He Luting is a famous Chinese composer and musician. He has created many works in various genres and has great influence in China. He has created 3 cantata, 24 choral pieces, nearly 100 songs, 6 piano pieces, 6 orchestral pieces, and more than 10 film music. He also published "Selected Music Essays of He Luting". His songs "Guerrilla Song", "Ken Chun Ni" and "On the Jialing River" were popular at home and abroad during the Anti-Japanese War and are still great songs in concerts and singing activities. His most famous instrumental works are the piano solo "Shepherd Boy Piccolo" and "Lullaby", and the orchestral music "Sengidema" and "Evening Party". Among them, "Shepherd Boy Piccolo" won first place in the "Chinese-style Piano Music Competition" organized by Alexander Zierlu in 1934. His film scores became famous in the 1930s, and the films he scored include "Children of the Storm", "Cross Street"
Road Angel", etc. The interludes in the film, "In Spring", "Song of the Four Seasons" and "Song Girl from the End of the World" are still well-known and have been sung for a long time. He Luting is also a music educator and music activist. He has made significant contributions to China's music education. "Shepherd Boy Piccolo" was composed by He Luting in 1934. It was named after the Chinese nursery rhyme "Little shepherd boy, riding on the back of an ox, playing the piccolo without any tune". The whole song is a three-part ABA reproduction. The A section is leisurely and unrestrained, with two polyphonic melodies combined together, like two shepherd boys riding a bull, exchanging words without restraint. The B section is lively and joyful, and the polyphonic setting of the A section is changed to the main tune of harmonious accompaniment. This piece of music with a distinctive musical image and strong Jiangnan style has pioneering significance in the creation of foreign musical instruments (such as piano, violin, etc.) in China. It is still a reserved teaching material in piano teaching. He Luting was exposed to folk musical instruments and organ during her childhood.
Chronology
In 1924, he entered the Art College of Changsha Yueyun School to study piano, violin and music theory.
After graduating in 1926, he worked as a music teacher in a middle school.
Participated in the Guangzhou and Haifeng uprisings in 1927.
In 1931, he entered the Shanghai National Music College to study composition under Huang Zi.
The piano music "Shepherd Boy Piccolo" and "Lullaby" composed in 1934 won the first and second prize respectively in the Russian composer Zilpin's "Solicitation for Piano Music with Chinese Flavor".
In 1936, he served as the chief of the music department of Star Film Company and wrote soundtracks and interludes for more than 10 films such as "City Scenery", "Cross Street" and "Road Angel". After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he participated in anti-Japanese propaganda activities in North China and Chongqing, and composed songs such as "Guerrilla Song", "Protecting Hometown", "Ken Chun Ni", "On the Jialing River" and other songs.
In 1940, he served as the director of the music section of Yucai School in Chongqing.
In 1941, he joined the Lu Xun Art Troupe of the New Fourth Army.
In 1943, he went to Yan'an to serve as a music instructor for the propaganda team of the five provincial joint defense forces. During the War of Liberation, he served as the director of the Yan'an Central Orchestra and the North China Art Troupe, and composed orchestral works such as "Evening Party" and "Senji Dema".
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as the president of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, vice chairman of the Chinese Musicians Association, and chairman of the Shanghai branch for a long time. He has composed opera "Long March" (co-production), cantata "Ming Tombs Reservoir", violin piece "Lark", film music "Song Jingshi", etc. The music created by He Luting has a wide range of genres, strong artistry, and strong national style and flavor of the times. While composing music, he also translated "The Theory and Practice of Harmony" and wrote a large number of constructive music criticism and theoretical works.