Tonight, after listening to the “Yellow River Piano Concerto” again, I still cannot restrain my excitement and write about my feelings.Anyone who likes music, especially classical music, must be familiar with the “Yellow River Piano Concerto”. The reason why the Shougang Association has moved people is not only the patriotic feelings we are familiar with, but also the exciting melody and soundtrack. I remember reading a report a long time ago that foreign pianists couldn’t help but marvel at how China can write such a wonderful piano concerto after listening to “The Yellow River”.
“We are all familiar with the creative background of” The Yellow River “, and there are more detailed records online.”. During the period of the Anti Japanese War, the Chinese poet Guangweiran was crossing the Yellow River eastward from near Hukou in Yichuan County, Shaanxi Province, and on his way to the anti Japanese base area of Lvliang Mountain. He personally encountered the rough waters and rapids of the Yellow River, witnessed the Yellow River boatman fighting against the fierce winds and waves, listened to the long, loud, deep and powerful boatman’s chants, and upon arriving in Yan’an, wrote the magnificent poem “The Yellow River”.
When the musician Xian Xinghai went to visit the sick Guangweiran, Guangweiran recited “The Yellow River” to his face. The magnificent scene of the Yellow River’s roaring and surging in that sentence aroused deep resonance in Xian Xinghai’s heart. What is meeting a bosom friend in high mountains and flowing waters? This is it. In this way, the passionate Xian Xinghai completed the composition in a week, and within half a month, completed the entire score of the eight movements and accompanying music of the work, writing the musical epic of the Chinese nation of this era.
In 1969, “The Yellow River” was adapted as a piano concerto by pianists Yin Chengzong, Chu Wanghua, Liu Zhuang, Sheng Lihong, Shi Shucheng, and Xu Feixing. On May 1, 1970, under the command of Li Delun, pianist Yin Chengzong and the Central Orchestra performed their premiere at the Beijing National Palace Theater.
I remember reading an article about the pianist Yin Chengzong, in which there was a detail about every concert of Yin Chengzong abroad, the opening track must be “The Yellow River Piano Concerto”. This is the first condition that he cannot negotiate. If he does not agree, he would rather cancel the performance than change his decision to premiere “Yellow River”.
Of course, I have not verified this matter, but I believe this report is true. This is the backbone of a Chinese person, or the backbone of a pianist, but also the pride of our country. I admire him from the bottom of my heart. He not only has the dignity of a pianist, but also has a love for his motherland. Music knows no borders, but musicians have national boundaries. I applaud him. Moreover, “The Yellow River Piano Concerto” has been widely disseminated in the world, and his contributions are indispensable!
I love “The Yellow River Piano Concerto” very much. Many years ago, I printed and saved the entire set of music scores. However, my piano playing skills are really lacking, and I cannot play it alone. This may become a regret in my life.
I have heard the versions of Yin Chengzong, Shi Shucheng, and Lang Lang. Every time I listen to them, there is a feeling of excitement and joy. It is really difficult to express in words, the inner excitement and emotion. In fact, to be honest, my favorite version is still the version of Yin Chengzong, which may also be a sentiment.
“The Yellow River Piano Concerto” uses musical language to express musical thoughts and emotions in music creation. If you listen carefully to this piece of music, you will find that the music in it is sometimes soothing and sometimes exciting. When it’s quiet, let you contemplate it and savor the artistic conception carefully. When it’s stirring, your heart strings move and follow the music to release all the emotions inside.
The Yellow River Boatman’s Song, the trumpet and violin play with a magnificent momentum, creating a trumpet-like motive. The rapid ascent and descent of the chromatic scale of woodwind music first portrays the scene of boatmen struggling desperately against the rough seas, which makes people feel empathy. The rapid movement of the piano’s arpeggios elicits a firm and powerful boatman’s horn, bringing the indomitable spirit of struggle of the Chinese nation to the extreme. Upon hearing this, my heart was filled with excitement.
Song of the Yellow River, the deep cello playing a slow and solemn melody, leads to the repeated presentation of the solo piano, making people deeply immersed in their thoughts, and together traces the long history of civilization in the motherland. I always remember the scene in which the people on both sides of the Yellow River worked hard and loved life. With the development of musical emotions, the music gradually reached a climax, with the piano playing sonorous and powerful chords, and the brass playing the motivation of the Volunteer march. At this moment, my body and mind are shaken and my strong emotions are aroused. I really feel the inner surge of the Chinese nation when it stands up.
The indignation of the Yellow River and the melodies of the introduction played by the crisp sound of the flute fully display the feelings of the northern Shaanxi plateau. The solo piano imitates the ancient zither, and the music like flowing water is like the flowing stream of Tongxin Stream, quiet and beautiful. After the bright and broad development of the band, the solo piano was played with a rotation of fingers. Every time I heard this, my emotions were suppressed. I can almost imagine the various profound hardships that people suffered at that time.
Then, the blocking tones of piano chords and brass music respond to each other. Suddenly, the entire picture is broken, and the beautiful rivers and mountains are trampled by foreign enemies. It seems that the anger in the heart also follows. In the music, the brewing mood of resistance and struggle continues to rise, and the intense performance of the solo piano seems to immerse one in the scene, the raging waves of the Yellow River, and the filled sadness and indignation of the Chinese nation. After listening to the third movement, my heart has always been unable to calm down for a long time. I feel that happiness comes from not being easy, and I should live a good life.
Defending the Yellow River is the final chapter. This chapter should be a widely circulated piece of music, no matter what age you are, I think you can hum it out. Yes, it’s the exciting “The wind is roaring, the horse is barking, the Yellow River is roaring, the Yellow River is roaring…”
At the beginning of this chapter, a combative and solemn introduction is played on the brass pipe, while the piano quickly plays a continuous octave cadenza. Upon hearing this passionate melody, I always get up excited. The scene where the people of the motherland united and acted with one heart deeply affected me. After the band introduced the main melody of “Defending the Yellow River” played by the piano, I would even sing the lyrics of defending the Yellow River along with the melody, or in this way, I could deeply feel the scene of the military and civilian fighting high and rushing to the battlefield to jointly resist the enemy.
“I tried to play this chapter on the piano many times, but I always didn’t perform well, so I had to give up.”. What I am most infatuated with is the part where the piano lead is played, then the band rotates, one after another, gradually rising. Think of the image that music brings, and it can really be infected. It vividly interprets the scene of horses galloping, smoke filled with smoke, and the unstoppable and heroic momentum of the revolutionary team to kill the enemy. Finally, in the competition of the piano and the band, the music reached its climax, playing the melody of “Oriental Red”, which we are familiar with, making people particularly excited to listen to it.
At the end, the tunes of “Oriental Red” and “Internationale” are combined to sublimate the artistic conception of the entire piece. “I have heard that some versions have been changed, that is, the tracks of the Internationale have been deleted, but this does not affect the entire concerto. However, I still prefer the version of the Internationale because it is more resonant with people.”.
