Hsu Shih () (September 24, 1919 - September 10, 1980) was a post-World War II Taiwanese composer who created many Taiwanese ballads, including "Anping Memories ()," "The Sound of the Gongs ()," and "Night in Nandu ()" as his masterpieces. In 1946, Hsu Shih returned to Taiwan from Japan and gradually collected and organized Taiwanese folk songs scattered in various places and promoted local music. He used orchestral music to raise the status of Taiwanese folk songs and organized choral tours with Taiwanese characteristics, pioneering the trend of popular music.
Life and career
In 1936, Hsu Shih went to Tokyo by ship to study at the Japanese Academy of Music, where he learned from the Japanese composers Akizuki (), Oomura Nousyou (), and Yasuaki Yoshida (), and studied theoretical composition, vocal music, and performance songs, while Wu Jinhuai () was a senior from the same school. During his studies, he delivered milk and newspapers and went to Hokkaido to work during the summer and winter while receiving music training from the Japanese Academy of Music. To match the pace of his Japanese classmates, Hsu Shih would embark on early morning jogs to enhance his physical stamina and refine his vocal abilities. When it came to piano practice, he would dedicate himself to the instrument until his fingers grew stiff. However, due to financial constraints, he would resort to practicing on paper, as he had to save up approximately one month's salary to afford a mere hour of playing time. After completing his studies, Hsu Shih worked as an exclusive singer for the Tokyo Red Windmill Theater and the Tobin Troupe in Japan until 1946, when he returned to Taiwan from Japan because his mother was critically ill.
In 1946, Hsu Shih released "Night in Nandu" on his first tour around Taiwan, which became famous throughout Taiwan. In 1947, he took Wen Hsia , a high school student, to Hengchun to collect local songs and record traditional folk songs such as "Thought Up ()" sung by Chen Da. Periodically, Hsu Shih would meticulously rearrange the folk songs he had collected, enlisting the participation of esteemed literary figures and renowned lyricists, including Khóo Píng-ting () and Chen Da-ru (), to enrich the repertoire of Taiwanese folk songs. In addition, to actively promote and share Taiwanese vernacular folk music, Hsu Shih has also held more than ten Taiwanese vernacular music concerts.
In 1952, Hsu Shih founded China Records (), which was later rebranded as Queen Records (), Da Wang Records (), and Tai Wang Records (). These record companies were established to promote Taiwanese folk songs and ballads. However, during that period, the prevailing lack of copyright awareness and widespread piracy posed significant challenges to the survival of record companies, placing a considerable financial burden on Hsu Shih in the long run. Hsu Shih set up a production studio at 90 Hebian North Street in Sanchong City (now Sanchong District, New Taipei City) and published his works, including "Anping Memories," "A Rainy Night at the Port ()," "Love's Lone Flower ()," and "Midnight Road Lamp ()." These songs gained popularity as a result of Hsu Shih's extensive touring and concert performances, eventually leading to their official recordings. For example, in 1952, Da Wang Records held the "Taiwan Folk Ballad Concert" and released songs such as "June Jasmine ()," "Cow Plough Song ()," "Haunting the Fifth Night ()," "Divination Tune ()," "Clinking Coins ()," "Teochew Tune ()," and "Thought Up," which were then released through Da Wang Records.
On August 2, 1980, he died of heart disease at 60 at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taoyuan County.
Collecting folk songs and arranging music
Hsu Shih went to Japan to study composition and singing at the Japanese Academy of Music, and his Japanese teacher said, "You should put Taiwan's culture into your songs. After he returned to Taiwan, he actively collected, promoted, and composed local folk songs in Taiwan, such as "Anping Memories" and "The Sound of the Gongs". Hsu Shih rearranged most of the collected folk songs, invited suitable singers to perform them, and made them into records. The range of folk songs collected includes Taiwanese folk music from the Japanese era, Yilan folk music, peasant folk music, northern folk music, Duma folk music, Che drum folk music, Hengchun folk music, Hakka folk music, mountain folk music, Fangliao folk music, and Yue Dan folk music. The songs "Anping Memories" and "The Sound of the Gongs" are considered to be representative of Hsu Shih's use of music to deepen Taiwan's history.