Quick Facts
Biography
Lü Wencheng (吕文成, pinyin: Lǚ Wénchéng, or Lui Man Sing in Cantonese) (1898-1981) was a Chinese composer and musician. He is considered to have been a master of Cantonese music (Guangdong yinyue) and Guangdong folk music.
The gaohu was developed, or co-developed, by him in the 1920s from the erhu by raising its pitch and using steel strings instead of silk, and changing its playing position from on the thigh to between the knees. He composed Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake (平湖秋月) in the 1930s and it remains one of the best known works of Cantonese music.
Lü was born in 1898 in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, but grew up in Shanghai when at the age of three his parents and him moved to Shanghai. There he developed the gaohu, composed and performed Guangdong yinyue, and made recordings. In 1932, he moved to Hong Kong, where he lived until his death in 1981.
He also played the yangqin and was a Cantonese opera singer. His music shows a strong influence of the traditional music of the Shanghai area as a result of living almost thirty years there.
Compositions
Lü composed over 100 pieces, including:
- bù bù gāo (步步高) Higher step by step
- chén zuì dōng fēng 沉醉东风 Intoxicated by the easterly wind
- jiāo shí míng qín 蕉石鸣琴
- luò huā tiān 落花天 Flowers falling from sky
- píng hú qiū yuè (平湖秋月) Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake
- qīng méi zhú mǎ 青梅竹马 Happy childhood
- qí shān fèng 岐山凤 Phoenix of Mount Qishan
- xǐng shī 醒狮 Awakening lion
- yín hé huì 银河会 Meeting in the Milky Way
- yú gē wǎn chàng 渔歌晚唱 Fisherman's song at dusk