Early Chinese Music Resources: Early Chinese Music Resources: Qing

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Early Chinese Music Resources: Qing

Early Chinese Music Resources: Qing
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 30 December 2023)
Diagram from Qin Se He Pu《琴瑟合谱》(1870) by Qing Rui (庆瑞, 1798-?).  Collection of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., United States.

In an effort to make this repertoire more accessible, this document contains resources related to the known surviving pieces and songs from China's Qing Dynasty (清朝, 1644-1912).
Links to scores are highlighted in blue.  Links to recordings and videos are highlighted in pink.
Links to textual sources are highlighted in green.

 ----------------------------------------------

Zhonghe Shaoyue

Zhonghe Shaoyue (中和韶乐) was the official name for the ritual/sacrificial music of the Qing Dynasty. Its instrumentation and repertoire were based on traditions inherited from the Ming Dynasty. The name Shaoyue (韶乐, "shao music") refers to the court music of the mythical emperor Shun, which was also known as Shunyue (舜乐).

Videos of Zhonghe Shaoyue:


----------------------------------------------

Fanbu Hezou

Fanbu Hezou (番部合奏) is the name of the Mongolian division of the yanyue (宴乐, banquet/entertainment music) ensembles of the Qing court. This music is believed to have been adapted, at least in part, in the 17th century from earlier court music of the Mongol khans. It was quite popular among the Qing Dynasty's Manchu rulers and the ensemble was documented by several court painters.

 The pieces in this collection are as follows:
1. Yinzi《引子》(Prelude)
2. Da He Qu《大合曲》 Video of "Da He Qu": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSx3UyMX9Cw
3. Ran Si Qu《染丝曲》(Dyeing Silk Tune)
4. Gong Mo《公莫》
5. Ya Zheng Ci《雅政词》
6. Fenghuang Ming《凤凰鸣》(Song of the Phoenix)
7.《乘驿使》
8. Tu Ju《兔罝》
9.《西鲽曲》
10. Qian Qiu Ci《千秋词》
11. Honghu Ci《鸿鹄词》
12. Qing Junhou《庆君侯》
13. Qing Furen《庆夫人》
14. Xian Jiangnan《羡江南》
15.《救度词》
16. Da Fan Qu《大番曲》
17. Xiao Fan Qu《小番曲》
18.《游逸词》
19. Xingsheng Ci《兴盛词》
20. Yanye Qu《艳冶曲》
21.《庆圣师》
22. Bai Lu Ci《白鹿词》
23. Hehuan Qu《合欢曲》
24. Bai Tuo Ge《白驼歌》(Song of the White Camel)
Video of "Bai Tuo Ge":
25. Liuying Qu《流莺曲》
26. Junhou Ci《君侯词》
27. Furen Ci《夫人词》
28. Xianshi Ci《贤士词》
29. Wu Ci《舞词》
30. Taogu Qu《鼗鼓曲》
31. Tiaohe Qu《调和曲》(Harmonious Tune)

The titles of the above pieces are documented in the Qing Shigao 《清史稿》 (Draft History of Qing), the official history of the Qing Dynasty:

----------------------------------------------

Xin Bian Nanci Dinglü

 Xin Bian Nanci Dinglü《新编南词定律》(Newly Compiled Standard [Versions of] Southern Arias), first published in 1720 during the late Kangxi period, is an important early collection of Kunqu music, containing the earliest known scores of Kunqu arias, with lyrics and gongche notation (although the first edition may not have included musical notation, the gongche notations perhaps added in later editions published in the Qianlong period).  One of the book's editors was later involved in the preparation of the Jiugong Dacheng Nan-Bei Ci Gongpu《九宫大成南北词宫谱》, which was compiled between 1741 and 1746, during the Qianlong period, and which also uses gongche notation.

----------------------------------------------
"Airs chinois"

The French Jesuit historian Jean-Baptiste Du Halde (1674-1743) published transcriptions, in staff notation, of five "Airs chinois" (Chinese tunes) in the third volume of his four-volume Description géographique, historique, chronologique, politique, et physique de l’empire de la Chine et de la Tartarie chinoise (Paris: Le Mercier, 1735). Du Halde did not himself visit China, instead basing his book on the reports of 17 Jesuit missionaries who had traveled there. This work is significant in that it represents the first European publication to feature notated Chinese music. It was later reprinted in the Netherlands (1736) and England (1741).

Note that these transcriptions utilize the so-called "French clef" (also called French violin clef). This clef, which was used primarily in French music of the 17th and 18th centuries, places G on the bottom line of the staff and reads the same as the bass clef transposed up two octaves.

