chinese music

5/21/2018 Chinese Music

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Chimes and Bells in the Xia,Shang and Zhou Dynasties


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Tang Dynasty Music Show


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Tang Dynasty Dancing and

Singing Show


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Traditional Chinese music can be traced back7,000 - 8,000 years based on the discovery

of a bone flute made in the Neolithic Age. Inthe Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, onlyroyal families and dignitary officials enjoyedmusic, which was made on chimes and bells.

During the Tang Dynasty, dancing andsinging entered the mainstream, spreadingfrom the royal court to the common people.With the introduction of foreign religions

such as Buddhism and Islam, exotic andreligious melodies were absorbed intoChinese music and were enjoyed by theChinese people at fairs organized byreligious temples.


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In the Song Dynasty, original opera such as

Zaju and Nanxi was performed in tearooms,theatres, and showplaces. Writers and artistsliked it so much that Ci, a new type ofliterature resembling lyrics, thrived. During

the Yuan Dynasty, qu, another type ofliterature based on music became popular.This was also a period when many traditionalmusical instruments were developed such as

the pipa, the flute, and the zither.


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During the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasties(1644 - 1911), the art of traditional operadeveloped rapidly and diversely in different regions.When these distinctive opera styles were performedat the capital (now called Beijing), artists combinedthe essence of the different styles andcreatedBeijing opera, one of three cornerstones of

Chinese culture (the other two being Chinesemedicine and traditional Chinese painting) whichcontinue to be appreciated even in modern times.Besides these types of music, Chinese peasants

were clever enough to compose folk songs, whichalso developed independently with local flavor. Folksongs described working and daily life such asfishing, farming, and herding and were very popularamong the common people.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/beijing_opera/http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/beijing_opera/


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Traditional Musical Instruments

Traditional Chinese musical instruments can bedivided into four categories: stringed instruments,

percussion instruments, plucked instruments, andwind instruments. The following are just a few ofthem:


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Horse-Headed Fiddle

The Horse-headed fiddle isa bowed stringed-instrument with a scrollcarved like a horse's head.It is popular in Mongolian

music. With a history ofover 1,300 years, it eveninfluenced European stringmusic when Marco Polobrought one back from histravels through Asia. Itswide tonal range and deep,hazy tone color express thejoy or pathos of a melody toits fullest.


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The Mongolian people bestowed upon their belovedhorse-headed fiddle a fantastic legend: duringhorse-racing at the Nadam Fair -- their featured

grand festival--a hero, Su He, and his white horseran the fastest, which incurred the envy and wrathof the duke. The cruel duke shot the horse dead,and Su He grieved so much that he met his horse

in a dream. In the dream, the horse told Su He tomake a fiddle from wood and the hair of a horse'stail, and to carve the head of the fiddle in theshape of a horse's head. The lad followed thehorse's advice and when he finished, the fiddle

produced an extremely vivid sound. From then on,people loved this instrument and composed manysongs for it.


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Lute(Pipa)Originally named after the loquatfruit, the earliest pipa known was

found to have been made in theQin Dynasty (221 BC 206 BC). By

the the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907),the pipa had reached its summit. Itwas loved by everyone--from theroyal court to the common folk--

and it occupied the predominantplace in the orchestra. Many wellknown writers and poets createdpoems and mentioned it in theirworks. BaiJuyi, the master poet,vividly depicted the performance

like this: rapid and soft notesmingled were just like big andsmall pearls dropping onto the jadeplates.


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Afterwards, the pipa underwent improvement inplaying techniques and structure. Players thenchanged from holding the pipa transversely to

holding it vertically, and from using a pick tousing the fingers to pluck the strngs directly. Inmodern times, the volume and resonance hasalso been improved. The traditional music work

'Spring Moonlight on the Flowers by the River',which has a history of over one hundred years,has brought harmony and a sense of beauty tountold numbers of people.


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ErhuThe Erhu, also called

'Huqin', was introducedfrom the western regionduring the Tang Dynasty.During the Song

Dynasty (960 - 1279), itwas refined andimproved and newvariations appeared. Itwas also an importantinstrument for playingthe melody of BeijingOpera.


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When playing, the player usually stands the Erhu onhis lap, and moves the bow across the vertical

strings. The well-known music 'Two Springs Reflectthe Moon' was created by the blind folk artist LiuYanjun, also named A Bing by the people. Thoughhe could not see anything of the world, he played

his Erhu using his heart and imagination. Thismelody conjures up a poetic night scene under themoonlight and expresses the composer's desolationand hope.


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FluteThe earliest flute was madefrom bone over 7,000 years

ago. In the times since then,most flutes were made ofbamboo, which allowed evencommon people to play it. Bycovering the holes and blowing

through the side hole whilemoving the fingers flexiblybetween the six holes, a soundwill be produced that is leisurelyand mellifluous like sound from

far away. This always remindspeople of a pastoral picture of afarmer riding on a bull whileplaying a flute.

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