On The Pluralism Of Erhu Development

Erhu, a represent of Chinese bowed-string instrument, experiences both the fusions and contradiction of the cultural diversity in the long history of Chinese music. It has become the present tuny and ethical string instrument in the inheritence and evolution history. Er-hu developed gradually especially in the twentieth century. It inherited not only the drama accompaniment with hundreds of years of history but also played the solo role successfully. This paper discusses pluralism of er-hu from four aspects. First, pluralism of er-hu's originAs for the origin of er-hu, we have to refer to the origin of Chinese bowe-stringed instrument. It is believed that the bowe-stringed instrument appeared much later than that of musical instrument, percussion instrument, string instrument. According to the existing ancient literature, Tang Dynasty is the first to use bowed stringed instrument. While there are different perspectives among domestic and abroad scholars on the origins of Chinese bowstring instrument. There are mainly two types: the Chinese nativism and the western introduction. The origin and development of Chinese urheen is diverse and complicated.Second, pluralism of er-hu at the elementary development stage Tang Dynasty is a glorious epoch in the ancient music history. Tang music inherited not only the singing and dancing music of Qin and Han dynasties but it developed the outer culture, mainlly from India, western Asia and western area since Northern and Southern Dynasty. During this period, music reached its fastigium and music nature is characterized by orchestral and dancing music. The reason for this fastigium is that Tang Dynasty has the most developed and prevail instrument. So the one type of stringed instrument, Huqin developed accompanied by Tang music development and the long history evolution. Definitely, er-hu didn't appear by accident, it was inseparated from the need of that time.Third, pluralism of er-hu at its matural development stage After the appearance of urheen instrument, it gradually stepped from fork into different social musi layers. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Bangzi opera and Pihuang developed quickly, which made urheen play a more and more important role. People gradually realized that the advances of urheen can not be replaced by other kinds of instruments. During this period, urheen expended its area, from accompaniment of singing and dancing to solo instrument such as string music, Sizhu music and blowing song music. It developed from the pute musical instrument area to drama singing and dancing and other compositive art areas. It nearly infiltrated into all fork music areas.Fourth, the pluralism of er-hu at its flourishing stage The twentieth century is a big transformation for Chinese music. It was in this century that Chinese traditional music contradicts, confluents and influents the western music. It was during this century that erhu created the miracles for hundred years. During this hundred year, er-hu art created the miracle of erhu music and culture after experiencing thousands of years of evolution and development as well as the artists'hardworking. since the second part of the twentieth century, on one hand, under the help of fork artists, erhu took the traditional road to make great achievement in music creation, performance technique, on the other, cultivated by Liutianhua directly or indirectly, a large number of erhu genius and the scholars who were influenced by this new industry, inherited and developed this career, they made progressive progress in er-hu performance, er-hu teaching and learning, erhu works and theory reasch, instrument transformation. All this made erhu the most advanced and productive ethical instrument in the specialized music area and reached its prosperity.