The military song is the soul of the army, the place of military prestige, the clarion call of the charge, and the triumphant song of victory. The military song bears witness to the history of the Party and the history of the military, and let us review the centenary journey of the Communist Party of China with the song
Video loading...
On July 7, 1937, the Lugou Bridge Incident broke out, and the all-out War of Resistance began, and the Chinese people set off a wave of unity against the Japanese invaders. An anti-Japanese national united front based on the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party was established.
At the critical moment of national survival, an impassioned song "Defending the Yellow River" was played in Yan'an. Countless anti-Japanese soldiers sang "Defend the Yellow River" and rushed to the front line to kill the enemy bravely, playing a strong voice of the times when the Chinese nation was trying to save the country and survive.
"Defending the Yellow River" is composed by Guang Weiran and composed by Xian Xinghai, and is the seventh movement of the Yellow River Chorus. The song adopts the singing form of singing in unison and in turns, has a wide range of mass nature, and is a song widely sung by the anti-Japanese military and people.
At the end of 1938, the poet Guang Weiran led the third team of the anti-enemy drama team to cross the Yellow River in the east and transfer it to the anti-Japanese base area of Lüliang Mountain. When crossing the Yellow River in the east, he witnessed the scene of the Yellow River boatmen fighting with the terrifying waves, and was infected by the bravery and heroism of the boatmen. In lüliang mountain for more than two months, he was born and died with the anti-Japanese guerrilla athletes, and the fiery life triggered his creative passion.
In January 1939, after Guang Weiran arrived in Yan'an, he composed a recitation poem "Yellow River Yin" and recited it at the Chinese New Year's Eve Party that year. Xian Xinghai was very excited after hearing this, and in a simple earthen kiln in Yan'an, he held his illness and created for six consecutive days. Since he did not witness the spectacular scene of the boatman crossing the river courageously, Xian Xinghai repeatedly asked Wu Jianzhi, who was in charge of the command, about the Yellow River, and asked him to imitate the humming boatman's trumpet. While humming, Wu Zhenzhi constantly explained, and from time to time made movements with his hands. All these gave Xian Xinghai great creative inspiration, and finally completed the composition of "Yellow River Chorus".
Lyrics of "Yellow River Chorus"
The wind is roaring,
The horse is calling,
The Yellow River is roaring,
The Yellow River is roaring!
Hexi Mountain Hill is high,
Hedong Hebei sorghum is ripe,
There are many anti-Japanese heroes in the Ten Thousand Mountains!
The guerrilla athletes in the green yarn tent are heroic!
Raised the earthen guns and foreign guns,
Wielding a large sword and spear,
Defend your hometown!
Defend the Yellow River!
Defend North China!
Defend all of China!
Guang Weiran, formerly known as Zhang Guangnian, was born in 1913 in Laohekou City, Hubei Province. Since the 1930s, he has been engaged in progressive theater and literary activities. In 1936, he published the lyrics "Flowers in May" in Wuhan, which was widely sung in the anti-Japanese rescue activities after composing the music. The group poem "Yellow River Chorus" was composed by Xian Xinghai and performed for the first time in Yan'an. In 1940, he went to Chongqing and engaged in literary and artistic activities, composing a long narrative poem "Qu Yuan". Since 1949, he has been engaged in literary and artistic activities in Beijing.
The poet is not yet enlightened
Xian Xinghai, born in 1905 in Panyu, Guangdong, is a famous composer and pianist, known as the "People's Musician". In 1926, he entered the Institute of Music Transmission of Peking University and the Music Department of the National Art College. In 1928, he entered the Shanghai National Music College to study music. In 1929, he went to Paris for work-study, and in 1931 he was admitted to the Paris Conservatory. After returning to China in 1935, he actively participated in the Anti-Japanese Salvation Movement. In 1938, he went to Yan'an and served as the head of the music department of Lu Xun Art Institute. He created the immortal masterpieces "Yellow River Chorus" and "Production Chorus". He died of lung disease in Moscow on October 30, 1945.
Musician Xian Xinghai
On April 13, 1939, the premiere of "The Yellow River Chorus" in the auditorium of The Northern Public School of Shaanxi in Yan'an was performed by the three teams of anti-enemy dramas under the command of Wu Jianzhi. Guang Weiran personally took the stage to recite "The Water of the Yellow River Comes from Heaven". All the team members were deeply involved in the performance, and when they sang the seventh movement "Defending the Yellow River" aloud, they almost forgot that they were standing on the stage to perform. It wasn't until the end of the performance, when the audience burst into warm applause, that the team members realized that they were performing. On May 11, the second performance of "Yellow River Chorus" was held. This time it was personally conducted by composer Xian Xinghai. Xian Xinghai recorded in his diary that day that Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi and other leaders came to watch the performance. After the music ended, Mao Shouted "Yes" three times.
In May 1939, Xian Xinghai conducted luyi music department students to rehearse "Yellow River Chorus"
Writer Guo Moruo commented that "The Yellow River Chorus" is the most successful new type of song produced during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the majesty and variety of syllables make the original emotional words as shocking as the waves in the storm. After listening to it, Zhou Enlai personally wrote an inscription: "Roar for the War of Resistance and Compose a Voice for the Masses."
Since then, the "Yellow River Chorus" has spread from Yan'an to the base area and throughout China.
Among the eight movements of "Yellow River Chorus", the most widely circulated as a single song is "Defending the Yellow River". As the most impassioned and inspiring seventh movement of the "Yellow River Chorus", "Defending the Yellow River" uses a short and leaping tune and a sonorous and powerful rhythm to show the magnificent scene of the anti-Japanese soldiers and civilians holding up their earthen guns and foreign guns, wielding large knives and spears, defending the Yellow River and defending the whole of China in the green gauze tent and in the midst of thousands of mountains. "Defending the Yellow River" not only expresses the passion of defeating the enemy and winning victory, but also facilitates singing, allows people to enjoy beauty in a bright and confident melody, and experiences a sense of revolutionary optimism that must win.
In 1964, "Defending the Yellow River" was selected for the fourth "Anti-Japanese Beacon" of the large-scale musical and dance epic "Dongfang Hong".
In June 2019, "Defending the Yellow River" was selected by the Propaganda Department as "100 Excellent Songs celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China", ranking second after the "March of the Volunteer Army".
(The author Is Xu Ping, an expert in military history)
Produced by WeChat (zgjw_81) of China Military Network
Author: Xu Ping
Editor: Chai Xiao