Friday, August 15, 2025

Tang-era piece: Sa Jin Sha《撒金砂》

Tang-era piece:  Sa Jin Sha
《撒金砂》
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 16 August 2025)

In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Tang-era piece entitled Sa Jin Sha《撒金砂》(Scattered Golden Sands), which exists in the form of an instrumental part for a single-movement piece in the Lydian mode on A, called Nanlü Gong (南呂宮).

This piece appears in a single score collection:  the 10th-century Dunhuang Scores (Dunhuang Yuepu,《敦煌乐谱》), also known as Dunhuang Qupu《敦煌曲谱》, Dunhuang Juanzipu《敦煌卷子谱》, or Dunhuang Pipa Pu《敦煌琵琶谱》, found in Mogao Cave 17 near Dunhuang in Gansu province, northwest China in 1900; Sa Jin Sha is piece no. 22 of Dunhuang manuscript P.3808, which comprises 25 pieces in tablature for the 4-stringed quxiang pipa.  For this piece (as well as pieces nos. 21, 23, 24, and 25), the quxiang pipa is tuned (low to high): AC♯EA; this tuning was apparently called Yushen Diao (玉神調) or Yuchen Diao (玉宸調).

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Chinese historical sources mentioning Sa Jin Sha

● Jiaofang Ji《教坊记》(The Conservatory Records)
A collection of short essays by the Tang scholar Cui Lingqin (崔令钦, fl. 749).  This piece appears therein as《撒金沙》(砂 being an alternate form for 沙, both characters being pronounced the same).

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Videos and recordings of Sa Jin Sha

● Studio recording of Sa Jin Sha, as reconstructed by Ye Dong, for solo quxiang pipa, played by Ye Xuran (叶绪然, b. 1936) (Beijing, 1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhpmKyjPH9Q&t=08m29s

● Studio recording of Sa Jin Sha, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, performed by members of the Shanghai Chinese Ancient Music Ensemble (Shanghai, 1988); Sa Jin Sha starts at 13:17
● Studio recording of an ensemble arrangement of Sa Jin Sha by Xi Zhenguan (席臻贯, 1941-1994) (China, c. 1992)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPFcwNBdVbw&t=01h03m07s

● Studio recording of an ensemble arrangement of Sa Jin Sha by Xi Zhenguan (席臻贯, 1941-1994), as orchestrated by Zhang Fuquan (张福全), with vocal soloist singing the anonymous Dunhuang lyrics "Shui Diao Ci Wu Gu Huan Feng Gu"《水调辞无谷还逢谷》, performed by tenor Jiang Jiaqiang (姜嘉锵) with the China National Traditional Orchestra (中央民族乐团) (China, 1992)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV19W1WYCEH9/

● Studio recording of an original semi-improvised piece for pipa and percussion that is inspired by Sa Jin Sha (China, 2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOQB0ob33yI

● Ensemble performance of a modernized arrangement of a reconstruction of Sa Jin Sha (Shanghai, 2018)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OmJeF16AtJU&t=36m39s

● Performance by Dr. Wang Weiping (王维平) of a solo performance of a reconstruction of Sa Jin Sha, featuring nanyin pipa and voice singing "Feng Gui Yun"《凤归云》(The Phoenix Returns to the Clouds) by the Tang Dynasty poet Teng Qian (滕潜) (France, 2020)
● Electronic realization of Sa Jin Sha, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by YouTube user 古樂尋蹤_HGofACH, in both ensemble and solo quxiang pipa versions (Canada, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtZIQv9yPks

● Electronic realization of Sa Jin Sha by YouTube user 古樂尋蹤_HGofACH, in both ensemble and solo quxiang pipa versions (Canada, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMLYUhEG3Gg

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Sa Jin Sha, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF3yF4HiHxo

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Sa Jin Sha, as reconstructed by Ye Dong, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNIGIFP8WuE

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Sa Jin Sha, as reconstructed by Xi Zhenguan, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I13c_LSbnIM

● Studio recording of a solo pipa performance of Sa Jin Sha, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by the Carlsbad, California-based pipa player Wu Man (吴蛮) (2024)

● Studio recording of an original semi-improvised piece for solo pipa that is inspired by Chen Yingshi's reconstruction of Sa Jin Sha, by the Carlsbad, California-based pipa player Wu Man (吴蛮) (2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tDMkb57PSU

● Performance of Sa Jin Sha, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by members of the Eurasia Consort, playing shu konghou and fangxiang (New York City, 2025)
https://www.youtube.com/live/nAK7CJ6NrrA?t=751s

● Pop-style arrangement of Sa Jin Sha by Bilibili user 白傅路刘笔史 (China, 2025)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1NKgfzSESG/

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Bibliography

● Chen Yingshi 陈应时.  Dunhuang Yuepu Jieyi Bianzheng《敦煌乐谱解译辨证》[A Dialectical Investigation of the Interpretation/Deciphering/Decoding of the Dunhuang Scores].  Shanghai:  Shanghai Yinyue Xueyuan Chu Ban She 上海音乐学院出版社, 2005.

