Describe how Xian incorporates programmatic elements into his Yellow River Piano Concerto

The Yellow River Piano Concerto is considered one on the most famous modern Chinese compositions. Xian Xinghai composed the original incarnation of the work, called the Yellow River Cantata. The Yellow River of the title is used by Xian to symbolise the resilient spirit of the Chinese people. As the Yellow River Piano Concerto was reworked from this fiercely nationalistic cantata, it has inherited its programmatic features. The many different facets of Chinas iconic Yellow River are expressed through melody, harmony, rhythmic devices and tone colour. The first movement of the Concerto is based on the struggle of boatmen crossing the wild waters of the Yellow River. This physical struggle can be interpreted as a metaphorical representation of the struggle of the Chinese people as they fight to fend off Japanese invaders. The rapid, sweeping piano scales throughout the entirety of the first movement are used to represent the waves of the Yellow River. Consequently, the thunderous piano cadenza from bar 81-83 (the climax of the movement) represents the moment when the boatmen battle through the toughest torrents and most dangerous sandbanks on the Yellow River. At bar 84, the change in time signature and the drastic tempo change down to 52 bpm gives listeners a feeling of relief, calmness and serenity. According to Xian, The boatmen have almost reached their destination. The semiquaver motif introduced by the strings in bar 6 was labelled the Work chant motif by Xian himself. It imitates the mass chanting of the peasant boatmen as they laboriously row along the Yellow River. The lyrics of the original cantata at this point (Yelling and grunting) support this idea. The running demisemiquavers played by the piano at bar 88 evoke the gentle running of water, a stark contrast with the rapids of the previous section. A vigorous glissando at bar 92 throws listeners back into the violent battle between the Chinese boatmen and the might of the river. The movement ends on a triumphant note, perhaps intended to raise the spirits of the Chinese people during the dark days of the war. While the first movement of the concerto is predominantly motivic, the second movement is intensely lyrical. It was intended to portray a beautiful scene on the Yellow River, thus the label Ode to the Yellow River. The movement begins with a slow and solemn melody on the cellos, evoking the beauty and grandeur of the Yellow River. Bassoons and clarinets play in their chalumeau (lower) register. This creates a warmer tone colour that reveals the gentle, nurturing side of the Yellow River. Mixed metres evoke the gentle changes in the flow of the water, so gentle that they do not interrupt the flow of the melody. The inclusion of the opening phrase of March of the Volunteers, Chinas national anthem, in the horns (bars 61-64) directly links the beauty of the Yellow River with nationalistic pride. Although the piano ends majestically, the orchestra rounds off this movement calmly, as if to portray the Yellow River flowing into the distance. The Yellow River Piano Concerto, derived from the Yellow River Cantata, is a musical representation of Chinas pride and symbol, the Yellow River. The first two movement portray two contrasting sides of the river, evoking a variety of vivid images in the minds of audiences.

Describe harmonic and melodic links between Prokofievs Classical Symphony and Xians Yellow River Piano Concerto
Although Prokofievs Classical Symphony and Xians Yellow River Piano Concerto are compositions of two different cultures, the pieces share many similar characteristics. Firstly, both Prokofiev and Xian imitated the compositional styles of other composers. Prokofievs Classical Symphony was composed as a tribute to the music of Haydn, the father of the symphony and icon of the Classical Period. As a result, Prokofiev deliberately infused the Classical characteristics of clarity, balance and simplicity while retaining some elements of his own personal 20th century compositional style. Xian studied with French composers Dukas and DIndy in his youth. As a result, his Yellow River Piano Concerto is evocative of Romantic music of the 19th century. Indeed, the grand, sweeping arpeggios of his first movement piano part remind audiences of the great piano concerti of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.

Similarities between Classical Symphony and Yellow River Piano Concerto

Both Prokofiev and Xian imitated the styles of other composers. Prokofievs symphony was a deliberate attempt to emulate the style of Joseph Haydn, the father of the symphony. Xian studied with French composers Paul Dukas and Vincent DIndy. His romantic Western influences are reflected in the sweeping arpeggios of his first movement piano part, which is reminiscent of the great piano concerti by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Four movements (Fast-slow-moderate-fast) Just as the Classical Symphony is a hybrid of Classical and 20th century, Yellow River is a blend of Western and Chinese music Mixed metres in 1st movement of Prokofiev mixed metres in 2nd movement of YR very different effect: first is jarring, creating tension, second flows, mimicking the flowing of a river Irregular phrase lengths in 1st movement of Prokofiev (8-bar phrase pattern interrupted by a 2/4 bar and subsequently corrected) could be compared to the imbalanced initial presentation of section 1 in the 2nd movement of Yellow River (two sets of antecedent consequent pairs on one side of a standalone single phrase, compared to only one pair on the other) and the move toward symmetry in the repeat of the section. Both Prokofiev and Xian base much of their respective pieces on the cycle of fifths, although the former contains moments of chromatic harmony, such as the development of the first movement, the initial presentation of theme A in the second movement, the chromatic material in the woodwinds at the end of theme 1 in the fourth movement etc. B minor/B major mix in the first movement of Prokofiev and the dual tonality present in the second movement of Yellow River The movements of Prokofievs Classical Symphony are in sonata form, ternary form, ternary form (first section rounded binary), sonata form The first two movements of Xians Yellow River Piano Concerto are in a loose rondo form (ABABACAD coda) and chain form First movement of Yellow River is highly motivic, like the second theme of the second movement of Classical Symphony