Is "Piccolo for Shepherd Boys" traditional Chinese music, and does it borrow from the West?

"Piccolo for Shepherd Boys," also known as "The Flute of the Shepherd Boys," composed by Mr. He Luting, is a piano piece with a distinctly Chinese style. This piece combines Western polyphony with Chinese national style, and it portrays a Chinese idyll that is completely different from the Western style. This piece is a creative example of China's modern piano music creation.

I. Background of "Piccolo for Shepherd Boys"

In 1934, Mr. He Luting was studying at the Shanghai National Institute of Music in a difficult environment, but he was studying and composing at the same time, and he was constantly concerned about the news and dynamics of the music world. At that time, a famous European pianist and composer, Mr. Alexander Zilpin, was collecting works in China. He promised that the winner would be able to get a free study abroad qualification, and also get the corresponding prize money. Mr. He Luting began composing as soon as he learned about the campaign. In the composition of "Piccolo of a Shepherd Boy", the author expresses his worries about the stormy country. He integrated the old ox, the piccolo and the shepherd boy into one, depicting a scene of peaceful and beautiful mountains and rivers, and a great harmony between heaven and earth, which contrasted sharply with the war scene of the time when the fire was raging.

II. Appreciation of "Piccolo for Shepherd Boys"

The melody of "Piccolo for Shepherd Boys" is positive, intense and soothing. It depicts people's aversion to war, their worries about the country, the nation and the future, and their praise and yearning for a better future. The song conveys people's lofty spirit of revolutionary optimism. It also conveys people's faith in the certainty of victory of the Chinese revolution. Because of this connotation, the work seems more timeless and profound. Walking into this piece of music, it is as if we are personally coming to the nature of the mountains and beautiful water. It is as if there are two barrels chasing and playing on the field ridge, and the fresh and light local flavor lingers around us.

Born under the background of the new culture, "Piccolo for Shepherd Boys", a modern Chinese piano piece, portrays for us an idyllic painting of China that is completely different from the Western style. The author's thinking of blending the East and the West has laid a unique foundation for the work, making the ethnicity and the cosmopolitanism in this piece a perfect match. Upon its release, the work was welcomed and loved by Chinese and other audiences, and the compositional principles of the work have given important insights into Chinese music creation.