● Facsimile of "Airs chinois":
Although the tunes are not assigned titles, several of them continue to be performed in China or have been published in other sources since 1735, and thus can be identified (keeping in mind that in many cases the same tune can be called by two or more different titles):

The pieces in this collection are as follows:
1. In the context of Kunqu, where it is used to set the stage for scenes of banquets or other festivities, this tune is a dizi qupai (笛子曲牌) called "Jie Jie Gao"《节节高》(Rising Higher and Higher); in northern Kunqu the same tune may alternatively be called "Wan Nian Huan"《万年欢》. According to François Picard, who contributed a chapter about this qupai to the book Qupai in Chinese Music: Melodic Models in Form and Practice (ed. Alan R. Thrasher, 2016), the tune's original name is "Liu Yao Jin"《柳摇金》.
Video of "Jie Jie Gao," performed as part of a production of the Kunqu opera "The Peony Pavilion" (Mudan Ting, 《牡丹亭》:
Video of "Jie Jie Gao" from the CD Vêpres à la Vierge en Chine (K617, 2004):
2. Usually called "Wan Nian Huan"《万年欢》, this instrumental qupai is probably best known for its use in the Ming Dynasty Kunqu opera "The Peony Pavilion" (Mudan Ting, 《牡丹亭》).
Video of "Wan Nian Huan," performed as part of a filmed production of the Kunqu opera "The Peony Pavilion" (Mudan Ting,《牡丹亭》:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWuEZkjK7ak&t=25m36s
Video of "Wan Nian Huan," performed by a Teochew da luogu ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8NDnvax2rw
3. Unknown
4. Unknown
5. This tune appears as a Chinese folk song called "Tan Qingjia"《探亲家》(Visiting the In-Laws). It is also used in the middle section of the solo pipa piece "Long Chuan"《龙船》(Dragon Boat), in the Pudong School version by Chen Zijing (陈子敬, 1837-1891).
Video of "Tan Qingjia":
Video of "Long Chuan" ("Tan Qingjia" melody starts at 3:00):

----------------------------------------------

Yu Zhi Lü Lü Zhengyi Hou Bian

Yu Zhi Lü Lü Zhengyi Hou Bian《御制律吕正义后编》(The Later Revision of the Commentary on Musical Temperament and Tuning, Made by Imperial Order), a musical treatise comprising 120 volumes, was completed in 1746, the eleventh year of the reign of the Qing Dynasty emperor Qianlong. Volumes 3, 5, 7, 9, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 59, and 61 contain musical notation for various genres.

Facsimile of Yu Zhi Lü Lü Zhengyi Hou Bian:

----------------------------------------------
Jiugong Dacheng Nan-Bei Ci Gongpu

Jiugong Dacheng Nan-Bei Ci Gongpu《九宫大成南北词宫谱》(Compendium of Official Scores of Southern and Northern Arias in Nine Modes), often referred to as Jiugong Dacheng Pu《九宫大成谱》for brevity's sake, is a massive compendium of scores in gongche notation for arias of theater plays, compiled between 1741 and 1746 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (r. 1735-1796). Consisting of 82 volumes (actually juan, 卷, scrolls or fascicles), the collection comprises 4,466 musical scores (qupu, 曲谱) belonging to 2,094 qupai (曲牌, poetic/tune patterns). The collection includes tunes claimed to date back to the Tang, Five Dynasties, and Song dynasties (though they have been partially adapted to meet the tastes of Qing-era audiences), as well as melodies from the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing eras. Despite the use of the term ci in the collection's title, it contains arias in shi (诗), ci (词), and qu (曲) forms. All the music was intended to be sung in the style of Kunqu, the classical opera form most popular at that time.

● Facsimile of Jiugong Dacheng Nan-Bei Ci Gongpu:
● The Nine Modes Manual Online, a searchable database containing basic transcriptions in staff notation of all pieces in the Jiugong Dacheng Nan-Bei Ci Gongpu (database designed by Hong Kong Polytechnic University professor Dr. Casey Schoenberger, and hosted by the Pao Yue-kong Library of Hong Kong Polytechnic University):
 https://dc.lib.polyu.edu.hk/ninemodes/intro.html

----------------------------------------------

De la Musique moderne des Chinois

An unpublished, undated 212-page manuscript by the French Jesuit missionary Jean Joseph Marie Amiot (1718-1793), De la Musique moderne des Chinois, which contains explanations, illustrations, and scores of Chinese pieces in gongche and staff notation, was written in Beijing c. 1754 and sent to Paris in October 1754, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor of China's Qing Dynasty. Amiot served as a missionary in China from 1750 until his death in 1793.