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Thanks to Keith Wong for assistance with this page.

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Site index:
http://earlychinesemusic.blogspot.com/2020/04/site-index.html
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Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Tang-era piece: Yizhou《伊州》

Tang-era piece:  Yizhou
《伊州》
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 16 August 2025)

In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Tang-era piece entitled Yizhou《伊州》(the name by which the city of Hami in eastern Xinjiang was known during the Tang Dynasty), which exists in the form of an instrumental part for a single-movement piece in the Lydian mode on A, called Nanlü Gong (南呂宮).

This piece appears in a single score collection:  the 10th-century Dunhuang Scores (Dunhuang Yuepu,《敦煌乐谱》), also known as Dunhuang Qupu《敦煌曲谱》, Dunhuang Juanzipu《敦煌卷子谱》, or Dunhuang Pipa Pu《敦煌琵琶谱》, found in Mogao Cave 17 near Dunhuang in Gansu province, northwest China in 1900; Yizhou is piece no. 24 of Dunhuang manuscript P.3808, which comprises 25 pieces in tablature for the 4-stringed quxiang pipa.  For this piece (as well as pieces nos. 21, 22, 23, and 25), the quxiang pipa is tuned (low to high): AC♯EA; this tuning was apparently called Yushen Diao (玉神調) or Yuchen Diao (玉宸調).

The Dunhuang Scores include another, apparently closely related piece with a similar title:  You Man Quzi:  Yizhou《又慢曲子。伊州》(Another Slow Piece:  Yizhou), which is piece no. 16 of Dunhuang manuscript P.3808.

In his 2005 book on the subject of the Dunhuang Scores, the musicologist Chen Yingshi (陈应时, 1933-2020) includes a reconstructed vocal version of Yizhou that uses the poem "Yizhou Ge"《伊州歌》(Yizhou Song) by the Tang poet Wang Wei (王维, 692-761 or 699-759) as its text.

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Chinese historical sources mentioning Yizhou

● Beimeng Suoyan《北梦琐言》(mid-10th century), 逸文卷四

● Biji Manzhi《碧鸡漫志》, vol. 3 (mid-12th century)

● Jiegu Lu《羯鼓錄》
Jiegu Lu is a book on music in two parts by Nan Zhuo (南卓, fl. 848-850).  The first part was completed in 848 and the second in 850, during the Tang Dynasty.

● Poem:  "Yizhou Ge"《伊州歌》, by the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei (王维, 692-761 or 699-759)

● Poetic lyrics: 《赠歌者二首 其二》, by the Tang Dynasty poet Gao Pian (高骈, c. 822 or 821-887)

● Poetic lyrics:  "100 Palace Lyrics," no. 56《宫词一百首 其五十六》, by the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Jian (王建, c. 767-c. 830)

● Taiping Guangji《太平广记》(978), vol. 204

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Videos and recordings of Yizhou

● Studio recording of Yizhou, as reconstructed by Ye Dong, for solo quxiang pipa, played by Ye Xuran (叶绪然, b. 1936) (Beijing, 1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhpmKyjPH9Q&t=10m05s
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1jH4y1n7p3

● Studio recording of Yizhou, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, performed by the Shanghai Chinese Ancient Music Ensemble (Shanghai, 1988); Yizhou starts at 41:15

● Studio recording of an ensemble arrangement of Yizhou, with vocal soloist singing Wang Wei's "Yizhou Ge"《伊州歌》, by Xi Zhenguan (席臻贯, 1941-1994) (China, c. 1992)

● Solo dizi performance of Yizhou by Zeng Zhaobin (曾昭斌) (China, c. 2008)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tFfLlZrXzo

● Stage performance of the Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble playing Yizhou, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, with vocal soloist singing Wang Wei's "Yizhou Ge"《伊州歌》(Kent, Ohio, USA, 2017)

● Studio recording of a solo pipa performance of Yizhou, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by the Carlsbad, California-based pipa player Wu Man (吴蛮) (2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dLsiM-CLg4

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Yizhou, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gojbWwWpFuo

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Yizhou, as reconstructed by Ye Dong, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4jwWgIY6pg

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Yizhou, as reconstructed by Xi Zhenguan, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ500UGs26U

● Stage performance of Yizhou, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, played by two shu konghou (Shanghai, 2025)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVTgd0DpjKc&t=01h06m15s

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Bibliography

● Chen Yingshi 陈应时.  Dunhuang Yuepu Jieyi Bianzheng《敦煌乐谱解译辨证》[A Dialectical Investigation of the Interpretation/Deciphering/Decoding of the Dunhuang Scores].  Shanghai:  Shanghai Yinyue Xueyuan Chu Ban She 上海音乐学院出版社, 2005.

