The historical development and a structural analysis of the Yellow River piano concerto

Abstract

The Yellow River Piano Concerto was adapted from the famous Yellow River Cantata, a grand choral work composed by Xian Xinghai in 1939, during the Japanese invasion of China. It is a very famous and important work in China and exhibits strong nationalistic characteristics. The Cantata inspired the entire Chinese nation during their defense against the largest and most brutal genocide in human history. It has since become a symbol of heroism and solidarity of all Chinese people around the world. The Yellow River Piano Concerto was composed by a group of Chinese composer-pianists in 1969 led by Yin Chengzong. All the biographies of the composers of both the Cantata and the Piano Concerto are supplied in this dissertation. The Piano Concerto consists of four movements: The Song of The Yellow River Boatmen, Ode to the Yellow River, The Wrath of the Yellow River and Defend the Yellow River. Each movement has been analyzed in terms of structure. Music examples are provided to assist in the understanding of the work.