● Facsimile of De la Musique moderne des Chinois:
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b105513595

● Annotated critical edition of De la Musique moderne des Chinois by Dr. François Picard (2000-2023) https://shs.hal.science/halshs-04103982
----------------------------------------------

Qingyin shifan

 The surviving scores in the Qingyin shifan (清音十番) tradition of Qing Dynasty palace entertainment music, known since 1920 as Chengde Qingyin Hui (承德清音会), comprise 16 pieces. The tradition probably dates to at least the 18th century and is said to have been adapted from shifan music of the Jiangnan region.

 The pieces in this collection are as follows:
1. Yinzi《引子》(Prelude)
2. Mei Hua San Nong《梅花三弄》 (Three Variations of "Plum Blossoms")
Video of "Mei Hua San Nong": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3MbufCmfHU&t=815s
3. Lang Tao Sha《浪淘沙》(Waves Washing the Sands)
Video of "Lang Tao Sha":
4. Yue Xia Haitang《月下海棠》(The Crabapple Under the Moon)
5. Gusao Bai Yue《姑嫂拜月》(Sisters-in-Law Worship the Moon)
Video of "Gusao Bai Yue":
6. Chun Lai《春来》(Spring Comes)
Video of "Chun Lai":
7. Qiu Lai《秋来》(Autumn Comes)
Score of "Qiu Lai" (page 1 of 2):
Score of "Qiu Lai" (page 2 of 2):
Video of "Qiu Lai" (30:26-34:32):
8. Dong Lai《冬来》(Winter Comes)
Score of "Dong Lai":
Video of "Dong Lai" (38:27-40:22):
9. Weizi《尾子》(Coda/Postlude)
10. Shui Long Yin《水龙吟》(The Water Dragon's Hum)
11. Qixing Luo《七星落》(The Seven Stars Fall)
Video of "Qixing Luo" (34:30-38:18):
12. Xi Huanghua《惜黄花》(Cherishing Yellow Blooms)
Video of "Xi Huanghua":
13. Xiao Liangzhou《小凉州》(Small Liangzhou)
Video of "Xiao Liangzhou":
14. Xia Lai《夏来》(Summer Comes)
Video of "Xia Lai":
15. Yu Furong《玉芙蓉》(Jade[-White] Lotus)
16. Wujiang Du《乌江渡》(Wu River Ferry)

2011 CCTV documentary about Qingyin shifan:

TV documentary about Qingyin shifan:

 ----------------------------------------------
Xian Di Pipa Pu

The Xian Di Pipa Pu《弦笛琵琶谱》(Scores for [San]xian, Di, and Pipa), a book published in Guangzhou in 1770 and containing the scores for 13 pieces in gongche notation, was unknown in China until December 2013, when a unique copy of this volume was identified in the collection of the Old Library of St John's College, Cambridge. Dr. Joseph P. McDermott, an expert in Chinese history and Fellow at St John's College who had first come across the book in the library's collection around 1995, suggested to Dr. Yang Jian (杨健) of Nanjing University of the Arts (now a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music), who was serving as a Visiting Scholar at St John’s College and Cambridge University's Faculty of Music during the 2013-2014 academic year that he come take a look at the book. Almost immediately, Yang realized that this book might represent a significant discovery, and, through consultation with specialists in China, none of whom had ever seen another copy of this title, it was determined that the volume in the St John's College library is likely the only surviving copy of this work.

 On May 16, 2020, an online concert celebrating the 250th anniversary of the book's publication, featuring the modern-day premieres of all 13 of the book's pieces, in arrangements based on newly prepared transcriptions by Dr. François Picard (professor of ethnomusicology at the Sorbonne University, and a leading authority on Chinese music of the 18th century), was organized by Mr. Gordon Lee of the Aimusic School of San Jose, California. The concert featured 19 performers from California, Ohio, England, and France, including Picard.

The pieces in this collection are as follows:
1. Si Da Jing《四大景》(Four Grand Vistas)
2. Shui Long Yin《水龙吟》(Call of the Water Dragon)
3. Yin Xi Si《银细丝》(A Fine Silver Thread), also called Nao Wugeng 《闹五更》 (Disturbance All Through the Night)
4. Ku Huangtian《哭皇天》(Crying Out to the Heavens)
5. Xin Shui Ling《新水令》(New Water Song)
6. Yi Zhi Hua《一枝花》(A Stem of Flowers), also called Huagu Ge 《花鼓歌》 (Flower Drum Song)
7. Dao Chui Lian《倒垂莲》(The Tiger Lily)
8. Da Jin Dui《大金对》(Great Golden Pair)
9. Xi Diao《西调》(Melody from the West)
10. Xiao Baimen《小拜门》(A Quick Visit)
11. Qing Jiang Yin《清江引》(Clear River Prelude)
12. Bai Baota《拜宝塔》(Worshiping at the Pagoda)
13. Ji Gongzai《鸡公仔》(The Little Rooster)

