Guoyue is a Chinese musical genre that translates as “national music.” Stemming from communist attempts to stamp out Chinese pop music, the genre has come to define Chinese music as we know it. Guoyue is characterized by its humble beginnings, simple, traditional, Chinese music portrayed in a grandiose way, the Chinese orchestra, which lends these traditional songs a sense of grandeur that can only be achieved with numbers.
Chinese orchestra significantly differs from its western counterpart in terms of instrumentation. Modeled after the traditional western orchestra, the Chinese orchestra gets rid of any instrument that would be even remotely considered western, replacing each section with eastern counterparts. The erhu, the sheng, and bangu replace things such as the violin, the flute, and the drum, respectively. This creates a very unique sound when viewed from the perspective of a western audience, as all the instruments are often unfamiliar. The only thing western in a Guoyue orchestra is the pivotal piano.
As a result of this instrumental composition, it is easy to see why Chinese orchestra is almost exclusively reserved for guoyue, which are remakes of traditional Chinese music. A country’s traditional music and its instruments are closely tied together, and guoyue revels in its nationalistic foundation. Songs tend to draw on the same ways of playing—many guoyue songs often have rapid trills of string or wind instruments followed by slower instrumentation to act as balance.
As a result of this instrumental composition, it is easy to see why Chinese orchestra is almost exclusively reserved for guoyue, which are remakes of traditional Chinese music. A country’s traditional music and its instruments are closely tied together, and guoyue revels in its nationalistic foundation. Songs tend to draw on the same ways of playing—many guoyue songs often have rapid trills of string or wind instruments followed by slower instrumentation to act as balance.