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Site index:
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Monday, August 11, 2025

Tang-era piece: Ji Hu Xiangwen《急胡相問》

Tang-era piece:  Ji Hu Xiangwen
《急胡相問》
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 16 August 2025)

In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Tang-era piece entitled Ji Hu Xiangwen《急胡相問》(Quick "The Barbarian Asks" or possibly Quick Barbarian Dialogue), which exists in the form of an instrumental part for a single-movement piece in the Lydian mode on C, called Huangzhong Gong (黃鐘宮).

This piece appears in a single score collection:  the 10th-century Dunhuang Scores (Dunhuang Yuepu,《敦煌乐谱》), also known as Dunhuang Qupu《敦煌曲谱》, Dunhuang Juanzipu《敦煌卷子谱》, or Dunhuang Pipa Pu《敦煌琵琶谱》, found in Mogao Cave 17 near Dunhuang in Gansu province, northwest China in 1900; Ji Hu Xiangwen is piece no. 19 of Dunhuang manuscript P.3808, which comprises 25 pieces in tablature for the 4-stringed quxiang pipa.  For this piece, the quxiang pipa is tuned (low to high): ACEA; this tuning is known as Fengxiang Diao (風香調).

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Chinese historical sources mentioning Ji Hu Xiangwen

● Jiegu Lu《羯鼓錄》
Jiegu Lu is a book on music in two parts by Nan Zhuo (南卓, fl. 848-850).  The first part was completed in 848 and the second in 850, during the Tang Dynasty.  This piece appears therein as Hu Xiangwen《胡相問》.

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Videos and recordings of Ji Hu Xiangwen

● Studio recording of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Ye Dong, for solo quxiang pipa, played by Ye Xuran (叶绪然, b. 1936) (Beijing, 1984)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhpmKyjPH9Q&t=03m48s
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1cF4m1F7aC/

● Studio recording of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, performed by the Shanghai Chinese Ancient Music Ensemble (Shanghai, 1988); Ji Hu Xiangwen starts at 19:37
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p38uKQkog0I&t=1177s

● Studio recording of an ensemble arrangement of Ji Hu Xiangwen, with added vocal part, by Xi Zhenguan (席臻贯, 1941-1994) (China, c. 1992)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPFcwNBdVbw&t=51m04s

● Stage performance of an ensemble arrangement of Ji Hu Xiangwen, with added vocal part and dance (China, c. 2010)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1QN7hzwETQ/

● Studio recording of an arrangement of Ji Hu Xiangwen for gagaku ensemble by the Japanese composer Shiba Sukeyasu (芝 祐靖, 1935-2019), performed by Reigakusha (Japan, c. 2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17YhiwnIhPQ

● Studio recording of an arrangement of Ji Hu Xiangwen for gagaku ensemble by the Japanese composer Shiba Sukeyasu (芝 祐靖, 1935-2019), performed by Reigakusha (Japan, c. 2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK0hTgXfjzg

● Live performance of an ensemble version of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Gus Holley (Northfield, Massachusetts, USA, 2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT0ciYEkyEA&t=04m33s

● Ensemble performance of a modernized arrangement of Ji Hu Xiangwen (Shanghai, 2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmJeF16AtJU&t=01h02m30s

● Cross-cultural (Japanese/Arabic) ensemble performance of an arrangement of Ji Hu Xiangwen for gagaku ensemble by the Japanese composer Shiba Sukeyasu (芝 祐靖, 1935-2019) (Tokyo, 2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLN0zHRZAys

● Excerpt from an ensemble performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen (Shanghai, 2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsEamL7d4m4

● Solo quxiang pipa performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen by Bilibili user 桐木D (China, 2022)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1cY411j7qS/

● Solo quxiang pipa performance (excerpt) of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by Bilibili user 中阮制作工坊一听阮轩 (China, 2023)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1fs4y1R7YS/

● Solo quxiang pipa performance (excerpt) of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by Bilibili user 中阮制作工坊一听阮轩 (China, 2023)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ZT411b77P/

● Solo performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen for what sounds like a zheng with steel strings, by YouTube user 中国古乐器复原 (c. 2023)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-cjZsk9Nrw

● Electronic realization of Ji Hu Xiangwen by YouTube user 古樂尋蹤_HGofACH, in both ensemble and solo quxiang pipa versions (Canada, 2023)

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNWrhVP6Ilc

● Studio recording of a small ensemble performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfW4nskJusY

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Ye Dong, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWTBgK_rZf0

● Studio recording of a solo quxiang pipa performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Xi Zhenguan, by the Shanghai-based musician Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) (Shanghai, 2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyuLm8TczNE

● Studio recording of a solo pipa performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by the Carlsbad, California-based pipa player Wu Man (吴蛮) (2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mw3da-xeao

● Studio performance of an arrangement of Chen Yingshi's reconstruction of Ji Hu Xiangwen for classical guitar by the Swedish guitarist Johannes Möller (2025)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-9ekD4oyiE

● Performance of Ji Hu Xiangwen, as reconstructed by Chen Yingshi, by members of the Eurasia Consort, playing shu konghou, fangxiang, and drums, with dancer (New York City, 2025)
https://www.youtube.com/live/nAK7CJ6NrrA?t=751s

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Bibliography

● Chen Yingshi 陈应时.  Dunhuang Yuepu Jieyi Bianzheng《敦煌乐谱解译辨证》[A Dialectical Investigation of the Interpretation/Deciphering/Decoding of the Dunhuang Scores].  Shanghai:  Shanghai Yinyue Xueyuan Chu Ban She 上海音乐学院出版社, 2005.