● Facsimile of Xian Di Pipa Pu:
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/PR-SJC-SC-CH-00001/1

● Press coverage from 2014:

● "Ancient Chinese Musical Notation Discovered in the Old Library of St John’s College, Cambridge," by Yang Jian, from East Asian Publishing and Society, vol. 4 (2014), pp. 175-180:
● Article by Gordon Lee about May 16, 2020 online concert (May 22, 2020):
● 2023 Weixin article by Dr. Yang Jian https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/DswPlW--Af-RxVYC-TcejA
----------------------------------------------

"Divertissements chinois" and "Musique Sacrée"

From an unpublished manuscript entitled Mélanges sur la Chine et les Chinois by the French Jesuit missionary Jean Joseph Marie Amiot (1718-1793), "Divertissements chinois" (or "Concerts de Musique chinoise") and "Musique Sacrée" contain scores of many secular and sacred Chinese pieces in gongche and hybrid gongche-staff notation, was written in Beijing in 1779. Amiot served as a missionary in China from 1750 until his death in 1793.

● Facsimile of Divertissements chinois and Musique Sacrée:
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b100340719/

● Video of Deuxième divertissement chinois:

● Video of Troisième divertissement chinois:

----------------------------------------------

Qinding Shijing Yuepu Quanshu

Qinding Shijing Yuepu Quanshu《钦定诗经乐谱全书》is a collection of settings of songs from the Shi Jing《诗经》(Classic of Poetry), which was compiled in 1788, by order of the Qianlong Emperor. It comprises scores for 305 songs, with six additional pieces for the sheng. Notably, this work includes individual parts (1,555 in total) for specific instruments, including xiao (doubled by paixiao, xun, and chi), di (doubled by sheng), bianzhong (doubled by bianqing), qin, and se. It is included in the Siku Quanshu《四库全书》, the largest collection of books in Chinese history.

Facsimile:

Full text version:

More information:

----------------------------------------------

Nashu Ying Qupu

Nashu Ying Qupu《纳书楹曲谱》(Scores of Arias from the Studio of Book Acquisition) is an important 14-volume collection, in gongche notation, of Kunqu and (northern) zaju arias as well as sanqu songs, which was compiled by the Suzhou-based scholar Ye Tang (叶堂, dates unknown), and completed in 1792, the 57th year of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.

● Facsimile of Nashu Ying Qupu:


----------------------------------------------

Two Original Chinese Songs:  Moo-Lee-Chwa & Higho Highau for the Pianoforte or Harpsichord

A slim volume consisting of arrangements of two Qing-era Chinese songs by the London-based German composer K [i.e., Karl] Kambra, which was published in London c. 1794, c. 1795, c. 1796, or c. 1802.

Note from p. 1 of the publication:
"The following Chinese Songs were brought to England by a Gentleman of the late Embassy to China, who took them down upon the Spot. Their Originality, therefore, may be depended on, and Mr. KAMBRA, in offering them to the Public, with the addition of a Bass, flatters himself to have rendered them more agreeable to the English Ear."

(Note: the above note refers to the Macartney Embassy, the first British diplomatic mission to China, which took place in 1793.)

1a. Moo-Lee-Chwa
1b. Canzonetta Chinese or Moo-Lee-Chwa (English lyrics by Dr. [William] Scott, second Physician to the late Embassy to China)
2. The Peyho Boatmen or Higho Highau (English lyrics by Dr. Scott)


----------------------------------------------

Chinese Tunes

The Oriental Collections, vol. I (London, 1797), p. 343 contains two Chinese melodies (labeled "Chinese Tunes"), notated in staff notation, under the heading "Chinese Musick."

Note from p. 343 of the publication: "THE two Chinese airs, of which the notes aer given on the opposite page, were communicated to the Editor, with others, by Eyles Irwin, Esq. Member of the Royal Irish Academy, and one of the gentlemen on the late embassy to China."

(Note: the above note refers to the Macartney Embassy, the first British diplomatic mission to China, which took place in 1793.)

1. Cheu Teu
2. Tsin Fa ( = Xian Hua)《鲜花》


----------------------------------------------
"Chinese Popular Airs"

Ten Chinese pieces are presented in staff notation in Travels in China, Containing Descriptions, Observations, And Comparison, Made And Collected in the Course of a Short Residence at the Imperial Palace of Yuen-Min-Yuen by John Barrow (London: T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1804). Barrow (1764-1848) served as the comptroller for the Macartney Embassy, the first British diplomatic mission to China, which took place in 1793.

 The pieces in this collection include:

 The Chinese folk song "Molihua"《茉莉花》(spelled "Moo-lee-wha"), with lyrics in transliterated form and English translation.

