# Nie Er

Nie Er (14 February 1912 – 17 July 1935), born Nie Shouxin, courtesy name Ziyi (子義 or 紫藝), was a Chinese composer best known for "March of the Volunteers", the national anthem of People's Republic of China. In numerous Shanghai magazines, he went by the English name George Njal, after a character in Njal's Saga.

## Biography

Nie Er's ancestors were from Yuxi, Yunnan, in southwest China. He was born in Kunming, Yunnan. From 1918 he studied at the Kunming Normal School's Affiliated Primary School. From an early age he displayed an interest in music; he learned to play traditional instruments such as the dizi, erhu, sanxian, and yueqin, and became the conductor of the school's Children's Orchestra. In 1922 he entered the Private Qiushi Primary School (Senior Section), and in 1925 he entered Yunnan Provincial Number One Combined Middle School.
In 1927, Nie Er entered Yunnan Provincial Number One Normal School, where he participated in the book club and organized the Nine-Nine Music Society, which performed within the school and outside. During this time, he learned to play the violin and piano.
In June 1931, Nie Er entered the Mingyue Musical Drama Society as a violinist. In July 1932 he published A Short Treatise on Chinese Song and Dance, in which he criticized the Drama Society's president, Li Jinhui, as a result of which he was removed from the society. Prior to joining the Lianhua Film Studio in November 1932, he took part in shaping the Bright Moonlight Song and Dance Troupe. He later joined the musical group of the Friends of the Soviet Union Society. He also organized the Chinese Contemporary Music Research Group, which participated in the Leftist Dramatist's Union. In 1933, he joined the Chinese Communist Party.
In 1933, he portrayed an African American miner in the film The Light of Maternal Instinct. In April 1934, Nie Er joined Pathé Records where he managed the music department. In the same year he founded the Pathé National Orchestra. In January 1935, he became the director of the musical department of Lianhua Number Two Studio.
In April 1935, Nie Er visited his elder brother in Tokyo, Japan. There, he composed the "March of the Volunteers", which would later become the national anthem of China.

## Name

Nie Shouxin showed signs of musical talent from an early age; he was able to imitate the voices of people he knew and showed a talent for learning songs by ear, earning him the nickname "Ears" (耳, "Er").
Nie also had the capability of physically moving his ears independently. This earned him another nickname, "Doctor Ears." He reportedly said, "Since friends give me one more ears, I will have one more ears from now on." Nie Shouxin later changed his name to Nie Er (聂耳).

## Death

On July 17, 1935, Nie died while swimming in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan, at the age of twenty-three. He may have been en route to the Soviet Union, passing through Japan to receive training, sent by the Chinese Communist Party. Some suspect that he was killed by the Japanese, while others believe that he was killed by Chinese Nationalists, as he was in Japan to flee from them. However, because he disappeared while swimming with friends, this made the possibility of assassination difficult and highly unlikely. Evidence points to drowning as the most probable cause of death. He was found by the local rescue team the following day. According to the rescue team and the police, there was no reason to suspect foul play.

## Compositions

Nie Er wrote a total of 37 pieces in his life, all in the three years before his untimely death. A significant proportion of these songs reflected working class life and struggles. He often collaborated with lyricist Tian Han.
Apart from "March of the Volunteers", his other important works include:
* 1932:
** "March" (进行曲)
** "Waltz" (圆舞曲)
** "Love of Family Union" (天伦之爱)
* 1933:
** "Miners' Song" (开矿歌)
** "Song of Hunger and Cold Suffering" (饥寒交迫之歌)
** "Song of Newsboy" (卖报歌)
* 1934:
** "Out of Studio" (走出摄影场)
** "A Female Star" (一个女明星)
** "Snow Flying" (雪飞花)
** "Spring Dawn on the Green Lake" (翠湖春晓), instrumental piece
** "Snowflakes Flutter" (雪花飞)
** "Dance of the Golden Snake" (金蛇狂舞), arranged from the last fast section of the Jiangnan sizhu piece "Yang Ba Qu" 阳八曲 (Yáng Bā Qǔ, "Yang Eight Tune"), also called Fan Wang Gong 梵王宫 (Fàn Wáng Gōng, "Fa as Mi") or 梵皇宫 (Fàn Huáng Gōng)
** "Zhaojun He Fan" (昭君和番)
** "Little Wild Cat" (大野猫)
** "Song of Making Bricks" (打砖歌)
** "Dock Workers' Song" (码头工人歌)
** "Song of Labor Force" (苦力歌)
** "Graduation Song" (毕业歌)
** "Song of the Broad Road" (大路歌)
** "Pioneers" (开路先锋)
** "Song of Whirling Flowers" (飞花歌)
* 1935:
** "Leaving Southeast Asia" (告别南洋)
** "Spring is Coming Back" (春回来了)
** "Song of Comfort" (慰劳歌)
** "Song of Mei Niang" (梅娘曲)
** "Tone of Fugitive" (逃亡曲)
** "Village Girl of the Steppes" (塞外村女)
** "Hit the Changjiang River" (打长江)
** "Song of Picking Water Chestnuts" (采菱歌)
** "Singing Girl Downtrodden" (铁蹄下的歌女)
** "Small Worker" (小工人)
** "Song of Wounded Soldier" (伤兵歌)
** "Progress Song" (前进歌)
** "Song of White Snow" (白雪歌)
** "Song of Picking Tea" (采茶歌)
** "Love Song of Tea Mountain" (茶山情歌)
** "New Woman" (新女性)
** Storm on the Yangtze (扬子江暴风雨) (an opera)

