A prewar Chinese disc I recently picked up in very nice condition. I’m no expert on this music, but here is what I was able to piece together about it:
The content is a Chinese folk ensemble playing a three six (三六) piece, one of the “eight great pieces” (八大曲) in a type of traditional Chinese music called Jiangnan sizhu (江南丝竹).
The label attributes the music to Lü Wencheng (吕文成) and Yin Zizhong (尹自重), two of the “four heavenly kings” of Cantonese music.
Yin Zizhong was a Cantonese violinist who emigrated to the U.S. in 1961 and lived in San Francisco and Boston, where he died in 1985.
Lü Wencheng was a Cantonese opera actor, musician, and composer who could play a variety of instruments. He was also a craftsman of musical instruments who was credited with helping to invent the Gaohu – a treble erhu with a clear and bright tone.
LIkely recorded in Hong Kong circa 1929-1930.
Released as New Moon 5884
Both sides of the record (頭段 and 二段) are included in this video.
Please let me know if you have any information to add (or corrections to what I have written).
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