 Additionally, there are nine textless "Chinese Popular Airs," which are not assigned titles:
1. Title unknown
2. Title unknown
3. A variant of "Liu Ban"《六板》, "Ba Ban" 《八板》, or "Xi Diao"《西调》
4. "Wan Nian Huan"《万年欢》, a Kunqu qupai
5. Title unknown
6. "Jie Jie Gao"《节节高》, a Kunqu qupai (according to François Picard, who contributed a chapter about this qupai to the book Qupai in Chinese Music: Melodic Models in Form and Practice (ed. Alan R. Thrasher, 2016), the tune's original name is "Liu Yao Jin"《柳摇金》)
7. "Wan Nian Huan"《万年欢》, a Kunqu qupai (the same piece as no. 4)
8. Title unknown
9. "Tan Qingjia"《探亲家》(Visiting the In-Laws)
● Facsimile of Travels in China:
https://archive.org/details/travelsinchinaco00barr

----------------------------------------------

Voyages a Peking

Voyages a Peking, Manille et l'Île de France, faits dans l'intervalle des années 1784 à 1801, published in 1808 by the French merchant-trader, ambassador and scholar Chrétien-Louis-Joseph de Guignes (1759-1845), contains the score for a Qing Dynasty court melody, "Tianzi Wan Nian"《天子万年》, in gongche notation, with annotations.

 ● Facsimile of Voyages a Peking:
https://books.google.com/books?id=A8df6anwNooC

 ----------------------------------------------

Xiansuo Beikao

Xiansuo Beikao《弦索备考》(String Music Reference), also known as Xiansuo Shisan Tao《弦索十三套》(13 Suites for Strings), compiled by Rong Zhai (荣斋; style name: Ming Yi, 明谊), a nobleman, scholar, and musician of Mongolian ethnicity and published in 1814, contains 13 pieces of instrumental music, 11 of them scored for four specific instruments: huqin (probably sihu), xianzi (sanxian), pipa, and zheng; the remaining two pieces, "Hehuan Ling" and "Jiangjun Ling," are only written out for zheng.

The pieces in this collection are as follows:
1. Hehuan Ling《合欢令》(Song-Poem: Happy Together) Video of "Hehuan Ling," performed by ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1xDOvM-2ok Video of "Hehuan Ling," performed by ensemble:
Video of "Hehuan Ling," performed by sanxian and sihu:
2. Jiangjun Ling《将军令》
Video of "Jiangjun Ling," performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azNer_HANkA
Video of "Jiangjun Ling," performed by guzheng ensemble:
Video of "Jiangjun Ling," performed by guzheng ensemble with added percussion:
Video of "Jiangjun Ling," performed by guzheng ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCBVLlJawPc
3. Shiliu Ban《十六板》
Video of "Shiliu Ban," performed by ensemble:
Video of "Shiliu Ban," performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX51xsKo7T4
Video of "Shiliu Ban," performed by guzheng ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PSO6WHeqh8 4. Qin Yin Ban 《琴音板》, also spelled Bian Yin Ban 《变音板》
Video of "Qin Yin Ban," performed by ensemble:
Video of "Qin Yin Ban":
5. Qing Yin Chuan 《清音串》
Video of "Qing Yin Chuan," performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OQPqcF7CwE
Video of "Qing Yin Chuan," performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEofM59TrWg
Video of "Qing Yin Chuan," performed by ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEofM59TrWg 6. Ping Yun Chuan 《平韵串》
Video of "Ping Yun Chuan," performed by ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5D_JP5UKYQ Video of "Ping Yun Chuan," performed by ensemble:
Video of "Ping Yun Chuan," performed by ensemble:
7. Yue'er Gao《月儿高》(The Moon On High)
Video of "Yue'er Gao," performed by ensemble:
Video of "Yue'er Gao," performed by ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxPsLjFP8D0 8. Qin Yin Yue'er Gao 《琴音月儿高》
Video of "Qin Yin Yue'er Gao," performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFx5dCCDtwU
Video of "Qin Yin Yue'er Gao," performed by ensemble:
9. Pu'an Zhou 《普庵咒》 (Incantation of [the Monk] Pu'an)
Video of "Pu'an Zhou," performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV9EZTwrQAY Video of "Pu'an Zhou," performed by ensemble:
Video of "Pu'an Zhou":
10. Haiqing《海青》(The Gyrfalcon)
Video of "Haiqing," performed by ensemble:
Video of a live performance of "Haiqing," performed by ensemble (version 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sxbp-0htEc Video of a live performance of "Haiqing," performed by ensemble (version 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ggCN7rdV6g
Video of a live performance of "Haiqing," performed by ensemble (version 3):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ODNLzjNzw
11. Yangguan San Die《阳关三叠》
Video of "Yangguan San Die," performed by ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bflGoKjVlk Video of "Yangguan San Die," performed by ensemble:
Video of "Yangguan San Die," performed by guzheng solo:
12. Song Qing Ye You《松青夜游》
Video of "Song Qing Ye You," performed by ensemble:
Video of "Song Qing Ye You," performed by ensemble:
13. Wu Ming Ma《舞名马》 (The Dancing Horse)
Video of "Wu Ming Ma," performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbREgQw05MQ
Video of "Wu Ming Ma," performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpkXdOqKNuc

