1922年，是中国音乐史上划时代的一年。这一年，北京大学附设音乐研究所成立，这是中国近代教育史上第一个具有音乐专业性质的高等学校音乐教育基地。这一年，无锡江阴的刘天华受时任北京大学校长蔡元培之邀赴音乐研究所任教，开始了他“改进国乐”的伟大事业。从此，以刘天华为代表的音乐家将历史悠久的二胡艺术逐步推广开来，开启了二胡音乐的光辉时代。

无锡是中国二胡之乡。二胡是民族乐器中定型最晚、普及面最广的乐器。二胡古称胡琴、奚琴、嵇琴，由于形制粗陋、技法单调等原因，千百年来主要是作为伴奏、合奏乐器存在的，长期处于从属地位，未形成独立音乐品格。20世纪初，无锡顾山人周少梅大胆革新，与制琴师傅把二胡琴杆由原来的76厘米加长到90厘米，确定了现代二胡的形制。不仅如此，他还首创“三把头胡琴”演奏法，并编订、整理了二胡最早的独奏曲《虞舜熏风曲》等曲目，使二胡艺术产生了质的飞跃，二胡作为独奏乐器登上了民族音乐的舞台。周少梅的得意门生刘天华借鉴西方音乐的演奏特点，将“三把头”拓展为五个把位，进一步完善了二胡演奏艺术。可以说，现代二胡艺术始于周少梅，成于刘天华。

20世纪以来，无锡二胡名扬天下，名家名曲灿然夺目。说起二胡，海内外的人们会自然地联想到周少梅、华彦钧（阿炳）、刘天华、储师竹、蒋风之等音乐大家及《虞舜熏风曲》、《二泉映月》、《良宵》、《病中吟》等二胡名曲。这些名家很大一部分都是无锡籍或师承无锡名家，这些名曲有不少是直接产生于无锡。正是诸多的名家名曲打开了二胡音乐的崭新天地，使二胡走向世界，奠定了二胡在中国民族音乐乃至世界音乐中的地位。

2011年10月，第八届中国音乐金钟奖二胡比赛在无锡隆重举行，无锡被正式冠以“中国二胡之乡”的称号。从此，金钟奖二胡赛事长期落户无锡，这是对无锡在二胡艺术史上特殊贡献的肯定。

得益于第八、九届金钟奖二胡比赛的机缘，我对无锡深厚的二胡文化底蕴有了更深了解和切身体验。二胡在无锡是一段历史，阿炳纪念馆、周少梅故居、刘氏兄弟纪念馆，无不向世人诉说着无锡历史上的二胡故事。二胡在无锡有着广泛的群众基础和浓厚的社会氛围，在街头巷尾、学校公园甚至现代化的商厦里，都会飘出二胡的柔美旋律。二胡在无锡已发展为一种产业，各种二胡培训、演出活动之外，二胡制作已在梅村走上产业化发展道路，梅村制作的二胡享誉海内外。在无锡，能深切地感受到二胡如同自家的孩子，亲切、自然，仿佛100年来一贯如此，毫无隔阂。二胡，已内化为无锡的文化基因。

无锡是二胡的圣地。有感于斯，特为之序。

Wuxi As Erhu's Hometown

OBy Xu Peidong

1922 was an epoch-making year in the history of Chinese music. In this year the Music Institute attached to Peking University was established. It was the first base of musical education at the university level after the May Fourth Movement of 1919 in China. And in the same year Liu Tianhua from Jiangyin,Wuxi came to teach at this Institute upon the invitation of Cai Yuanpei, president of Peking University, and launched his ambition of Reforming National Music. Thereafter,the pioneer Liu Tianhua and his contemporary erhu masters promoted the traditional Chinese erhu art greatly and a new and promising age for erhu started.

Wuxi is the hometown of erhu. Erhu was one of the last popular folk musical instruments which underwent dramatic changes in shape and structure before it was adapted to the needs of the modern rendering of folk music. Erhu used to be called huqin, xiqin or jiqin, and had subordinately functioned as an accompaniment to operas or as a part in an orchestra due to its crude structure and the monotonous playing techniques for the past hundreds of years, never developing a distinctive style of its own. In the beginning of the 20th century,Zhou Shaomei from Gushan, Wuxi revolutionized erhu by extending the neck of erhu from 76 centimeters to 90 centimeters, thus getting the structure of modern erhu established. And he was also the originator of huqin's Three Positioning Playing technique, and the compiler for some earliest solo erhu pieces like Song of Pleasant Breeze.Zhou Shaomei's efforts earned erhu an essential place in traditional Chinese music by making it a solo instrument. Liu Tianhua,Zhou Shaomei's

favorite student,further reformed erhu's playing techniques by changing Zhou's Three Positioning Playing to Five Positioning Playing with reference to the playing techniques of western musical instruments,exceedingly improving erhu as an important art form. Undoubtedly,Zhou Shaomei was the first pioneer of making erhu an important modern art form and Liu Tianhua made it a mature one. 

The whole 20th contrary saw the surge of erhu masters and erhu masterpieces from Wuxi. The immediate mention of erhu would remind people of erhu musicians from Wuxi and well-known pieces played,compiled or composed by them.Among the famous Wuxi erhu musicians,to name just

a few,are Zhou Shaomei,Blind Abing(Hua Yanjun),Liu Tianhua,Chu Shizhu,and Jiang Fengzhi, most were born a Wuxi local and some were taught by Wuxi-born masters. Song of Pleasant Breeze, Moon Reflected on the Second Spring,Joyful Night and Sigh of Ailment are among the best-known erhu pieces by these Wuxi musicians.The erhu masters and masterpieces have played essential roles in making erhu both a nationally and internationally important form of Chinese music art.

In October,2011,Wuxi was given the title and honor of “Hometown for Erhu" when the 8th Chinese ＂Golden Bell Awards”Erhu Competition was being held in Wuxi.It was agreed that the Chinese “Golden Bell Awards"Erhu Competition would be forever based in Wuxi,a great honor awarded to Wuxi for its tremendous historic contributions to the development of erhu art in China.

I made two trips to Wuxi respectively for the 8th and 9th Chinese "Golden Bell Awards”Erhu Competitions,so that I was able to advantageously get the chance to observe Wuxi closely,experience its Erhu culture, and gain a deeper understanding of it. Erhu made a history in Wuxi.The Former Residence of Abing,the Former Residence of Zhou Shaomei and the Memorial Hall of Liu's Three Talented Brothers are telling historic stories of erhu in Wuxi. In this city,erhu is popularly loved and widely played by many local amateurs.The melodious erhu music can be heard in all places of Wuxi, on the street, in schools,in gardens or even in modern shopping malls. Erhu has become an industry in Wuxi.Apart from erhu teaching,learning and performing,erhu making in Meicun has been flourishing and erhu instruments made here are enjoying world-wide fame and reputation.In Wuxi,I have got a feeling of home and developed emotional closeness with erhu and affection for it.For the past one hundred years,erhu,as a gene of Wuxi culture,has become an inseparable part of it.

And that's how this preface came into being and why it was entitled so.