Characteristics of Zhao Yuanren's Artistic Song Creation

Zhao Yuanren's artistic songs are characterized by distinctive musical images, novel styles, close combination of lyrics and songs, and many works also have distinct patriotic and democratic tendencies.

Zhao Yuanren (1892— 1982) was one of the four great tutors of Tsinghua's national studies during the Republic of China. He is recognized as a knowledgeable wizard, and also known as a rare generalist and "Renaissance wise man". He is "the father of modern linguistics in China" and the pioneer of modern musicology in China. Someone commented on Zhao Yuanren, "This is a real master who can integrate science, language, art and life, and embody the scientific spirit and humanistic feelings so incisively and vividly".

Zhao Yuanren is proficient in all kinds of musical instruments, and has been with the piano all his life. Among his six piano short pieces, there are ethnic minorities with relatively elegant styles, such as Ou Cheng (19 17) and Ba Ban Xiang River Waves and Harmony (19 15). Among them, the piano piece Ou Cheng was published in Science magazine. This piece uses the traditional Tianjin tunes he is familiar with, and has the characteristics of China nationalization.

Some scholars think that "Eight-board Xiangjiang Wave Harmony" is a piano piece, others think it is a piece for organ, and still others think it is a piece for two musical instruments. The author tends to the last point of view, writing for two musical instruments. The key to playing music is to master its charm, and the specific tools used are not the key.

In Zhao Yuanren, appealing to both refined and popular tastes is the essence of his pursuit of music. On the basis of these two elegant piano pieces, he composed four popular "pop music", namely "March for Peace" (19 15) and "March for Children" (1965438).

Some scholars believe that "two songs" have the nature of practice, but they have not given any judgment basis. It may be too casual, uncut, confusing, and can only be regarded as a work. Among them, "Parade for Peace" is a work published by Zhao Yuanren in the first issue of Volume I of Science in June 19 15.

As far as the current research is concerned, this is the first piano work published in China. In the book Piano Chronicle of the Republic of China, it is said that he was the first known China native to write keyboard works and piano works, and some scholars praised him as "Schubert of China". Xiao was a famous musician in the Republic of China. His two earlier piano works, Nocturne and Mourning March, were written on 19 16, a little later than that.

Zhao Yuanren's lyrics:

Zhao Yuanren's lyrics and songs are not only lyric works like "Teach me how not to think about her", but also patriotic songs with high enthusiasm. During the Republic of China, many people were willing to sing "Try to Be China People" written by him, in which "one voice, one tune, one song; Compatriots and comrades of the same kind are of one mind ..... they all raise their spirits to revitalize China. " Up to now, we can still feel the unity and progress of the Chinese nation from the lyrics and songs.

Zhao Yuanren has both the gentleness of scholars and the progress of revolution, which is mainly manifested in his composing music for poems reflecting the miserable life of proletarian working people. Such as Song of Youzhou on the Yangtze River, Weaving Ballads, Song of Labor, and works that reflect current events, such as Alas March 8th, mainly reflect the March 8th Massacre that Lu Xun called "the darkest day since the Republic of China", and it is a representative work that reflects the realistic struggle of the democratic revolution in the1920s.

His works always adhere to the principle of making foreign things serve China, actively create music works that conform to the aesthetic habits of the Chinese nation, and explore the multi-voice creation techniques of China national music schools. According to this, some scholars believe that the main contribution of his music creation is high-level artistic songs with new poems as lyrics. Zhao Yuanren's vocal music creation has distinct nationality and times.