Liu Tianhua
Liu Tianhua (1895–1932) was a Chinese musician and composer best known for his innovative work for the erhu. Liu's students, such as Jiang Fengzhi and Chen Zhenduo, continued to contribute to the development of the erhu. He was the younger brother of the poet Liu Bannong.
Liu Tianhua
- Born
- 1895. · Jiangyin.
- Died
- 1932. · Beijing.
- Nationality
- Qing dynasty and Republic of China.
- Occupation
- composer.
- Languages
- Chinese.
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Documentary summary
Liu Tianhua (1895–1932) was a Chinese musician and composer best known for his innovative work for the erhu. Liu's students, such as Jiang Fengzhi and Chen Zhenduo, continued to contribute to the development of the erhu. He was the younger brother of the poet Liu Bannong.
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Liu Tianhua (1895–1932) was a composer, a national of Qing dynasty and the Republic of China. The composer was born in Jiangyin and died in Beijing. Languages used include Chinese.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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gnd · 1225223733 · wikidata · Q715384 · wikipedia · Liu Tianhua
In this article
Work on Chinese music
Work on Chinese music
He died in 1932 at the age of 37.
Liu was a noted erhu and pipa player, and an early pioneer in the modernisation of traditional Chinese music. He joined Cai Yuanpei's Peking University Music Society as an instrumental instructor in 1922. He promoted Chinese music while he was at Peking University, founded the Society for the Improvement of Chinese Music (國樂改進社, Guóyuè Gǎijìnshè) in 1927 and its periodical, the Music Magazine (音樂雜誌, Yīnyuè Zázhì). The society organised classes and formed a musical ensemble to play Chinese music, a forerunner of the modern Chinese orchestra. He made improvements to the traditional fiddle huqin, in particular the erhu, so that it can become an instrument suitable for a modern stage performance, and wrote music for the instrument. He also made changes to the pipa, increasing the number of frets and used an equal-tempered tuning.
Erhu
Erhu
• Bìng Zhōng Yín (病中吟) 1918 (recitation of ill-being; Soliloquy of a Convalescent) • Yuè Yè (月夜) 1924 (moon night) • Kǔmèn zhī Ōu (苦闷之讴) 1926 (song of melancholy) • Bēi Gē (悲歌) 1927 (song of lament) • Liáng Xiāo (良宵) 1928 (beautiful evening) • Xián Jū Yín (闲居吟) 1928 (recitation of leisure) • Kōng Shān Niǎo Yǔ (空山鸟语) 1928 (bird song in a desolate mountain) • Guāngmíng Xíng (光明行) 1931 (towards brightness) • Dú Xián Cāo (独弦操) 1932 (Étude on a single string) • Zhú Yĭng Yáo Hóng (zh-Hans) 1932 (shadows of candles, flickering red) • Studies for Erhu No 1 - 47
Pipa
Pipa
• Gē Wǔ Yǐn (歌舞引) (Dance Prelude) • Gǎi Jìn Cāo (改進操) (Improved Étude) • Xū Lài (虛籟) 1929 (Sound of Emptiness)
Arrangement for ensemble
Arrangement for ensemble
• Variations on Xinshuiling
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1932
Liu Tianhua died at Beijing.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Jiangyin.
Birth place
Beijing.
Death place
Compositions
Titles in pinyin, Chinese characters and English translation.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q715384: Liu Tianhua
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Liu Tianhua”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1225223733, Liu, Tianhua.
Unverified · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
References ==== External links
References ==== External links
* • o6JhBEl8VA4 • iTunes: Chinese Traditional Erhu music Vol. 1 by Lei Qiang • Treasures Of Chinese Instrumental Music, Erhu • iTunes: Treasures Of Chinese Instrumental Music, Erhu
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.China Medley
- 2.Wang, Guotong. Remembering Liu Tianhua. South China Morning Post.
- 3.Routledge. The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 2, Volume 2. 1118. 2008. 978-0415994040.
- 4.Translation on a record by Wei Chung-loh (衛仲樂), 1938
- 5.: “「虛」是「空虛」、「虛無」的意思,「籟」原是古代的一種簫,因為簫的聲音是從孔穴裡發出來的,又引申為從孔穴裡發出聲音,後來人們把籟泛指為聲音,「虛籟」是指沒有聲音,或是空虛的聲音。” (Xū means empty and Lài is a classical instrument that is now generalized to mean "sound." Xū Lài therefore means "no sound" or "the sound of emptiness".)
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1225223733, Liu, Tianhua.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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