 Video of a live performance of various pieces, performed by ensemble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYv3K5SNC0k

Video documentary about "Xiansuo Beikao," part 1:

Video documentary about "Xiansuo Beikao," part 2:

----------------------------------------------

Suijin Cipu
● Suijin Cipu《碎金词谱》, published in 1844 by Xie Yuanhuai (谢元淮, 1784-1867), includes 558 songs and musical pieces in gongche notation, including ci songs in both Nan qu (南曲, southern Kunqu) and Bei qu (北曲, northern Kunqu) style based on poems from the Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, and Yuan periods.  The "Suijin" (碎金) in the work's title, literally meaning "bits of gold," is a metaphor for brief masterpieces, while "Cipu" (词谱) refers to scores based on ci poems.

● Facsimile of Suijin Cipu (in several volumes):

----------------------------------------------

Qin Se He Pu

Qin Se He Pu《琴瑟合谱》(Scores for Qin and Se [Played] Together) was published in 1870 by Qing Rui (庆瑞, 1798-?; pen name Hui Shan, 辉山), a government official of Manchu ethnicity from Heilongjiang province, who had relocated to Guangzhou at the age of 27 (around 1843). A qin player who was avidly interested in reviving the se (ancient 25-string bridge zither), on his official travels Qing sought out those with some knowledge of the se, but was only able to find a few. Devoting study to the Se Pu《瑟谱》(Se Scores) of the late Southern Dong/early Yuan Dynasty Confucian scholar Xiong Penglai (熊朋来, 1246-1323), he found Xiong's chromatic (rather than pentatonic) tuning not to be in accordance with the rules of ancient music.

Working with his concubine, Li Zhixian (李芝仙), who he trained to play the se, Qing arrived at a tuning for the instrument that he considered suitable for playing ancient melodies, and, in an effort to encourage the revival of the playing of qin and se together, included unison duo settings of eight qin melodies, along with explanatory information and diagrams, in his Qin Se He Pu.

The pieces in this collection include the following:

1. Liangxiao Yin《良宵引》(Peaceful Evening Prelude)
2. Yu Qiao Wenda《渔樵问答》(Dialogue between a Fisherman and Woodcutter)
3. Yan Luo Pingsha《雁落平沙》(Wild Geese Descending on a Sandbank)
4. Wu Ye Wu Qiu Feng《梧叶舞秋风》(Leaves Dance in an Autumn Breeze)
5. Chun Xiao Yin《春晓吟》(Spring Dawn Intonation)
6. Dongting Qiu Si《洞庭秋思》(Autumn Thoughts at Dongting [Lake])
7. Shitang Zhang《释谈章》(Stanzas of Siddham)
8. Saishang Hong《塞上鸿》(Wild Geese on the Frontier)
● Facsimile of Qin Se He Pu (in two volumes), from the collection of the Library of Congress:
----------------------------------------------

"Chinese Lyrics"

George Carter Stent's "Chinese Lyrics," published in the Journal of the North-China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society for 1871 and 1872 (Shanghai, 1873), pp. 93-135, contains five Chinese songs in staff notation:

 1. Dame Wang (= Wang Da Niang)《王大娘》
2. Twelve Months (= Zheng Yue)《正月》
3. The Haunts of Pleasure (= Yan Hua Liu Xiang)《烟花柳巷》
4. The Beautiful Jade Needle (= Yu Mei Zhen)《玉美针》
5. The Dagger (= Xiao Daozi)《小刀子》

 ● Facsimile of "Chinese Lyrics":

In 2019, Keith Robinson, with the assistance of Wang Lingli (王玲利), published Dame Wang and Other Chinese Folk Songs, a book that includes the aforementioned five songs, with new piano accompaniments for each song, as well as new English translations of the lyrics.
http://www.lulu.com/shop/keith-robinson-and-wang-lingli/dame-wang-and-other-chinese-folk-songs/paperback/product-24034910.html
More information about George Carter Stent (1833-1884):

----------------------------------------------

 Chinese Music by van Aalst

Chinese Music, a treatise covering many aspects of Chinese music by Jules A. van Aalst (1858-after 1914), a Belgian who worked in the Chinese customs service beginning in 1881, was published in Shanghai in 1884.  The ethnomusicologist Han Kuo-huang has described van Aalst as "perhaps the most quoted author on that subject [i.e., Chinese music] before the 1950s."

