, in combination with traditional instruments.

Composers#

  • He Liutang (何柳堂, 1874–1933)
  • Lü Wencheng (吕文成, 1898－1981)
  • Qiu Hechou (丘鶴儔, 1880–1942)
  • Yan Laolie (嚴老烈, c. 1850-c. 1930)
  • He Yunian (何与年, 1880 or 1881-1962)

Compositions#

  • Baihua Ting Nao Jiu《百花亭鬧酒》(Drinking Uproariously at the Hundred-Flowers Pavilion) - anonymous
  • Bu Bu Gao《步步高》(Stepping Higher and Higher) - by Lü Wencheng
  • E Ma Yao Ling《餓馬搖鈴》(Hungry Horse Shakes Its Bell) - possibly by He Liutang
  • Han Tian Lei《旱天雷》(Thunder in the Drought) - by Yan Laolie
  • Jiao Shi Ming Qin《蕉石鳴琴》(Playing the Qin by the Plantain-Shaped Stones) - by Lü Wencheng
  • Ping Hu Qiu Yue《平湖秋月》(Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake) - by Lü Wencheng
  • Qing Mei Zhu Ma《青梅竹馬》(Childhood Sweethearts) - by Lü Wencheng
  • Sailong Duojin《賽龍奪錦》(Grabbing the Flag at the Dragon Boat Race) - by He Liutang
  • Xiao Tao Hong《小桃红》(Little Peach, Blossoming Red) - anonymous
  • Yu Da Ba Jiao《雨打芭蕉》(Rain Tapping on the Plantains) - possibly by He Liutang
  • Yu Ge Wan Chang《漁歌晚唱》(Fisherman Singing His Song in the Evening) - by Lü Wencheng
  • Yu Le Sheng Ping《娛樂昇平》(Merriment in a Time of Peace) - by Qiu Hechou

See also#

*Guangdong Chinese Orchestra

*Guangdong music page (Mandarin Chinese)

Genre family
Cantonese music, Chinese folk music, Chinese styles of music