Nguyễn Đình Thi Explained

Nguyễn Đình Thi (December 20, 1924 – April 18, 2003) was a famous Vietnamese writer, poet and composer, most notable for writing Diệt phát xít, the song that became the official daily theme tune of the Voice of Vietnam.^[1]

Biography

He was born on December 20, 1924, in Luang Prabang, Laos. His home, Vũ Thạch Village, is now known as Bà Triệu street, Tràng Tiền ward, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi, Vietnam. His father was an official in the Indochina Post Office, who moved to Laos to work.

He came back to Vietnam in 1931, to study in Haiphong City and joined the Youth Rescue nation in 1941. He belonged to the generation of artists who were involved in the French defeat in the 1950s. He wrote essays on philosophy, poetry, music and drama.

After the August Revolution (1945), Nguyễn Đình Thi became the general secretary of the national culture association. From 1958 to 1989 he was secretary of the Vietnamese Writers association. From 1995, he was chairman of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Art Association. In 1996, he received the Ho Chi Minh Prize for literature. He died on April 18, 2003, in Hanoi.^[2]

Works

Philosophy

• Triết học nhập môn ("Introduction to philosophy") 1942
• Triết học Căng ("Kant's philosophy") 1942
• Triết học Nitsơ ("Nietzsche's philosophy") 1942
• Triết học Anhxtanh ("Einstein's philosophy") 1942

Musical compositions

• Diệt phát xít ("Annihilate Fascist"), was composed in 1945, first performed in the meeting - the starting event of August Revolution in Hanoi - other two songs performed in the meeting were Tiến quân ca of Văn Cao and Du kích ca of Đỗ Nhuận.^[3] Diệt phát xít was chosen as the official daily theme tune of the Voice of Vietnam.^{[4] [5]}
• Người Hà Nội ("People of Hanoi"), was composed and first performed in 1947, completed in 1948, a typical song of Nhạc đỏ, associated with singer Lê Dung's career. Người Hà Nội is the official daily theme tune of the Hanoi Radio Television since its first formed day.^[6]

Novels

• Xung kích ("Vanguard") 1951
• Bên bờ sông Lô ("On the Lô river bank") 1957
• Vào lửa ("Come in fire") 1966
• Mặt trận trên cao ("Aerial battle") 1967
• Vỡ bờ ("Broken Edge") section 1 - 1962, section 2 - 1970

Essays

• Mấy vấn đề văn học ("Some matters of literature") 1956
• Công việc của người viết tiểu thuyết ("Work of novel writer") 1964

Poems

• Đất nước ("Country") 1948-1955^[7]
• Người chiến sĩ ("The soldier", poetry collection) 1956
• Bài thơ Hắc Hải ("Black Sea Poem") 1958
• Dòng sông trong xanh ("Pure Blue River") 1974
• Tia nắng ("Sunbeam") 1983

Plays

• Con nai đen ("Black Deer") 1961
• Hoa và Ngần ("Hoa and Ngần") 1975
• Nguyễn Trãi ở Đông Quan ("Nguyễn Trãi in Eastern Gate") 1979^[8]
• Rừng trúc ("Bamboo Forest") 1979
• Người đàn bà hóa đá ("Petrified woman") 1980
• Giấc mơ ("Dream") 1983
• Tiếng sóng ("The sound of waves") 1985

Memory

A street along the southern bank of the West Lake (Hanoi) was named after Nguyễn Đình Thi since 2015.^[9]

In 2020, writer Nguyễn Đình Chính - a son of writer Nguyễn Đình Thi - established the Nguyễn Đình Thi Prize for Art and Literature, covering many fields that Nguyễn Đình Thi has devoted himself to, including literature, music, theater, fine arts, and art criticism, mainly for authors who have made many contributions to the country and rising young talents.^[10]

Notes and References

1. John Shepherd Continuum encyclopedia of popular music of the world. Continuum Publishing 2005 Volumes 3-7 p229 "Songs like Người Hà Nội (People of Hanoi 1947) by Nguyễn Đình Thi" and Tiến về Hà Nội (Advancing back to Hanoi) by Văn Cao expressed a longed for victorious return to the capital."
2. Web site: The 95th birthday of musician Nguyễn Đình Thi . baohaiduong.vn . 7 December 2021.
3. Web site: Celebrating birthday of writer Nguyễn Đình Thi . hoinhacsi.vn . 15 December 2021.
4. Web site: The song go along the timeline - Annihilate Fascist . bcdcnt.net . 29 November 2021.
5. Web site: The untold story about the song "Annihilate Fascist" of composer Nguyễn Đình Thi . vov.vn . 29 November 2021.
6. Web site: The song go along the timeline - People of Hanoi . bcdcnt.net . 30 November 2021.
7. Web site: Country - NGUYỄN ĐÌNH THI . nhandan.vn . 19 December 2021.
8. Web site: Nguyễn Trãi ở Đông Quan . dtv-ebook.com . 12 December 2023.
9. Web site: Two streets have named after writer Nguyễn Đình Thi and musician Trịnh Công Sơn . vnexpress.net . 17 December 2021.
10. Web site: Nguyễn Đình Thi Prize for Art and Literature . baoquangngai.vn . 30 April 2022.