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Thanks to Keith Wong for assistance with this page.

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

Site index:
http://earlychinesemusic.blogspot.com/2020/04/site-index.html
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Musical instrument: yunluo (雲鑼)

Musical instrument:  yunluo
(雲鑼)
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 12 January 2025)
Painting (book plate) of a musician playing a yunluo.  Watercolor on paper.  Probably
painted in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, southern China, late 18th century (c. 1797), during
the Qing Dynasty.  Marking: "Gift of John Howel/August 23.1797."  Height:  17 in. (43.2 cm); width:
14 in. (35.6 cm); thickness: 1/2 in. (1.3 cm).  Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
New York (item no. 1990.289.14).  Gift of Lawrence Creshkoff, 1990.

In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Chinese musical instrument called yúnluó (雲鑼, literally "cloud gongs" or "cloud of gongs"), a percussion instrument consisting of between 10 and 14 (but usually 10, and sometimes as few as 3, 5, or 9) small tuned brass gongs of equal diameter, suspended in a vertical frame and struck with a single curved beater.

The first iconographic evidence of a yunluo is the smaller-than-normal 10-gong instrument that appears in the painting "Huolang Tu"《货郎图》(Painting of a Peddler) by the Song Dynasty painter Su Hanchen (苏汉臣, 1094-1172), who was a native of Kaifeng.

Detail of "Huolang Tu"《货郎图》(Painting of a Peddler) by the Song Dynasty painter Su Hanchen
(苏汉臣, 1094-1172), showing a toy-sized 10-gong yunluo.  Ink and colors on silk.  Length:  62.68 in. (159.2 cm);
width:  38.19 in. (97 cm).  Collection of the National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院), Taipei, Taiwan
(item no. 故-畫-000090-00000 or 故畫000090N000000000 or 故畫00009000000).
More information:  https://digitalarchive.npm.gov.tw/Painting/Content?pid=1355&Dept=P or
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Knickknack_Peddler2.jpg

The yunluo first achieved wide popularity during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and is today used primarily in Daoist and Buddhist ceremonial ensemble music, as well as occasionally in Kunqu accompaniment or shifan ensemble music.  In some traditions (including, most notably, shengguan ensemble music from Hebei province and Xi'an guyue), a yunluo player may play two yunluo simultaneously (using one beater in each hand), and a yunluo may also be played while standing or in procession.  In the 20th century expanded (chromatic) modernized yunluo with 29 or more gongs of varying diameter were invented for use in modern traditional Chinese orchestras.

According to the ethnomusicologist Du Yaxiong (2002), a yunluo used by the ceremonial music association in Beixinzhuang Village (北辛庄村), Beijing had the following arrangement of pitches (A being the usual tonal center for shengguan ensemble music of the Central Hebei Plain, which is bounded to the north by Beijing, to the east by Tianjin, and to the south by Cangzhou and Dingzhou, Hebei, and including nearly 30 cities and counties of Hebei province):

                                                   C♯3

                                        D2       B2      A2

                                        E2      F♯2    G♯2

                                        C♯2     B1      A1

According to musicologist Lin Chiang-san, based on this passage from vol. 3 of the Northern Song Dynasty story collection Taiping Guangji《太平广记》(Extensive Records of the Taiping Era), which is believed to have been handed down from the Wei-Jin period rather than the Western Han Dynasty being described, it is possible that a similar instrument called ao (璈) or yun'ao (云璈) was an early prototype of the yunluo:

《太平廣記 • 漢武帝》：「於坐上酒觴數遍，王母乃命諸侍女王子登彈八琅之璈，又命侍女董雙成吹雲和之笙，石公子擊昆庭之金，許飛瓊鼓震靈之簧。婉淩華拊五靈之石。范成君擊湘陰之磬，段安香作九天之鈞。於是衆聲澈朗。靈音駭空。又命法嬰歌玄靈之曲。」

          http://www.guoxue123.com/zhibu/0401/01tpgj/005.htm

A ceremonial ensemble musician teaching a young student to play a yunluo.  Screenshot
from a Xinhua News video about the South Gaoluo Music Association (南高洛音乐会), a ritual
music association from Nan Gaoluo Village (南高洛村), Yi'an Town (义安镇), Laishui County (涞水县),
northern Baoding (保定市), central Hebei province (河北省), northern China, which plays music that
has been referred to as a "living fossil" (Chinese:  huohua shi, 活化石) of Chinese music, although its
repertoire probably dates to no earlier than the Ming and Qing dynasties, the village having been
settled in the early 15th century.  The video was probably filmed in 2022.