## Legacy

Though Nie Er's career as a composer lasted for only two years, his music has come to symbolize the modern Chinese national musical style.
Nie's "March of the Volunteers" was adopted as the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.
His other songs and instrumental pieces came to epitomize Chinese patriotism, revolving around topics such as the trials and suffering of the working class or the resistance of the Chinese people in face of Japanese aggression. Many of his compositions are still emblematic of Chinese national music, and he has been memorialized in a number of commemorative contexts.

### Film

In 1959, on the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic, China produced a biopic entitled Nie Er, retelling the story of Nie Er and his composition of the Chinese National Anthem.

### Nie Er Piano

The Nie Er Piano company was founded by Zhu Xuegong in Shanghai in 1958.

### Nie Er Park

Nie Er Park, located on the northernmost area of Yuxi City, encompasses 100,000 square meters, and was completed in July 1987. The park is divided into areas for entertaining, relaxation, cultural activities, children's play, ornamental flowers, and park administration.
Nie Er's statue is the central focus of the park. The statue is 2.4 meters tall, weighs 1.8 tons, and faces north. The height of the platform under the statue is 2.25 meters. He is depicted in an arms-raised posture as if conducting a musical ensemble.

### Nie Er Cultural Square

Nie Er Cultural Square is located at Yuxi, Yunnan, which is composed by one lake, two line (outer traffic line and inner lake line), and four areas (recreational area, business area, exercising area and musical square area).
At the top of the mountain is a statue of Nie Er playing the violin; the pedestal of the statue bears an engraving of six words written by former member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Li Lanqing designating the area as "Nie Er Musical square" (聂耳音乐广场). When viewed from above, the design of the square is shaped like a large violin.

### Nie Er Square in Japan

In 1981, Fujisawa, Japan, under the socialist mayor Shun Hayama (葉山峻), and Kunming became sister cities. Nie Er Square was established in Shonan Beach Park (湘南海岸公園), near the beach where he had died.

## Gallery

* Nie Er's Tomb, with his statue, in Xishan Forest Park beside Dian Lake, Kunming
* Nie Er's Tomb (聶耳墓)
* Nie Er Memorial Square in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
* Nie Er Memorial in Nie Er Memorial Square

## Quotes

* Zhou Enlai (first premier of China): "Many youngsters were going to the revolution by singing songs of Xian Xinghai and Nie Er. They are the great musicians."
* Zhu De (Chinese general): "He is a musician of the people."
* Guo Moruo (writer): "Nie Er, the horn of the Chinese revolution, the drum of People's liberation, and his March of the Volunteers have already been regarded as Chinese Anthem. This song always triggers people's patriotism, and it also raises morale with its solemnity. As well as our national flag, Nie Er is immortal."
* Xia Yan (playwright): "Though Nie Er only worked for two years in Shanghai, he still wrote tons of well-known music, which are better for promoting anti-Japanese national salvation movement. Many people are going to the war by singing these songs."
* Tian Han (playwright): "The reason Nie Er's works are proliferated so fast is due to his enthusiasm on politics. His intention for composing is not for making music, but he is standing among the miserable people to shout out his anger and request. His work tightly combines the revolutionary world view and progressive innovative method together, which is certainly the invincible for art innovation.
* Xian Xinghai (composer): "His songs are aggressive, he wants to awaken people by using his songs. His songs are anti-imperialism, anti-feudalism, and anti-warlordism, which are landmark for China. His songs can reflect people's requests, so that can be accepted and sang by millions people. He is the founder of Chinese new music. Many people say that he still need more professional cultivation on musical skills, which is not right. From his hard-working and achievements, I can say that he has already exceeded many so-called "master musician" and "professional composer". Because of his modesty, he has already surpassed many nominal 'musicians'."
* He Lüting (composer): "That Nie Er passed away so young is a big loss for China's musical landscape. However, his contributions to the civil revolution are significant, which are the pride of China's musical landscape. Nie Er is immortalized."