Group7 “Erquan Yingyue”

荼荻.

Erquan's Creative Background of Reflecting the Moon

　　"Erquan Yingyue" is the representative work of Chinese folk musician Hua Yanjun, also known as Abing. Under the tutelage of his father, he mastered the complex and versatile techniques of Buddhist music by the age of sixteen or seventeen, excelling in playing, singing, and reciting. However, Abing's fortunes took a sharp downturn after he passed the age of thirty. He first fell into poverty due to his addiction to opium and other vices, and then suffered from eye diseases that led to the loss of his sight. Eventually, he ended up performing on the streets, living in extreme poverty.Against this backdrop of hardship, Abing expressed his loves and hates through playing the erhu (a two-stringed Chinese fiddle), the pipa (a Chinese lute), and storytelling. Through his music, he exposed the darkness of his time and reflected his own feelings about his painful life, thus composing the famous erhu piece "Erquan Yingyue." This piece profoundly expresses the suffering of Abing's own life. Rather than depicting the scenery of the Moon Reflected in the Second Spring, it is more accurately a profound expression of Abing's own emotions.
　　《二泉映月》是中国民间音乐家华彦钧（阿炳）的代表作，在父亲的教习下，他十六七岁便学会了结构繁复、技法多变的梵音，吹、拉、弹、打、唱、念样样精通。然而，阿炳的境遇在年过而立之后急转直下。他先是因染上吸食鸦片等恶习导致生活潦倒，随后患上眼疾，双目相继失明，最终流落街头卖艺，生活十分贫困。在这样的生活背景下，阿炳通过拉二胡、弹琵琶、说新闻的方式来表达自己的爱恨情仇，通过音乐揭露当时的黑暗，他把自己对痛苦生活的感受通过音乐反映出来，从而创作了著名的二胡曲《二泉映月》。这首曲子深刻地抒发了瞎子阿炳自己的痛苦身世，与其说音乐描写了二泉映月的风景，不如说是深刻地抒发了阿炳自己的感受。

About the author of Erquan Yingyue

　　Hua Yanjun, also known as Abing (1893 - 1950), was born in "Yihe Shanfang" next to Leizun Hall in Wuxi, Jiangsu. His father was Hua Qinghe, a Taoist priest in the local Leizun Hall. Abing learned music from his father since childhood. He delved deeply into Taoist music and also widely absorbed elements of folk music.
　　He lost his mother at the age of 3. At the age of 8, he became a young Taoist priest in Leizun Hall with his father. After studying in a private school for 3 years, he learned musical instruments such as the flute, drum, pipa, and erhu from his father. At the age of 12, Abing was proficient in many musical instruments and often participated in activities such as playing music, chanting scriptures, and worshipping. At the age of 18, he was known as a "skilled performer". At the age of 21, he suffered from eye diseases, and became blind at the age of 35. After losing his sight, he left the Taoist temple and became a street performer. Abing created and performed more than 270 folk music pieces in his life, but only the erhu pieces "The Moon Reflected in Two Springs", "The Cold Spring Wind Melody", "Listening to the Pines" and the pipa pieces "Dragon Boat", "The Great Waves Washing Away the Sand", and "Zhaojun Going out of the Frontier" have survived.
"The Moon Reflected in Two Springs" is the expression of his spiritual journey. He integrated all the warmth and coldness of the human world and the hardships and humiliations he had endured into this piece of music. The song has a unique artistic charm and is a treasure in the treasure trove of Chinese national music culture.
　　华彦钧，又名阿炳（1893—1950)。阿炳出生于江苏无锡雷尊殿旁“一和山房”，其父乃当地雷尊殿道士华清和。阿炳自幼随父学习音乐，对道教音乐钻研精深，还广泛吸收民间音乐的元素。
他 3 岁丧母，8 岁随父在雷尊殿当小道士，在私塾读了 3 年书后便跟随父亲学习笛、鼓、琵琶、二胡等乐器。12 岁时阿炳已通晓多种乐器，常参加奏乐、诵经、拜忏等活动，18 岁时被称为“演奏能手”。21 岁患眼疾，35 岁双目失明。失明后他离开道观，流浪街头，以卖艺为生。阿炳一生共创作和演奏了 270 多首民间乐曲，但留存下来的仅有二胡曲《二泉映月》《寒春风曲》《听松》以及琵琶曲《龙船》《大浪淘沙》《昭君出塞》。
《二泉映月》是他心路历程的抒写，他将自己看透的人间冷暖、饱尝的辛酸荣辱，全部融入到了这首乐曲中。该曲具有独特的艺术魅力，是中国民族音乐文化宝库中的瑰宝。