In South Korea, the same instrument is known as ulla (운라 / 雲鑼 or 雲羅), gu unra (구운라 / 九雲鑼), or wuno (운오 / 雲璈).  Although a quite uncommon instrument in South Korea, it continues to be used to a limited extent in traditional music, primarily in light, upbeat ensemble pieces.
A Korean ulla (운라 / 雲鑼 or 雲羅).  Photo probably taken in a museum in Seoul, South Korea.

Based on an illustration in the book Eishi Gakki Tu《魏氏樂器圖》(Illustrations of Musical Instruments of the Wei Family) by Wei Hao (魏浩, courtesy name Wei Ziming, 魏子明), a music scholar of Chinese heritage, which was published in Nagasaki, Japan in 1780, during the Edo (Tokugawa) period, the yunluo may have been used to a limited extent in Japan, as part of that country's tradition of mingaku and shingaku (imported Chinese music of Ming and Qing origin).

Illustration of a yunluo from Eishi Gakki Tu《魏氏樂器圖》(Illustrations of Musical Instruments of the
Wei Family), a book by Wei Hao (魏浩, courtesy name Wei Ziming, 魏子明), a music scholar of Chinese
heritage, which was published in Nagasaki, Japan in 1780, during the Edo (Tokugawa) period.

In Vietnam a smaller version with just three gongs, called tam âm la (三音鑼, literally "three-tone gongs"), has been used, primarily in court banquet music, since at least the 18th century.
Illustration (with accompanying text) of a cây tam âm la (丐三音鑼), a set of three small gongs
suspended in a frame with a handle, used in the Annamese court orchestra of the Qing Dynasty,
which was established in 1789 and performed banquet music of Vietnamese origin.  From vol. 9 of the
Qing Dynasty source Huang Chao Li Qi Tu Shi《皇朝礼器图式》, compiled by Yunlu (允禄, 1695-1767),
Jiang Pu (蒋溥, 1708-1761), and other scholars, which was published during the Qianlong period
(between 1759 and 1795).

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Chinese historical reference works discussing the yunluo
 ● Yunji Qiqian《云笈七签》 Yunji Qiqian is a Daoist work compiled by the Daoist priest Zhang Junfang (张君房) during the Tianxi era (1017-1021) of the reign of Emperor Zhenzong (r. 997-1022) of the Northern Song Dynasty. Volume 98 describes an instrument called a yu ao (玉璈), though it isn't clear if the instrument being described matches the yunluo in construction and playing technique: 「九音郎紫空，玉璈洞太無。」 Nine sounds [ring?] through the Purple Void, As a jade ao [is played] in the Cave of Great Non-Existence. In this passage, "郎" (lang, meaning "man") may be a misprint for "锒" (lang, meaning "clank").
https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%9B%B2%E7%AC%88%E4%B8%83%E7%B1%A4/98
https://ctext.org/wiki.pl?if=gb&chapter=323379
● Yuan Shi《元史》(The History of Yuan)
The official history of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Yuan Shi was completed in 1370 (actually during the early Ming Dynasty).  It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史).  The yun'ao (雲璈, sometimes misspelled 雲敖) is mentioned briefly in both Yuan Shi and Xin Yuan Shi (this latter work being the revised version of Yuan Shi completed in the Republic period).
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00ysf/067.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00xys/093.htm

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Chinese poems mentioning the yunluo


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Bibliography


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Additional Web resources

● Article listing mentions of the yun'ao (云璈) in literature of the Tang Dynasty

● Information about the book Eishi Gakki Tu《魏氏樂器圖》(Illustrations of Musical Instruments of the Wei Family) by Wei Hao (魏浩, courtesy name Wei Ziming, 魏子明), a music scholar of Chinese heritage, which was published in Nagasaki, Japan in 1780, during the Edo (Tokugawa) period

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Thanks to Lin Chiang-san for assistance with this page.

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Saturday, April 8, 2023

Musical instrument: fangxiang (方響)

Musical instrument:  fangxiang
(方響)
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 22 December 2024)
Painted carved brick depicting a standing female court musician playing a fangxiang.
From the tomb of Feng Hui (冯晖, 894-952), Erqiao village (二桥村), Didian township (底店乡),
Bin County (彬县), Xianyang (咸阳市), Shaanxi province (陕西省), northwest China, near Xi'an.
Later Zhou Dynasty (951-960), Five Dynasties period (10th century).  Height: 29.13 in. (74 cm)

In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Chinese musical instrument called fāngxiǎng (方響), a glockenspiel-like metallophone that usually had 16 chromatically tuned iron keys (or, more rarely, keys made from bronze or jade), which was used in China since the Southern Dynasties period, having first appeared during the Liang Dynasty (502-557).  Its use continued through the Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, and Song periods, with its use declining during the subsequent Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

In South Korea, the same instrument is known as banghyang (방향 / 方響), cheolhyang (철향 / 鐵響), or cheolbanghyang (철방향 / 鐵方響).  The earliest verified use of this instrument in Korea was in a performance of Dang-ak (당악 / 唐樂) for the court of Munjong of Goryeo (r. 1046-1083).  Although a relatively uncommon instrument in South Korea, it continues to be used for Jongmyo Jeryeak (종묘제례악 / 宗廟祭禮樂) court ritual music and related genres.

