“Liu Tianhua was one of the most prominent of the early twentieth-century national music reformists.” Give an example of Liu’s erhu music. What are the general features of Liu Tianhua’s solos for the erhu? What was novel in Liu’s music?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• The opening of Festival Night Canzonetta, a piece that refers to the Lunar New Year's Eve, when the family should draw together
• "Generally speaking, Liu's solos are like their traditional predecessors for the pipa or qin, being short, sectional compositions with pictorial titles.
• The novelty of Liu's solos lay in their notational detail, use of new techniques (e.g., violin-style vibrato), use of Western-style musical features (e.g., minor key/compound meter), performing the pieces in new, elite settings (to distance this instrument from its association with beggars).