Historical significance of The Yellow River Cantata

The lyrics of this work express the verve of the Chinese nation, and the music shows a strong flavor of life and national style. Its high ideological, symbolic and artistic features provide a shining example for China's large-scale vocal music creation. It has become the "main theme" of anti-Japanese songs and the strongest voice of the times.

The chorus works of the Yellow River show the suffering and tenacious struggle of the people of China in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression era, and also show the great spirit and invincible strength of our nation.

It takes the Yellow River, the birthplace of our nation, as the background, and shows what happened along the banks of the Yellow River, so as to enlighten people to defend the Yellow River, North China and China as a whole. The works are magnificent, fresh in color, simple and beautiful, with distinctive national style, which strongly reflects the spirit of the times.

Extended data

The Yellow River Cantata was composed in the spring of 1939 in the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, China, and premiered in the Auditorium of Shanbei Public College in Yan 'an on April 3 of the same year (directed by Wu Qiling), which immediately aroused great repercussions and soon became the "main theme" of anti-Japanese songs and the strongest voice of the times. It has high musical achievements and artistic originality.