Tang-era piece: Yeban Yue《夜半樂》

Tang-era piece:  Yeban Yue

《夜半樂》

compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 12 March 2023)

In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Tang-era piece entitled Yeban Yue《夜半樂》(Midnight Music), which exists in the form of instrumental parts.

As preserved in Sino-Japanese sources, this piece is called Yahanraku『夜半樂（やはんらく）』, and it appears in the following score collections:

1) Gogen Fu『五絃譜』or Gogen Kinfu『五絃琴譜』, the manuscript itself simply bearing the title《五絃》(Gogen); individual pieces in the collection bear the dates 773 (Yeban Yue) and 842 and the music is believed to be of Tang Chinese origin, though the manuscript was probably copied in Japan in the 11th century during the mid-Heian period

2) and 3) Sango Yōroku and Jinchi Yōroku, both of which were compiled in the late 12th century

4) Ruisō Chiyō『類箏治要』(1296 or c. 1261)

5) Rosei Yōroku『蘆聲要録』(perhaps 1661)

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Chinese historical sources mentioning Yeban Yue

● Jiaofang Ji《教坊记》(The Conservatory Records)

A collection of short essays by the Tang scholar Cui Lingqin (崔令钦, fl. 749)

https://zh.wikisource.org/zh/%E6%95%99%E5%9D%8A%E8%A8%98

● Biji Manzhi《碧鸡漫志》

Biji Manzhi is a 5-volume commentary on lyrics and music by the scientist and poet Wang Zhuo (王灼, 1105-c. 1160), which was completed sometime in the mid-12th century, during the early Southern Song Dynasty. It traces the origins of many Tang-era yanyue pieces. Yeban Yue is discussed in volume 4.

http://www.guoxue123.com/jijijibu/0301/00bjmz/004.htm

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Videos and recordings of Yeban Yue

● Full-ensemble performance of Yeban Yue by Xu Ge and his ensemble (Beijing, China, 2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNJlSaLkC98

● Performance of Yeban Yue by Xu Ge and his ensemble, with added Western harmony (Weihai, Shandong province, China, 2020)

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1uv411r7hP

● Performance of Yeban Yue by Xu Ge and his ensemble, with added Western harmony (Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China, 2020)

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ba411F7jt

● Realization of Yeban Yue (Gogen Fu version) by Bilibili user 雪狼的天空 using synthesized sounds (China, 2020)

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1qa411F7ds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGDsGaFeC0E

● Full-ensemble realization of Yeban Yue done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds (Japan, 2021)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAIQbu-cS_Y

● Full-ensemble realization of Yeban Yue done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds, revised version (Japan, 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBXkXUgNrtQ

● Performance of Yeban Yue by Xu Ge and his ensemble, with added Western harmony (China, 2021)

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1nL41157Sq

● Electronic realization of Yeban Yue (Gogen Fu version) by YouTube user 古樂尋蹤_HGofACH (Canada, 2022)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVjbVNdTI58

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Bibliography

● Marett, Allan.  "Research on Early Notations for the History of Tōgaku and Points of Scholarly Contention in Their Interpretation."  Yearbook for Traditional Music, vol. 38 (2006), pp. 79-95.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/20464973

● Ng, Kwok Wai. "The Modes of Tôgaku from Tang-Period China to Modern Japan: Focusing on the Ôshikichô, Banshikichô and Hyôjô Modal Categories." Ph.D. dissertation. Sydney: University of Sydney, 2007.

https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/8716/1/THE_MODES_OF_T%C3%94GAKU_FROM_TANG_PERIOD_CHINA_TO_MODERN_VOL_1.pdf https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/8716/2/THE_MODES_OF_T%C3%94GAKU_FROM_TANG_PERIOD_CHINA_TO_MODERN_VOL_2.pdf

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