Analysis of "Erquan Yingyue"

|、 Musical Structure and Artistic Characteristics
1.Theme Melody:
　　The theme melody is graceful and winding, with profound emotions that lay the foundation for the piece's tone of sorrow and helplessness. This reflects Ah Bing's keen observation of life.
2.Variation Development:
　　The piece adopts a variation form, with the theme melody undergoing five variations. The emotions progress layer by layer, from sorrow to resistance, and then to hope, showcasing Ah Bing's complex inner feelings and his tenacious struggle against fate.
3.Performance Techniques:
　　Ah Bing employs various erhu performance techniques such as glissando, vibrato, portamento, and tremolo, endowing the melody with rich expressiveness and appeal. This makes the music sound as if it is weeping and lamenting, deeply touching the audience.
||、Emotional Expression and Ideological Connotation
"Erquan Yingyue" embodies Ah Bing's sorrow and helplessness towards life, his resistance and indomitability against fate, as well as his hope and longing for the future. The music's emotions are intricately interwoven, with a sense of nostalgia for the past and anticipation for the future, reflecting the common emotions and fate of humanity.

一、音乐结构与艺术特色
1. 主题旋律：
主题旋律悠扬婉转，情感深沉，奠定了全曲悲凉与无奈的基调，展现了阿炳对生活的细腻观察。
2. 变奏发展：
乐曲采用变奏曲式，主题旋律经过五次变奏，情感层层递进，从悲凉到抗争，再到希望，展现了阿炳内心的复杂情感和对命运的顽强抗争。
3. 演奏技巧：
阿炳运用了绰、注、滑音、颤音等二胡演奏技巧，赋予旋律丰富的表现力和感染力，使得乐曲如泣如诉，感人至深。
二、情感表达与思想内涵
《二泉映月》蕴含着阿炳对生活的悲凉与无奈，对命运的抗争与不屈，以及对未来的希望与期盼。乐曲情感复杂交织，既有对过去的怀念，也有对未来的期盼，展现了人类共同的情感和命运。

Social Evaluation

　　"Two Springs Reflecting the Moon" not only has a beautiful title and is very poetic, but more importantly, it expresses the author's heartfelt sorrow and curse the darkness and longing for light. Over the years, due to its strong folk flavor and profound ideological connotation, this piece has become a classic repertoire performed by many famous orchestras in the international music scene.
　　In the early 50s of the 20th century, Chairman Mao Zedong listened to the erhu song "Erquan Reflecting the Moon" in Shanghai, and commented: "It has a strong folk flavor, which is very good, and it should be carried forward." Premier Zhou Enlai also appreciated this piece very much, and instructed the relevant departments to make a special record and give it to visiting international friends as a precious gift. Chairman Mao Zedong attached great importance to and admired the excellent national culture, and cordially watched the ballet "Erquan Reflecting the Moon" performed by the Liaoning Ballet Troupe in Beijing. At a gala party to celebrate Macao's return to the motherland, General Secretary Jiang Zemin also took the stage and listened with great interest to the performance of "Two Springs Reflecting the Moon" by a Macao cellist.
Mr. Ma Sicong, a famous musician who served as the president of the Central Conservatory of Music in the 50s of the 20th century, and Mr. Liu Liewu, a famous cellist, admired Ah Bing's erhu performance skills very much after listening to the recording of erhu music performed by A Bing: "His (A Bing's) erhu bowstring looks like an endless train track, and it is difficult to hear the traces of the bow change. In 1978, Seiji Oz......awa was invited to be the chief conductor of the Central Orchestra, during which he conducted Brahms's Second Symphony and the string ensemble Erquan Reflecting the Moon (arrangement), but Ozawa did not say anything at the time. The next day, Seiji Ozawa listened to the original version of "The Moon in the Two Springs", and he was moved to tears and muttered, "I didn't understand this music, so I am not qualified to conduct this piece...... This kind of music should only be listened to on your knees. "As he spoke, he really wanted to kneel. He also said: "The phrase "the feeling of breaking the intestine is too appropriate". On September 7 of the same year, Japan's Asahi Shimbun published a special article from Beijing, "Mr. Ozawa's Moved Tears."
　　In 1985, the United States selected the 10 most popular pop songs among Westerners, and "Erquan Reflecting the Moon" topped the list. In 1991, a United Kingdom musician listened to the recording of "Two Springs Reflecting the Moon" at a concert in the United States and excitedly said to a Beethoven's hometown: "China's Beethoven! China's Destiny! ”