Detail of historic illustration of a Korean banghyang, with Chinese characters indicating the pitch of
each of the instrument's 16 keys from the player's perspective (and added indications, labeled in
red, of the Western pitch equivalents).  From an edition of the 15th-century Korean musical treatise
Akhak Gwebeom 『악학궤범（樂學軌範）』.

In Japan, the fangxiang is called hōkyō (方響 / ほうきょう).  The Japanese scholar and nobleman Kibi no Makibi (吉備 真備 / きび の まきび, 695-775) is said to have brought a fangxiang back from Tang Dynasty China and presented it to the Japanese emperor in the early Nara period (710-794).  Nine iron keys from a fangxiang that is believed to have been sent by the Tang emperor Xuanzong (唐玄宗, r. 713-756) to his Japanese counterpart, Emperor Shōmu (Japanese: Shōmu-tennō, 聖武天皇, r. 724-749), have been preserved in the collection of the Shōsōin Repository (正倉院), Nara, Japan.

Nine iron keys from the hōkyō in the collection of the Shōsōin Repository (正倉院), Nara, Japan.
This instrument (of which these keys are the only remnant) is believed to have been sent from the Tang
emperor Xuanzong (唐玄宗, r. 713-756) to his Japanese counterpart, Emperor Shōmu (Japanese:
Shōmu-tennō, 聖武天皇, r. 724-749).

In the 20th and 21st centuries, fangxiang have been reconstructed in China, Japan, and the United States, for use in both traditional and contemporary music.

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Chinese historical reference works discussing the fangxiang

● Tongdian《通典》(Comprehensive Institutions)
Written by Tang scholar and historian Du You (杜佑, 735-812) between 766 and 801, Tongdian discusses the fangxiang in volume 144.


● Yuefu Zalu《乐府杂录》(Miscellaneous Notes Regarding the Music Bureau)
A collection of small essays (biji, 笔记) by the scholar Duan Anjie (段安节, fl. 880-898), published around 890 near the end of the Tang Dynasty. This work survives in no fewer than 23 different editions. An extensively annotated German translation was published by Martin Gimm (b. 1930) in 1966. The fangxiang is discussed in several sections.

● Jiu Tang Shu《旧唐书》(The Old Book of Tang), also known simply as Tang Shu《唐书》(The Book of Tang)
This historical work in 200 volumes was completed in 945, actually during the Later Jin (后晋) Dynasty, one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (五代十国) period following the fall of the Tang Dynasty.  It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史).  The fangxiang is discussed in volume 29.

● Xin Tang Shu《新唐书》(The New Book of Tang; generally translated as "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History")
This historical work covering the Tang Dynasty, comprising ten volumes and 225 chapters, was compiled by compiled by a team of scholars led by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi, a process that took 17 years.  It was completed in 1060, during the Northern Song Dynasty.  It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史).  The fangxiang is discussed in several volumes.

● Wenxian Tongkao《文献通考》(Comprehensive Examination of Literature) A 348-volume work compiled by the historian and encyclopedist Ma Duanlin (马端临, 1245-1322) in 1317, during the Yuan Dynasty. The fangxiang is discussed in several volumes.

● Da Zhou Zheng Yue《大周正乐》(Record of Orthodox Music of the Great Zhou)
The most extensive musical treatise written during the Five Dynasties period, and also the earliest Chinese general history of music, Da Zhou Zheng Yue was compiled beginning in 958 (during the Later Zhou Dynasty, whose capital was Kaifeng), and completed in 959.  Although the full text of this treatise has been lost for centuries, it is known to have exerted a strong influence on the musicological work of subsequent dynasties, and 62 essays from it can be found in various documents dating to the Song Dynasty.  It discusses the fangxiang.

● Liao Shi《辽史》(The History of Liao)
The official history of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), Liao Shi was compiled during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) under the direction of the historian Toqto'a (Tuotuo), and completed in 1344.  It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史).  The fangxiang is discussed in volume 54.