 This book includes several Chinese pieces in staff notation (and sometimes also gongche notation), several of which include lyrics in Chinese characters, romanized Chinese, and English translation.  In this source, Do = F, as was typical of that period, except for the hymn in honor of Confucius, for which Do = C.  Aalst's name is spelled 阿里嗣 (pinyin:  Ālǐsì) in Chinese.

The pieces in this collection include the following:

1. Xian Hua《鲜花》(The Fresh Beautiful Flower), p. 19
Ritual Music (pp. 25-35):
1. The Guiding March, p. 26
2. Hymn in honor of Confucius, in six strophes, p. 27
Popular Music (pp. 36-46):
3. Wang Ta-Niang (= Wang Da Niang)《王大娘》(Madame Wang), p. 38
4. Yen-Hua-Liu Hsiang (= Yanhua Liu Xiang)《煙花柳巷》(The Haunts of Pleasure), p. 42
5. Ma-Ma Hao Ming-Pai (= Mama Hao Mingbai)《媽媽好明白》(Oh, Mamma!  You Understand Me Well), p. 44
6. Shi'er Chong Lou《十二重樓》, p. 44
7. Funeral March, p. 46
8. Wedding March, p. 46

Facsimile of Chinese Music by J. A. van Aalst (two versions):

 ----------------------------------------------

"Programme of Chinese Music"

The Illustrated Catalogue of the Chinese Collection of Exhibits for the International Health Exhibition, London, 1884 (London:  William Clowes and Sons, Limited, 1884) contains a "Programme of Chinese Music" containing 16 pieces in staff notation from pp. 158 to 171, pieces 1-10 being instrumental pieces and pieces 11-16 being vocal pieces; a further 29 pieces (22 vocal pieces and 7 operatic pieces) are described in text form, but without notation.  Most of the pieces seem to have been transcribed from the repertoire of a 6-member troupe of musicians from Beijing who sang, played, and acted, brought to London for the International Health Exhibition of 1884.

 The notated pieces in this collection are as follows:
Instrumental pieces
1. Hoa Tchou Ko (= Hua Zhu Ge)《华祝歌》(Chinese National Anthem)
2. Ta Pa-Pan (= Da Ba Ban)《大八板》(The Eight Boards)
3. Kai Shu-Pa'rh (Opening the Hand)
4. Ta 'Hua-Ku 'Rh (= Da Hua Gu'er)《大花鼓儿》(The Flowered Drum)
5. Ta Ku-Pa'rh (The Large Drum)
6. Liu Ching Niang (= Liu Qing Niang)《柳青娘》(The Maid of the Green Willow)
7. Ku-Niang-Piao (The Girl's Watch)
8. Mama Hao Ming-Pai (= Mama Hao Mingbai)《妈妈好明白》(Mother Understands Me Well)
9. Funeral March
10. Wedding March
Vocal pieces
11. Chin-Lang-Fang (Alone at Home)
12. Wang-Ta-Niang (= Wang Da Niang)《王大娘》(Dame Wang)
13. Yen'-Hua-Liu-Hsiang《煙花柳巷》(The Abode of Love)
14. Ta Hsin Ch'un (The Widow's Lament)
15. 'Hua Shan Mien (Painting Fans)
16. Shuai Ching Chia (Breaking the Looking-Glass)

● Facsimile of Illustrated Catalogue of the Chinese Collection of Exhibits for the International Health Exhibition, London, 1884:

----------------------------------------------
Tang Hu Xun Pu
Tang Hu Xun Pu《棠湖埙谱》, an instructional manual for the xun which contains several scores, was compiled by the Baoding, Hebei-based scholar Wu Xunyuan (吴浔源, 1824-1902) in 1888, the 14th year of the reign of the Guangxu Emperor during the late Qing Dynasty.
The pieces in this collection are as follows:
1.《北寄生草》
2.《新梁州序》
3.《锁南枝》
4.《四边静》
5.《懒画眉》
6.《普庵咒》

----------------------------------------------

"Gong Jin Ou"

"Gong Jin Ou"《巩金瓯》(The Cup of Solid Gold) was the national anthem of the Qing Dynasty between 1911 and 1912.  It is said to have been adapted by a senior official of the Qing court from coronation music for emperors of the Ming Dynasty.

