| The Chinese violin concerto "The Butterfly Lovers," composed in 1959 by He Zhanhao (b.1933) and Chen Gang (b.1935), has become one of the most popular Chinese compositions ever written, and it has also been performed with great success internationally. Historically, it represents the first example of nationalism in a Chinese violin concerto and a very special one from that period of society under Mao Zedong in China. Musically, its high level of "violinistic" achievements from the performer's point of view, together with its historical and nationalistic uniqueness, should give it a significant place among violin concertos. The treatise focuses primarily on the treatment of nationalism in the concerto and its violin techniques, which borrow mainly from the techniques of the erhu, pipa and guzheng among Chinese folk instruments.; The first chapter centers on historical background by providing biographical information on the life and works of He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, the historical context of the concerto and the story of the Butterfly Lovers. The second chapter offers an analysis of each of the three sections of the one-movement concerto. The third focuses on the unique violin techniques borrowed from a wide-ranging use of local tunes and folk instrument techniques. An Appendix includes additional information on Yue opera and Chinese folk instruments. |
