my country's famous female composer Qu Xixian passed away today at the age of 89. Now we present the choral work "Proletarians of the World United" (some say it is the second Internationale) composed by Qu Xixian. To commemorate the first female composer of New China.
Life of Qu Xixian (1919--2008)
A native of Shanghai. I have been fond of music since childhood. Graduated from the English Department of Shanghai St. John's University in 1944 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1946. Graduated from the Composition Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1948. He once served as a lecturer at Beiping Art College. He once studied under Frankl (German professor), Professor Tan Xiaolin, etc. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he worked in the music troupe of the Central Conservatory of Music and the composition group of the Central Orchestra for a long time. He has successively served as a composer for the Music Working Troupe of the Central Conservatory of Music and the Central Orchestra, a director of the first to third terms and the fourth vice-president of the Chinese Musicians Association. Consultant of the China Film Music Society and honorary president of the Children's Music Society of the Chinese Musicians Association.
His works are mainly in the field of vocal music, including chorus, solo singing, mass songs and children's songs. He composed the a cappella chorus "Pastoral" and "Red Army Base Cantata", and his song "People of the World Are of One Heart" won the first prize in the 3rd World Youth Festival Song Competition. The chorus "Proletarians of the World Unite" won the first prize for national mass songs in 1964, and the children's song "Listen to Mom Tell Me About the Past" won the first prize for musical works in the second national children's literary and artistic creation awards. The song "New Long March, New Battle" was rated as an outstanding mass song in 1980. Other choral works with wide influence include: "Flying Petals", "Ussuri Barcarolle", etc. Film music "Song of Youth", "Red Flag Score", "For Peace", "Death of the Marshal", "Camel Xiangzi", etc. She also translated and published Rimsky-Korsakov's book "Principles of Orchestral Method". In 1981, her works and those of other female composers in my country were invited to be exhibited at the Women's Music Festival in Italy. In 1990, he held a solo concert in Beijing.