The Division Of The History Of Erhu Music Composition In The 20～(th) Century And Its Artistic Features

Erhu music composition has gone through about 100 years since 1915. Present study attempts to summarize its artistic features by analyzing the representative works in different periods. The author, from a doctrinal perspective in view of social development, divides the history of Erhu music composition into three stages: 1) the initial stage (1915-1949); 2) the productive stage (1950-1979); 3) the prosperous stage (1980-2000). He further sums up two styles: realistic (before 1980) and impressionistic (after 1980).Erhu music composition in different stages embodies different features: the initial stage is characterized by its simpleness with melancholy as its subject matter, minitype solo style, single mode arrangement and simple techniques; the second stage is featured by its duality with odes as its theme, strong regional style and small and medium-size solo, etc; the third stage is mult-facct in terms of its broad subject matters, varied styles and creative techniques, etc.Despite distinctive features of Erhu music composition manifested in different stages, there is a continuum of Erhu music composition in the 20th century from the embryonic state, initial stage to the productive and prosperous stage. Such a process not only shows the progress of an art itself, but also mirrors such objective factors as socio-cultural environments which may limit and influence the development of it.