Abing

Abing ( ; 20 August 1893 or 3 November 1898 – 4 December 1950), born Hua Yanjun ( ) was a blind Chinese musician specializing in the erhu and pipa.

Abing ( ; 20 August 1893 or 3 November 1898 – 4 December 1950), born Hua Yanjun ( ) was a blind Chinese musician specializing in the erhu and pipa. ==Early life== Abing was born as Hua Yanjun on either 20 August 1893 or 3 November 1898, in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. His father Hua Qinghe was a Taoist priest and musician. His mother was a widow, and her remarriage to a priest was resented by her family; she remained depressed and died a year after Abing's birth. Abing was raised by extended family until the age of eight, when he went to live with his father at the temple. Abing was the name used by his family. He was given the official name Hua Yanjun at this time and sent to school. Abing's father was proficient in a number of musical instruments and Taoist religious music. His father trained him in drums from the age of 10. Abing began learning the dizi at age 12, then the erhu, undergoing a rigorous set of training, such as playing the flute with weights attached to the end of the flute to increase the power of his wrist. At age 17, Abing first performed in religious ceremonies, and won acclaim for his musical talent, presentation, and voice. In 1914, upon the death of his father, Abing took charge of the temple along with his cousin. However, badly run operations at the temple, and an opium addiction, drove Abing into poverty. ==Influence== Abing's most famous piece is entitled Erquan Yingyue (二泉映月, English: The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring), which is named after a spring in Wuxi (which is today part of Xihui Park). It is still played as a standard erhu piece, although it necessitates a special set of strings that are tuned lower than normal erhu strings. He was only recorded very late in his life, but despite the scarcity of documentation of his music, he is nevertheless considered to be one of the most important Chinese musicians of the 20th Century. His signature pieces have become classics of Chinese erhu and pipa music, such as "Erquan Yingyue." His music can be heard on The Norton Recordings, ninth edition. Abing's family home in Wuxi was destroyed by floodwaters in 1991, but rebuilt in 1993 and is now a memorial to Abing and his music. ==References== ===Notes=== ===Citations=== ===Sources=== ==Further reading== ==External links== Abing biography China Central Television: The Story of Abing Moon Reflected on Second Spring An article about Erquan Yingyue and Abing with three music videos

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