Chongqing — Twelve Chinese traditional orchestras joined forces in Chongqing on September 6 for the premiere of The Eternal Red Ribbon, an original orchestral suite that retells key episodes of the Long March through folk melodies and traditional Chinese instruments.
The 90-minute concert, staged at the Chongqing Grand Theatre, marked the 90th anniversary of the end of the Long March, the 1934-1936 journey of the Chinese Red Army that became a defining episode in modern Chinese history.
Initiated by the Chongqing Chinese Orchestra, the production brought together musicians from 11 other orchestras across China, including ensembles from Beijing, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guizhou and Sichuan. He Jianguo, artistic director and principal conductor of the Chongqing Chinese Orchestra, conducted the performance.
Musicians perform The Eternal Red Ribbon at Chongqing Grand Theatre on September 6. (Photo/Chongqing Chinese Orchestra)
Rather than presenting the history as a straightforward chronological narrative, the nine-movement suite uses folk music associated with different regions along the Long March route to give each episode its own musical character.
The opening movement draws on a well-known Jiangxi folk melody to portray the Red Army's departure. Later movements revisit major episodes including the Battle of the Xiangjiang River, the Zunyi period, the Four Crossings of the Chishui River, the battle for Luding Bridge, the crossing of snow-covered mountains and grasslands, and the eventual meeting of the Red Army's main forces.
Traditional instruments including the suona, xiao, pipa and banhu take prominent roles, while musical elements from Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Shaanxi bring distinct regional sounds into the work.
For Sun Lu, head of the Chengdu Chinese Orchestra, this use of local musical traditions is one of the production's defining features.
"The greatest feature of this work is that it tells the story through folk songs from regions along the Long March route," Sun said. "For example, it uses Kangding Love Song to depict the battle for Luding Bridge, and Yingshanhong to express the sense of hope during the crossing of the grasslands."
"These melodies grew out of the land rather than being manufactured," he added. "They carry the warmth of the places they come from."
Sun said the goal is not simply to reproduce historical scenes through music, but to create an emotional connection with audiences.
"After the performance, we hope these classic melodies and the emotions behind them will continue to resonate in people's minds," he said.
The audience listens attentively. (Photo/Chongqing Chinese Orchestra)
That approach can be heard particularly clearly in the later movements. In Caohai Danxin, the pipa leads a restrained, somber passage depicting the harsh conditions of the Songpan grasslands before the familiar melody of Yingshanhong emerges. In Changying Zhuangge, the bright sound of the suona and the energetic banhu are combined with musical elements from the northern Shaanxi folk song Shandandan Flowers Bloom Bright Red.
The finale, which shares the title The Eternal Red Ribbon, brings earlier musical ideas together and closes the journey on a broader reflection on historical memory.
The production also represents an unusual level of collaboration among Chinese traditional orchestras from different parts of the country. By combining regional folk traditions with the large-scale sound of a modern Chinese orchestra, its creators hope to make a familiar historical subject more immediate to contemporary audiences.
Following its Chongqing premiere, The Eternal Red Ribbon is scheduled to tour other Chinese cities.