　　《二泉映月》不但曲名优美，极富诗意，更重 要的是表达了作者发自内心的悲鸣和诅咒黑暗，憧憬光明的心声。许多年来，由于这首乐曲具有浓郁的民间风味和深刻的思想内涵，以致在国际乐坛不胫而走，广泛流传，成为许多著名乐团演奏的经典曲目。
毛泽东主席在20世纪50年代初于上海听了二胡曲《二泉映月》后，评价说：“它具有浓郁的民间风味，很好，要发扬光大之。”周恩来总理也十分欣赏这首乐曲，指示有关部门灌制专门唱片，当作珍贵礼品赠给来访的国际友人。毛泽东主席非常重视和推崇民族优秀文化，亲切观看了辽宁芭蕾舞团进京演出的芭蕾舞剧《二泉映月》。在庆祝澳门回归祖国的晚会上，江泽民总书记还专门登台，饶有兴趣地听取了澳门大提琴家演奏的《二泉映月》。
著名音乐家、20世纪50年代担任中央音乐学院院长的马思聪先生与著名大提琴家刘烈武先生在听了阿炳演奏的二胡曲录音后，对阿炳炉火纯青的二胡演奏技艺十分钦佩：“他（阿炳）的二胡弓弦长得像一望无际的火车铁轨，很难听出换弓的痕迹。”影响最大，流传最为广泛的还是指挥家小泽征尔对该曲的评价：“我应该跪下来听……”那是1978年，小泽征尔应邀担任中央乐团的首席指挥，席间他指挥演奏了勃拉姆斯的《第二交响曲》和弦乐合奏《二泉映月》（改编），当时，小泽征尔并没有说什么。第二天，小泽征尔聆听了原版《二泉映月》，他感动得热泪盈眶，呢喃地说：“我并没有理解这首音乐，因此，我没有资格指挥这个曲目……这种音乐只应跪下来听。”说着说着，真的要跪下来。他还说：“断肠之感这句话太合适了”。同年9月7日，日本《朝日新闻》刊登了发自北京的专文《小泽先生感动的泪》。
1985年美国评出了10首最受西方人欢迎的流行乐曲，《二泉映月》名列榜首。1991年，一位英国音乐家在美国的一场音乐会上听了《二泉映月》的录音后激动地对一位贝多芬的故乡人说：“中国的贝多芬！中国的《命运》！”

English Introduction of Erhu

The Erhu is a traditional Chinese bowed string instrument. It has a long history and plays a significant role in Chinese folk music.
　　
In terms of its structure, it mainly consists of several parts. The resonator, usually made of wood in shapes like round, hexagonal or octagonal, is called the sound box. One end of the sound box is covered with snake skin to help produce sound, and the other end has a sound hole. The neck of the Erhu is also made of good-quality wood, on which the tuning pegs are installed at the upper part and it is inserted into the sound box at the lower part. There are two strings, which can be made of silk or metal. In modern times, metal strings are more commonly used. And there is a bridge that transfers the vibration of the strings to the sound box. The bow, usually made of flexible bamboo, is used to make the strings vibrate by rubbing against them.
　　
The Erhu has a unique playing technique. Musicians use various bowing methods with the right hand, such as the continuous bow, staccato bow, and tremolo bow. With the left hand, there are techniques like trill, glissando, harmonic, and finger plucking. Its tone color is soft, mellow, implicit and vigorous. It can play both slow and sentimental melodies and lively and cheerful tunes.
　　
It is widely used in solo performances, ensemble performances and as an accompaniment instrument for folk songs and operas. There are many famous pieces for the Erhu, like "The Moon Reflected in the Second Spring" by Hua Yan-jun (Abing), "Sickbed Groaning" by Liu Tian-hua, etc. Many outstanding Erhu players have emerged over the years, who have made important contributions to the inheritance and development of Erhu music.
　　
　　
二胡是中国传统的拉弦乐器。它有着悠久的历史，在中国民间音乐中起着重要作用。
　　
就其构造而言，它主要由几个部分组成。共鸣箱（琴筒）通常由木头制成，形状有圆形、六角形或八角形等，琴筒的一端蒙着蛇皮以辅助发声，另一端有音孔。二胡的琴杆也是由优质木材制成，琴杆上部装有琴轴，下端插入琴筒内。二胡有两根弦，弦可以由丝或金属制成，在现代，金属弦更为常用。还有一个琴码，它能将琴弦的振动传递到琴筒上。琴弓通常由富有弹性的竹子制成，通过与琴弦摩擦使琴弦振动发声。
　　
二胡有着独特的演奏技巧。演奏者右手使用多种弓法，比如连弓、顿弓、颤弓等。左手有打音、滑音、泛音、手指拨弦等技巧。它的音色柔和、圆润、含蓄且刚劲有力。它既能演奏舒缓抒情的旋律，也能演奏活泼欢快的曲调。
　　
它广泛应用于独奏、合奏表演，也常作为民歌和戏曲的伴奏乐器。有许多著名的二胡曲目，比如华彦钧（阿炳）的《二泉映月》、刘天华的《病中吟》等等。多年来涌现出了许多杰出的二胡演奏家，他们为二胡音乐的传承和发展做出了重要贡献。