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The (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, that is sometimes known in the Western world as the Chinese violin or a Chinese two-stringed fiddle. It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It is the most popular of the family of traditional bowed string instruments used by various ethnic groups of China. As a very versatile instrument, the is used in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as pop, rock and jazz.
The first Chinese character of the name of the instrument (二]], , 'two') is believed to come from the fact that it has two strings. An alternate explanation states that it comes from the fact that it is the second-highest in pitch to the in the modern Chinese orchestra. The second character (胡]], ) indicates that it is a member of the family, with commonly translated to mean 'barbarians'. The name literally means 'instrument of the Five Barbarians', suggesting that the instrument may have originated from regions to the north or west of China generally inhabited by nomadic people on the extremities of past Han Chinese kingdoms.
For most of history, the was mostly a folk instrument used in southern China, whereas the was preferred among northern musicians. However, in the 1920s, Liu Tianhua introduced the to Beijing, and since, it has become the most popular of the .
The has some unusual features:
Various dense and heavy hardwoods are used in making the . According to Chinese references the woods include (紫檀, red sandalwood and other woods of the genus Pterocarpus such as padauk), (老红木, aged red wood), (乌木, black wood), and (红木, red wood). Particularly fine are often made from pieces of old furniture. A typical measures from top to bottom, the length of the bow also being 81 cm.
The parts of the are:
Most are mass-produced in factories. The three most esteemed centres of making are Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. In the collectivist period after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, these factories were formed by merging what had been previously private workshops. Although most were machine-made in production lines, the highest quality instruments were handmade by specialist craftsmen.Stock, Jonathan. "A Historical Account of the Chinese Two-Stringed Fiddle Erhu." Galpin Society Journal, v. 46 (March 1993), p 85
In the 20th century, there have been attempts to standardize and improve the , with the aim of producing a louder and better sounding instrument. One major change was the use of steel strings instead of silk. The move to steel strings was made gradually. By 1950 the thinner A-string had been replaced by a violin E-string with the thicker D-string remaining silk. By 1958 professional players were using purpose made D and A steel strings as standard.Stock, Jonathan. "A Historical Account of the Chinese Two-Stringed Fiddle Erhu." Galpin Society Journal, v. 46 (March 1993), p 103
Outside China, manufacturers of can issue their own CITES licenses with approval by governments of their respective countries. Such exports are legal as they have been made from legal skin sources.
Some are made of recycled products.
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra began their research for an alternative to python skin in 2005 and has since designed the Eco- series, which substitutes python skin with PET Polyester Membrane. For this innovation the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra received the Ministry of Culture Innovation Award in 2012.
Other solo pieces include (1950, Two Springs Reflecting the Moon) by Abing, (Horse Race) by Huang Haihuai, (Henan Folk Tune) by Liu Mingyuan, and (1961, Sanmen Gorge Capriccio) by Liu Wenjin. Most solo works are commonly performed with accompaniment, although pieces such as the ten solos by Liú Tiānhuá and (Two Springs Reflecting the Moon) originally did not have accompaniment.
In addition to the solo repertoire, the is one of the main instruments in regional music ensembles such as , Chinese opera ensembles, and the modern large Chinese orchestra.
The is used in the music of the Cirque du Soleil show O and in solo performances in select Shen Yun tours. Even fusion progressive rock groups like The Hsu-nami have incorporated the into their music and it is their lead instrument. It is incorporated in the Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC and played by the Tibetan singer alan, and used in the song "Field Below" by Regina Spektor.
An instrumental album by artist Song Fei (宋飞) expresses the painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival (清明上河图; ) drawn in the Song dynasty by Zhang Zeduan (张择端). It was performed with the , , , , etc., to show the livelihood, trade, festival of the Song dynasty; the album contains 18 parts.
More recently, the has appeared in several soundtracks, featuring prominently in the TV series (played by George Gao) and the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (played by Jiebing Chen). An solo is featured in several cues related to Vulcans from 2009's Star Trek soundtrack by Michael Giacchino.
Musical groups for wedding celebrations in Cambodia often use the Tro, a similar instrument to the .
An is listed in the credits for the Doug Anthony All Stars album DAAS Icon as being played by Paul McDermott. The erhu can be heard in the character songs of China, a character in Axis Powers Hetalia.
In 2020, the release of Genshin Impact, Players around the globe were treated to a mixture of traditional Chinese music and fusion with Western orchestra, including pieces that featured the Erhu. (2026). 9781071910009, SAGE. ISBN 9781071910009
Because the bow rests on the barrel, either string can be bowed with minimal effort; the outer string can be played by pressing the stick downwards with the thumb, and the inner string by pressing the hair towards the player with the middle finger. All other fingers are technically unnecessary and are only used to support and stabilize the bow.
Aside from the bowing technique used for most pieces, the can be plucked, usually using the second finger of the right hand. This produces a dry, muted tone (if either of the open strings is plucked, the sound is somewhat more resonant) which is sometimes used in contemporary pieces such as Horse Race.
With the founding of the People's Republic of China and the expansion of the conservatory system, the solo tradition continued to develop. Important performers during this time include Lu Xiutang (陆修堂; 1911–1966), Zhang Rui (张锐; born 1920), Sun Wenming (孙文明; 1928–1962), Huang Haihuai (黄海怀), Liu Mingyuan (刘明源; 1931–1996), Tang Liangde (汤良德; 1938–2010), Zhang Shao (张韶) and Song Guosheng (宋国生).
Liu Mingyuan (刘明源; 1931–1996) was born in Tianjin. He was known for his virtuosity on many instruments of the family, in particular the . His compositions and arrangements include (Henan Folk Tune) and (On Grassland) for Zhonghu. For many years, he taught at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
Tang Liangde (Cantonese: Tong Leung Tak; 汤良德; 1938–2010) was born in Shanghai into a famous Shanghainese musical family. He won the "Shanghai's Spring" competition and continued to be the soloist for the Chinese Film Orchestra in Beijing, his composition and solos can be heard throughout the Nixon to China documentary movie. Tang was the soloist and performed at the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, then went on to music broadcasting and education for the Hong Kong Government's Music Office making worldwide tours and was named Art Educator of the Year in 1991 by the Hong Kong Artist Guild.
Wang Guotong (王国潼; born 1939) was born in Dalian, Liaoning. He studied with Jiang Fengzhi, Lan Yusong and Chen Zhenduo and, in 1960, graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He performed the premiere of (Sanmen Gorge Rhapsody) composed by Liu Wenjin. In 1972, Wang became the soloist and later art director of the China Broadcasting Traditional Orchestra. He returned to the Central Conservatory of Music in 1983 as head of the Chinese music department. He has written many books and articles on playing and has performed in many countries. Wang also worked with the Beijing National Instruments Factory to further develop design.
Min Huifen (閔惠芬; 1945–2014) was born in Yixing, Jiangsu. She first became known as the winner of the 1963 fourth Shanghai Spring Art Festival. She studied with Lu Xiutang and Wang Yi, and graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1968, and became the soloist with the Shanghai Folk Orchestra. She was the undisputed master of for 50 years.
Song Fei (宋飞；1969-) from Tianjin, is a member of the Jiusan Society and professor. She has been engaged in teaching, performing and researching erhu and huqin for a long time. Song Fei has premiered more than 50 erhu works including ; ; ; ; ; and .
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