Ma Ke (composer)
Encyclopedia
Ma Ke was a Chinese composer and musicologist, best known for his patriotic songs, including "Nanniwan
."
He was from Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
. He studied chemistry at Henan University
, then, under the guidance of the composer Xian Xinghai
, suspended his studies upon the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War
in 1937, joining the anti-Japanese movement in Henan
. In 1939 he traveled to Yan'an
, where he studied at the Lu Xun Art Academy with Xian Xinghai, Lü Ji
, and others, and worked to collect and record a massive number of Chinese folk songs. In 1947 he joined the Communist Party of China
. After 1949 he was appointed the vice president of the China Conservatory of Music
and the head of the Chinese Opera House.
He composed more than 200 musical works, including "Nanniwan," "We were Democratic Youth," "Our Workers Have Strength" (我们是民主青年), "The Luliang Chorus" (咱们工人有力量》), the yangge opera Husbands and Wives Learn to Read (夫妻识字), the opera Zhou Zishan (周子山, composed with Zhang Lu
(张鲁) and Liu Chi (刘炽), The White Haired Girl
(with Ju Wei (瞿维), Zhang Lu (张鲁), (向隅), and others), "Xiaoerhei Marriage" (小二黑结婚), the orchestral piece "The North Shanxi Suite" (陕北组曲), and many other pieces, which became very widely known.
As a musicologist, he devoted special study to the work of Xian Xinghai, writing a biography about the composer. He also studied the development of modern Chinese music drama and China's tradition of revolutionary music with several books and approximately 200 papers. In 1978 a partial collection of his songs was published.
A festival dedicated to Ma Ke, called the China Xuzhou Ma Ke Art Festival, was held in Xuzhou in June 2004.
Nanniwan
Nanniwan is a revolutionary song written in 1943 with lyrics by communist playwright and poet He Jingzhi and music by Ma Ke. It was made popular by the Communist Party of China and continues to be one of the most recognisable songs in the People's Republic of China.Nanniwan is a gorge about 90km...
."
He was from Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
. He studied chemistry at Henan University
Henan University
Henan University is a public university in Kaifeng, Henan, China.-History:Founded in 1912, Henan University is one of the oldest universities in China. It was originally named the Preparatory School for Further Study in Europe and America...
, then, under the guidance of the composer Xian Xinghai
Xian Xinghai
Xian Xinghai was one of the earliest generation of Chinese composers influenced by western classical music and has influenced generations of Chinese musicians...
, suspended his studies upon the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
in 1937, joining the anti-Japanese movement in Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
. In 1939 he traveled to Yan'an
Yan'an
Yan'an , is a prefecture-level city in the Shanbei region of Shaanxi province in China, administering several counties, including Zhidan County , which served as the Chinese communist capital before the city of Yan'an proper took that role....
, where he studied at the Lu Xun Art Academy with Xian Xinghai, Lü Ji
Lü Ji (composer)
Lü Ji , originally named Lü Zhanqing , was a Chinese composer during the early 20th century. He was also a writer on music, a music educator, and administrator....
, and others, and worked to collect and record a massive number of Chinese folk songs. In 1947 he joined the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
. After 1949 he was appointed the vice president of the China Conservatory of Music
China Conservatory of Music
The China Conservatory of Music is a music conservatory in Beijing, China. It was established in 1964....
and the head of the Chinese Opera House.
He composed more than 200 musical works, including "Nanniwan," "We were Democratic Youth," "Our Workers Have Strength" (我们是民主青年), "The Luliang Chorus" (咱们工人有力量》), the yangge opera Husbands and Wives Learn to Read (夫妻识字), the opera Zhou Zishan (周子山, composed with Zhang Lu
Zhang Lu
Zhang Lu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also the third leader of the Celestial Masters, a Taoist religious group...
(张鲁) and Liu Chi (刘炽), The White Haired Girl
The White Haired Girl
The White-Haired Girl is a Chinese opera, ballet, by Yan Jinxuan to a Chinese libretto. The first opera performance was in 1945, with Wang Kun playing the lead role. The film was made in 1950. The first Beijing opera performance was in 1958. The first ballet performance was by Shanghai Dance...
(with Ju Wei (瞿维), Zhang Lu (张鲁), (向隅), and others), "Xiaoerhei Marriage" (小二黑结婚), the orchestral piece "The North Shanxi Suite" (陕北组曲), and many other pieces, which became very widely known.
As a musicologist, he devoted special study to the work of Xian Xinghai, writing a biography about the composer. He also studied the development of modern Chinese music drama and China's tradition of revolutionary music with several books and approximately 200 papers. In 1978 a partial collection of his songs was published.
A festival dedicated to Ma Ke, called the China Xuzhou Ma Ke Art Festival, was held in Xuzhou in June 2004.