● Taiping Guangji《太平广记》(Extensive Records of the Taiping Era)
Taiping Guangji is a collection of stories compiled in the early Northern Song Dynasty under imperial direction by the scholar and bureaucrat Li Fang (李昉, 925-996).  The work was completed in 978 and printing blocks were cut, but it was prevented from publication on the grounds that it contained only xiaoshuo (fiction or "insignificant tellings") and thus "was of no use to young students."  It survived in manuscript form until it was eventually published in the Ming Dynasty.  The collection, which is considered one of the Four Great Books of Song, is divided into 500 volumes and consists of about 3 million Chinese characters.  It includes about 7,000 stories selected from over 300 books and novels from the Han Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty, many of which have been lost.  Some stories are historical or naturalistic anecdotes, and each is replete with historical elements, and were not regarded by their authors as fiction, but the topics are mostly supernatural, about Buddhist and Taoist priests, immortals, ghosts, and various deities.  They include a number of Tang Dynasty stories, especially chuanqi (tales of wonder), that are famous works of literature in their own right, and also inspired later works.  The fangxiang is discussed in three volumes.
http://www.guoxue123.com/zhibu/0401/01tpgj/351.htm

● Taiping Yulan《太平御览》, an encyclopedia of general knowledge compiled by a committee of officials coordinated by Li Fang from 977 to 983
Considered one of the Four Great Books of Song, this huge leishu encyclopedia was commissioned by the imperial court of the Song dynasty during the first era of the reign of Emperor Taizong. It is divided into 1,000 volumes and 55 sections, which consist of about 4.7 million Chinese characters.  Music is covered in a section entitled "Music Division" (Yuebu, 乐部), beginning with Yuebu 1 (乐部一) in chapter 563 and ending with Yuebu 22 (乐部二十二) in chapter 584.  The fangxiang is mentioned in chapter 584.

● Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian Shibu《续资治通鉴长编拾补》(Supplement to the Long Draft of the Continuation of Zizhi Tongjian [Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance]:  Lost Fragments)

● Song Shi 《宋史》 (The History of Song)
The official history of the Song Dynasty (both Northern and Southern), comprising 496 chapters, Song Shi was completed in 1346 (actually during the late Yuan Dynasty).  It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史).  The fangxiang is discussed in three volumes.

● Meng Liang Lu《梦粱录》(A Dream of Sorghum)
This 20-volume book by Wu Zimu (吴自牧, dates of birth and death unknown) describes the city of Lin'an (modern-day Hangzhou) during the Southern Song Dynasty.  The fangxiang is discussed in three volumes.

● Ducheng Jisheng《都城纪胜》(Record of the Splendors of the Capital City)
A description of the Southern Song Dynasty capital of Lin'an (Hangzhou), published in 1235 by Nai Deweng (耐得翁), a scholar who had once traveled to the city and wrote down what he observed.  There are several references to the fangxiang.

● Wulin Jiushi《武林旧事》(Ancient Matters from Wulin Garden)
This 10-volume book by Zhou Mi (周密, 1232-1298), which was completed in the year 1290, describes the city of Lin'an (modern-day Hangzhou) during the Southern Song Dynasty.  It contains descriptions of popular entertainments including theater and music, and there are several references to the fangxiang.
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0301/00wljs/001.htm

● Yuan Shi《元史》(The History of Yuan)
The official history of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Yuan Shi was completed in 1370 (actually during the early Ming Dynasty).  It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史).  The fangxiang is discussed in four volumes.
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00ysf/071.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00ysf/079.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00ysf/080.htm

● Ming Shi《明史》(The History of Ming)
The official history of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Ming Shi was completed in 1739 (actually during the Qing Dynasty).  It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史).  The fangxiang is discussed in two volumes.
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00msf/063.htm

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Chinese poems mentioning the fangxiang

《偶饮》
A Casual Drink (Ou Yin)
作者：白居易（唐）
by Bai Juyi (Tang Dynasty, 772-846)

三盏醺醺四体融，妓亭檐下夕阳中。
[After] three cups of wine, pleasantly tipsy, all four of my limbs melt,
As under the eaves of the courtesans' pavilion I sit amidst the setting sun.
千声方响敲相续，一曲云和戛未终。
A thousand sounds on the fangxiang are tapped out in continuous succession, 
While a piece played on the yunhe stops abruptly before it's finished.
今日心情如往日，秋风气味似春风。
Today, my mood is like it was in days past,
The scent of the autumn breeze resembling that of the spring breeze.
唯憎小吏樽前报，道去衙时水五筒。
I only detest [when] a petty official, while my goblet is before me, informs me
That I need to report to the yamen by the time the water [reaches] the fifth tube.

Notes:

This poem was written in the year 825, when Bai, at the age of 53, had just been appointed Governor (Prefect) of Suzhou, during which time he enjoyed himself by attending numerous feasts and picnic outings.  The yunhe (云和) is a now-obsolete bridge zither of Central Asian origin, which was also referred to as Yunhe pipa (云和琵琶).


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《方响》
The Fangxiang
作者：杜牧（唐）
by Du Mu (Tang Dynasty, 803-852)

数条秋水挂琅玕，玉手丁当怕夜寒。
Its several bars, like translucent autumn water, are suspended white carnelian;
[On them], delicate jade-like hands ding and dong as we dread the night's chill.
曲尽连敲三四下，恐惊珠泪落金盘。
After she has played through three or four pieces in succession,
I'm so shocked and astounded that my tears, like pearls, fall onto a golden plate.

