(b Dengxian, Henan province, 1898; d 1970). Chinese zheng (zither) player. A representative of the traditional Henan school of zheng performance, Cao was also active in the reform of his instrument’s playing technique and in the development of new repertory. Cao held zheng teaching posts at a number of institutions, including the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing), Henan Special Teaching College (Henan shifan zhuanke xuexiao) and Sichuan Conservatory of Music (Chengdu).
A second aspect of Cao’s career was his work on the Henan dadiao quzi narrative-singing tradition. Other than performing zheng in this genre’s accompaniment or taking part as a vocalist, Cao collected, transcribed and published many extracts. Most are bantou qu, the instrumental introductions performed in heterophonic style by the accompanimental ensemble.
Cao’s compositions, such as Nao yuanxiao (‘Lantern Festival’) of 1956, combine traditional melodic characteristics of the Henan school with newly developed fingering techniques. Somewhat like the erhu compositions of reformist Liu Tianhua, Cao’s original pieces are typically small-scale, sectional works, relying on pentatonic melodic material and utilizing the traditional metrical structures of Chinese instrumental ballad music.
See also China, §IV, 4(ii)(b).
Cao Yong'an and Li Bian, eds.: Cao Dongfu zhengqu ji [Collection of Cao Dongfu’s zheng pieces] (Beijing, 1981)
Zhongguo yinyue cidian [Dictionary of Chinese music], YYS pubn (Beijing, 1985), 32
Jiao Jinhai, ed.: Zheng yanzoufa [Zheng performance technique] (Beijing, 1987), 109–14, 120–29
Cheng Te-yuan: Zheng Tradition and Change (Diss., U. of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1991), 132–4, 353–8
Shanghai yinyue chubanshe, ed.: Zhongguo guzheng mingqu huicui [Special collection of famous pieces for the Chinese guzheng] (Shanghai, 1993), 28–45
JONATHAN P.J. STOCK