● Score of "Gong Jin Ou":

Video of "Gong Jin Ou" (1):

Video of "Gong Jin Ou" (2):

Video of "Gong Jin Ou" (3) (excerpt from a film):

● Wikipedia article about "Gong Jin Ou":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cup_of_Solid_Gold
---------------------------------------------- Shi Jing Gu Pu

Shi Jing Gu Pu《诗经古谱》is a collection of scores (in both numeral and staff notation) of ritual songs with texts from the Shi Jing《诗经》(Classic of Poetry), which was published by the Qing Dynasty scholar Yuan Jiagu (袁嘉谷, 1872-1937), a native of Yunnan province, in 1908, during the late Qing Dynasty.

● Facsimile of Shi Jing Gu Pu:

----------------------------------------------

Historical reference works about the music of the Qing Dynasty

● Yuefu Chuansheng《乐府传声》(rough translation:  The Tradition of Singing Yuefu ("Music Bureau") [Poem-Songs] or The Tradition of Sung Poetry)
Yuefu Chuanseng is a treatise on the singing of poetic songs, written by Xu Dachun (徐大椿, 1693-1771), a famous medical scientist from Wujiang, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, who descended from a long line of scholar-officials tracing all the way back to the Song Dynasty.  The work, which contains no lyrics or musical notation, is highly valued in Chinese opera circles for its detailed and methodical analysis of numerous aspects of singing.  The earliest woodblock-printed edition dates from 1748, the thirteenth year of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.

● Qinding Huangchao Tongzhi《欽定皇朝通志》, a historical source modeled on those of earlier dynasties, includes descriptions of the official court music of the Qing Dynasty from the 17th century up to the year 1785.

● Qing Shigao 《清史稿》 (Draft History of Qing), the official history of the Qing Dynasty, was published in draft form in 1928 (actually during the Republic Period).
https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E6%B8%85%E5%8F%B2%E7%A8%BF
----------------------------------------------

Qing court ensembles

In the Qing Dynasty, there were nine yanyue ensembles maintained in the palace at Beijing, as follows: 1. Dui Wu Yue (队舞乐, Manchu group dances, with music) 2. Wa'erka Bu Yue (瓦尔喀部乐, music and dance of the Warka, a group of Donghai Jurchens)
3. Chaoxian Yue (朝鲜乐, Korean music and acrobatics) 4. Menggu Yue (蒙古乐, Mongolian music)
5. Hui Bu Yue (回部乐, Uyghur music and dance from the Tarim Basin)
6. Fanzi Yue (番子乐, Tibetan music and dance)
7. Kuo'erka Bu Yue (廓尔喀部乐, Gurkha music and dance from Nepal) 8. Miandian Guo Yue (缅甸国乐, Burmese music and dance) 9. Annan Guo Yue (安南国乐, Vietnamese music and dance)

http://big5.zhengjian.org/node/43910

----------------------------------------------

Bibliography

● Aalst, J. A. van.  Chinese Music.  Shanghai:  Statistical Department of the Inspectorate General, 1884.
https://imslp.org/wiki/Chinese_Music_(Aalst%2C_J._A._van)
● Han Kuo-huang.  "J. A. Van Aalst and His Chinese Music."  Asian Music, vol. 19, no. 2 (Spring/Summer 1988), pp. 127-130.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/833870
● Levis, John Hazedel.  Foundations of Chinese Musical Art.  Peiping:  Henri Vetch, 1936.
https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Chinese-Musical-Hazedel-Levis/dp/B000R795NO
● Music Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts 中国艺术研究院音乐研究所, ed. Cao Anhe Yinyue Shengya《曹安和音乐生涯》[Cao Anhe's Career in Music]. Jinan: Shandong Literature and Art Publishing House 山东文艺出版社, 2006.
https://books.google.com/books?id=NPAZQwAACAAJ
● Rawski, Evelyn S.  "The Creation of an Emperor in Eighteenth-Century China."  In Harmony and Counterpoint:  Ritual Music in Chinese Context (Stanford University Press, 1996).
● Thrasher, Alan R., ed.  Qupai in Chinese Music: Melodic Models in Form and Practice.  New York and London:  Routledge, 2016.
https://www.amazon.com/Qupai-Chinese-Music-Routledge-Ethnomusicology/dp/1138936243
● Yung, Bell, Rawski, Evelyn S., and Rubie S. Watson, eds. Harmony and Counterpoint:  Ritual Music in Chinese Context. Redwood City, California: Stanford University Press, 1996.
https://www.amazon.com/Harmony-Counterpoint-Ritual-Chinese-Context/dp/0804726582

----------------------------------------------
Thanks to Peiyou Chang, Rubén García-Benito, Patrick Huang, Alan Lau, Lin Chiang-san, François Picard, Keith Robinson, Reinhard Straub, Tang Zetao, John Thompson, and Yanchen Zhang for assistance with this page.

---------------------------------------------

Site index:
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)