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Chinese New Year is February 1st this year - Year of the Tiger!
Maybe someone would like to try something a little different on the fiddle?
Here's a Chinese New Year Medley (Violin & Piano) from Serena Tan Music Studio!
- Emily
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ELCBK
She can play that fiddle, and she had a great tone!
Great tune.
Thanks for posting
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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Well, today is Chinese New Year!
Maudmaud shared a beautiful video playing the Theme from "Chinese Ghost Story"!
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/s.....y/#p123104
It reminded me I need to brush up on the only Chinese tune I've ever played - "Beauty Song" (Jia Ren Qu) - it's from the film, "House Of Flying Daggers". It's a romantic Chinese film, with twisted plots filled with beautiful imagery and wonderful music - by renown Japanese Composer, Shigeru Umebayashi!
I think it's definitely worth experimenting with - a simple tune that modulates!
Besides Wuxia Romance Films, I'm a big fan of Chinese & Korean Historical Drama, independent film, and also Hong Kong's Stephen Chow films - folklore fantasy infused with comedy (like "Journey to the West" and "Kung Fu Hustle").
From epic to low budget, independent films - all I've watched have been worth it, not only for interesting plot, but for incredible music!
There's a Film called "GOBI: Birth of a Legend" (dubbed in English, FREE at YouTube). It's a Fable specifically about the LOVE OF FIDDLE MUSIC on the Mongolian Plains!
After the king forbids music in his kingdom, his right hand takes over the throne and leaves him to die in the desert. But a group of musicians who secretly kept practicing the art of music aids the king for the final battle to get his kingdom back...
Try some Chinese music, TODAY!
Touhou 6 "Shanghai Teahouse - Chinese Tea" (ZUN)!
OR, CLASSICAL Chinese!
"Butterfly Lover's Violin Concerto" by He ZhanHao & Chen Gang.
Listen & read about it here:
https://www.wentchina.com/butt.....certo.html
ALSO:
Chinese Film Theme Music - China Radio Film Symphony Orchestra Concert
"Chinese folk song theme song 24", performed by the China National Symphony Orchestra!
- Emily
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The Butterfly Lovers Concerto is actually public domain in the US due to a publisher's error: copies of the first edition were sold in the US without proper copyright notice. It is on IMSLP and may be used freely in the US.
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Can't record any video today because I've been busy all day and have still have an orchestra rehearsal in the evening, but I know some Chinese New Year tunes and will see if I can find time to record one this week.
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@AndrewH -
Very Cool!
Can't wait to hear them!
Thank you, for the link to the free "The Butterfly Lovers Concerto" - saw it was pretty pricey, otherwise. 😊
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Well, a little late for Chinese New Year, but I made an attempt to play "Jia Ren Qu" (Beauty Song - from House of Flying Daggers) on my new Glasser 5-string Viola "Edgar" - he was 2 weeks old & I was just starting to get used to him (and it shows), so just wanted to link it here (post 48) in case anyone down the road wonders if we ever play this music. 😊
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Thomastik, I think, were advertising erhu strings on FB. They didn't offer replacement python skin, though!
I've got two books by Schott, one on Chinese Violin Solos and one on Chinese Flute solos.
Andrew
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@Gordon Shumway -
If you learn one of those Chinese Violin Solos and start a Party, I'd be very happy to learn one & join you! 🤗
...only takes two people to make a Party & maybe AndrewH would join in, too!
- Emily
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Little late, but figured I better link this thread if anyone is considering playing any Traditional Chinese Folk music, on Violin or Viola, into the New Year!
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AndrewH said
Can't record any video today because I've been busy all day and have still have an orchestra rehearsal in the evening, but I know some Chinese New Year tunes and will see if I can find time to record one this week.
@AndrewH -
If you get a chance to talk about the Chinese New Year Tunes you know, I would love it - celebrations are only a couple days away for this year!
If you know of recordings - that would be great, but don't place any extra stress on yourself.
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Tomorrow is Chinese Near Year 2023!
I don't know how I missed this the last couple years, but the EasyViolinLesson YouTube Channel has a great playlist of little tunes to try!
Each has play-along notes, fingering, tabs & chords at normal, then half speed.
Tip: once you get the notes down from the tutorials, search for their corresponding "sheet music" of the tune you like - it's a smoother play-along, without the other distractions.
Violin Tutorial: Chinese New Year Playlist - EasyViolinLesson
Here's one of them:
Here's the corresponding sheet music version:
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...more popular Chinese Violin tunes to try & Old Chinese New Year Songs!
Here's the beautiful "Big Fish and Begonia" theme from the 2016 animated fantasy - on the violin (or transcribe for viola & cello).
The Violin Beginner YouTube Channel has a popular Chinese tune playlist with play-along sheet music & tabs.
Chinese Playlist - The Violin Beginner
I like "Wuji" from "The Untamed" - popular 2019 Chinese series that had a couple spin-off films!
Just for the fun of it, here's a playlist of Old Chinese New Year Songs!
You might be able to find sheet music for some of these - it's beyond me right now.
Old Chinese New Year Songs Playlist - Chin Yeow Hoe
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I'm having a hard time thinking of much off the top of my head right now. My memory has been terrible for the last five months, so I can only think of one thing off the top of my head. The one song that immediately comes to mind for Chinese New Year is "Gong Xi Gong Xi," which is both in Serena Tan's medley in the first post and in the list of tutorials.
It's probably the single most popular Chinese New Year song today, and was one of the first Chinese-language songs I ever learned. The lyrics are rather bittersweet because it was written in the aftermath of the Second World War.
I like this video because it's the only modern recording I've been able to find that's completely faithful to the original 1945 version.
A fairly good translation of the lyrics:
On every street and pathway,
On everyone's lips,
The first thing we say is,
"Good wishes, good wishes."
Good wishes, good wishes to you, yeah!
Good wishes, good wishes to you!
Winter has come to an end,
That is really good news,
A warm spring breeze is
Blowing to wake up the earth.
Good wishes, good wishes to you, yeah!
Good wishes, good wishes to you!
The icy snow has melted,
See the plum tree blossom!
The long night is past,
I heard the cock crow.
Good wishes, good wishes to you, yeah!
Good wishes, good wishes to you!
After so many difficulties,
Such bad tempers
So many children in their hearts,
Look forward to the news of Spring!
Good wishes, good wishes to you, yeah!
Good wishes, good wishes to you!
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@AndrewH -
Thank you for the info!
I like this version of "Gong Xi Gong Xi" - it's so much nicer than in the OP medley. I like it has a bit of a Russian Jewish folk feel to it, but maybe I'm just listening to too much today.
I appreciate the lyric translation - I certain can't trust googly! 😊
Give yourself time & take in the sun... I forgot what it looks like!
AND, if you are celebrating it, hope you have a
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I wouldn't be surprised at all if there was Russian Jewish influence on it. The song was written by Chen Gexin, one of the most successful songwriters in Shanghai, the center of Chinese popular culture in the first half of the 20th century. Shanghai took in many Russian refugees after the 1917 revolution, and they likely had some influence on Chinese music.
By the way, Chen Gang, one of the co-composers of the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, was Chen Gexin's son.
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Ugh, I spent a month or two last year intending a Chinese thread, then I saw this one, then I realised it was last year's, and today is the Chinese New Year and I haven't practised anything.
Andrew
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@Gordon Shumway -
I revived this thread a few days ago,
but you still have time to learn & play something!
Chinese New Year celebrations last a couple weeks -
until Lantern Festival, I believe (February 5th). 🤗
- Emily
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