Bowed-string Instruments

Bowed-string Instruments


Huqin is the generic term for Chinese bowed-string instruments, a family which, according to written records alone, number more than thirty. The configuration of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra incorporates the erhu, gaohu, zhonghu, gehu and bass gehu. The Orchestra may also incorporate other types of bowed-string instruments such as the banhu, jinghu, yehu and leiqin depending on the repertory. Some of the Orchestra such as Singapore Chinese Orchestra incorporate western cello and Contra Bass to replace gehu and bass gehu.

Gaohu

The gaohu, also known as yuehu, is developed from the erhu by the renowned master in Cantonese music, Lui Man-shing, in the 1920s. The construction is similar to that of the erhu, but the register is a fourth or fifth higher, which gives it a sonorous and brilliant tone. It was a leading instrument in Cantonese music and in the ensembles accompanying Cantonese opera in the past. Today, it forms the higher parts in Chinese string orchestration, and is especially appropriate for playing lyrical or lively melodies. Representative gaohu concertos include Legend of the Merlion (by Liu Xijing),The Poetry of Music (by LiZhuxin), The Butterfly Lovers(by Chen Gang, He Zhanhao).

Erhu

The erhu is evolved from the yazheng (bowed zither) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and the xiqin family found around the areas of Xilamulun River in northeast China. In the early period, it was played with a bamboo stick pressing on the strings and therefore the tone colour tended to be brilliant with a metallic quality. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the bamboo stick was replaced by a bow. Between the 1910's and 1930's, a talented musician Liu Tianhua refined and developed the techniques of playing the instrument. Today, the erhu has become a leading or solo instrument. It has sweet tone colours, and is technically demanding and rich in expressions. Representative erhu pieces for solo include Reflection of the Moon on the Water (by Hua Yanjun), Horse racing (by Huang Haihuai) and the erhu concerto The Great Wall Capriccio (by Liu Wenjin).

Zhonghu

The zhonghu is in fact short for "alto erhu". It was derived from the erhu during the 1950's, but has a larger tube resonator and a longer neck. In a Chinese orchestra, the zhonghu plays a supplementary role as it enriches the sounds of the string section and, in particular, the entire alto part. It can also be used for solo performance. On the Grassland(by Liu Mingyuan) is a well-known zhonghu solo piece, and Suwu(by Liu Zhu) and Legend of the KeLaXin Grassland (by Zhou Chenglong) is a famous zhonghu concerto.

Gehu

The gehu, a Chinese bass bowed-string instrument, belongs to the huqin family. It came into being after thirty years of research, experiment and reform by Professor Yang Yusen in the 1950s. On the basis of the basic timbre and shape of huqins, it also incorporates the resonation structure of the cello and the double bass. In the early period of its development, there were four kinds of gehus: small, medium, large and bass. Since the 1950's, large gehu and bass gehu have been incorporated, rather successfully, into Chinese orchestras and ensembles, thus extending the stylistic possibilities of the bass part in ensemble music. The gehu now in use by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra is made up of a wooden resonator covered with a single membrane of snakeskin, a bridge, a neck and four strings. The gehu is articulate and resilient in sound quality, and has a broad range. It usually plays the alto and bass parts in a piece.

Bass Gehu

The bass gehu is more or less identical to the gehu, but of an even larger size. The sounds it produces are mellow and rich. Its bowing technique is the same as that of a double bass, and it reinforces the bass range in a Chinese orchestra.