Songs of the Cultural Revolution

Cultural Revolution songs from 1966 to 1976 mixed quotation songs, anthems of praise and educated-youth songs

Related

TrumpetSnare DrumStrophic Form

Time and place

Cultural Revolution songs means the political songs widely sung in mainland China from 1966 to 1976, in schools, factories, barracks, streets, broadcasts and struggle meetings. After the Quotations from Chairman Mao was reprinted in 1966, songs setting quotations to music spread quickly. From 1968, educated youths sent to the countryside produced their own songs. From 1972, the collection Zhandi Xinge printed new works from many regions.

What happened

Quotation songs set political passages to simple tunes. Li Jiefu was the best-known composer; the songs were short, easy to learn and suited to unison singing. Praise songs and the music of loyalty dances ritualised the leader's image, repeated on radio and in film. Educated-youth songs grew out of village life; the Nanjing Zhiqing Song circulated in 1968 and was later criticised. Unofficial songs also circulated, more lyrical in tone.

Musical features

The repertory is mainly march and praise song, with square metre, narrow range, high tessitura and a stress on unison shouting. Melodies are mostly pentatonic or major, phrases ending high or on the tonic; brass, drums, accordion and Chinese instruments dominate. Quotation songs repeat short phrases, praise songs use rising leaps and sustained notes, while educated-youth songs approach minor-key folk song with homesickness and sorrow.

What to listen for

Hear The East Is Red, a Shaanbei folk frame ritualised and used as an opening number during the period. Then hear Chairman Mao Is Our Saviour, in the high, hard praise-song manner. Then hear Propaganda Song, a folk-style political number. Finally hear The Internationale, sung at rallies but not a Cultural Revolution composition. None is a period original.

Common misunderstandings

The usual mistake is to reduce the period to quotation songs. They were one strand after 1966, alongside praise songs, marches, educated-youth songs and underground songs. Others assume all of the music was loud and hard; youth and underground songs were often slow, lyrical folk-style pieces. Nor were the songs all new; many melodies came from folk song and older repertory.

Sources

• 《战地新歌》— 1972年起编印的歌曲集，曲目与年代核对，未引用
• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., entry "China" — modern music checked, not quoted

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.