Liu Tianhua - Erhu Solos (composer)
Art Tune Company Hong Kong - COL 3011 - P. 1970's
(most recordings played by various artists most likely between 1960's-1970's)
劉天華二胡演奏 - 二胡獨奏
香港藝聲唱片公司 - COL 3137 - P. 1970's
第 1 面
1. 空山鳥語 - 張韶
2. 彈樂 - 孫文明
3. 燭影搖紅 - 張銳
4. 悲歌 - 張銳
5. 月夜 - 張銳
6. 良宵 - 張銳
第 2 面
7. 病中含 - 蔣風之
8. 苦中樂 - 蔣風之
9. 閒居含 - 蔣風之
10. 獨弦操 - 甘柏林
The titles of songs are often hard to render into english, and as all the tunes here are standards, there may be other, more common translations. These are all my stab at giving some english titles to the songs, but if someone, more familiar with the Erhu repertoire has better suggestions, please don't hesitate to tell me so. Not that I don't listen to chinese instrumental music, but I am more familiar with the Qin, and the various opera repertoires. I will post some of that later as I find time.
Side A
A1 Birdsong in the empty mountains (1931) - Zhang Shao
A2 Plucked music - Sun Wenming
A3 Amorous shadows in candlelight - Zhang Rui
A4 Elegy - Zhang Rui
A5 Moonlight - Zhang Rui
A6 Peaceful evening - Zhang Rui
Side B
B1 Lamenting illness - Jiang Fengzhi
B2 Music in the bitterness - Jiang Fengzhi
B3 Residence leisure lament - Jiang Fengzhi
B4 Single string exercise - Gan Bolin
Liu Tianhua composed ten erhu solos, the LP has but nine of them but is missing
guāng míng xíng 光明行 (March towards brightness). Comment by Huqinblogger
Liu Tianhua (1895-1932)
Liu Tianhua (1895-1932) who is known as the "father of the Chinese Erhu" one of the most well known composers of the early generation, performer and music educator. He contributed greatly to reform and modernize traditional Chinese music and folk music. The pieces on this LP are all standards and are often the repertoire played for grading and competitions of students and young musicians. Even thou he was only 37 when he died of scarlet fever 1932 June 8 he has greatly influenced the chinese attitude towards folk music and elevated both the music and the position of the instrument. He improved both the pipa and the erhu before his solopieces more associated with beggars and he was the first to introduce erhu as a solo instrument in higher musical education.