Notes:

● The fangxiang (方响) was a glockenspiel-like instrument consisting of 16 tuned iron (or, more rarely, bronze or jade) keys in a vertical frame, which was used in yanyue music in the Tang and Song dynasties.
● "五" (five) is sometimes substituted for "四" (four).


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《新安殷明府家乐方响》
A Household Musician from Yinming Mansion in Xin'an [Plays the] Fangxiang (Xin'an Yinming Fu Jiayue Fangxiang)
作者：方干（唐）
by Fang Gan (Tang Dynasty, 809-888, 886, 885, 882, or 873)

葛溪铁片梨园调，耳底丁东十六声。
Keys of Gexi iron [play] a Pear Garden tune,
The "ding-dong" of [their] 16 tones penetrating deep into our ears. 
彭泽主人怜妙乐，玉杯春暖许同倾。
The host, a native of Pengze who adores exquisite music,
[Sets out] jade winecups on the warm spring day, and calls for a mutual toast.

Notes:

The fangxiang (方响) was a glockenspiel-like instrument consisting of 16 tuned iron keys in a vertical frame, which was used in yanyue (court banquet music) in the Tang and Song dynasties.  Fang Gan was a scholar and poet from Zhejiang province.  Xin'an (新安) is an old name for Chun'an County, Hangzhou, west-central Zhejiang province, where Fang was born.  Gexi (葛溪) is a place in Yiyang County, Shangrao, northeastern Jiangxi province, which was known for its high-quality iron, which was used primarily for weapons such as swords and daggers.  The Pear Garden (Chinese:  Liyuan, 梨园) was an academy for court entertainment music, dance, and theater, which was established in the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an by Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756).  Pengze is a place in Jiujiang, north-central Jiangxi province.

More information:

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《方响歌》
Fangxiang Song (Fangxiang Ge)
作者：李沇（唐）
by Li Yan (Tang Dynasty, d. 895)

敲金扣石声相凌，遥空冷静天正澄。
宝瓶下井辘轳急，小娃弄索伤清冰。
穿丝透管音未歇，回风绕指惊泉咽。
季伦怒击珊瑚摧，灵芸整鬓步摇折。
十六叶中侵素光，寒玲震月杂珮珰。
云和不觉罢余怨，莲峰一夜啼琴姜。
急节写商商恨促，秦愁越调逡巡足。
梦入仙楼戛残曲，飞霜棱棱上秋玉。


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《方响》
Fangxiang
作者：陆龟蒙（唐）
by Lu Guimeng (Tang Dynasty, d. 881)

击霜寒玉乱丁丁，花底秋风拂坐生。
Like cold jade struck by frost, it tinkles busily,
While under the flowers, the autumn breeze caresses the seated gentlemen.
王母闲看汉天子，满猗兰殿佩环声。
The Queen Mother [of the West] gazes leisurely upon the Han Son of Heaven,
As the sound of pendant rings fills the Luxuriant Orchid Hall.


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《方响歌》
Fangxiang Song (Fangxiang Ge)
作者：牛殳（中唐）
by Niu Shu (mid-Tang Dynasty)

乐中何乐偏堪赏，无过夜深听方响。
In the realm of music, it's such a delight, and a rarely encountered treat;
Nothing surpasses [sitting], deep in the night, and listening to the fangxiang.
缓击急击曲未终，暴雨飘飘生坐上。
Struck [either] softly [or] urgently, the tune not yet finished,
[The sound is like] a sudden torrential rain springing up above our seats.
铿铿铛铛寒重重，盘涡蹙派鸣蛟龙。
Jingling and jangling, cold layer upon layer,
[Like] a swirling vortex overwhelming a river's branch while a scaly dragon cries.
高楼漏滴金壶水，碎电打著山寺钟。
In a high tower, the drip-drop from the gilded reservoir of a water clock
[Is interspersed with] bursts of lightning striking a mountain temple's bell.
又似公卿入朝去，环佩鸣玉长街路。
It also resembles government ministers leaving to attend court,
Jade pendant rings tinkling at their waists as they stroll down the long avenue.
忽然碎打入破声，石崇推倒珊瑚树。
The sudden shattering strokes of the ru po [movement]
[Are like] Shi Chong pushing down a coral tree.
长短参差十六片，敲击宫商无不遍。
Its sixteen bars of unequal length, some longer and others shorter,
Beat out the Gong-Shang, [leaving] no place [that the sound] doesn't reach.
此乐不教外人闻，寻常只向堂前宴。
Outsiders aren't allowed to listen to this music,
And it is ordinarily only [performed] for banquets in the [palace's] main hall.

Notes:

1. The poem's fifth line, "铿铿铛铛寒重重," is strongly alliterative, being pronounced "Keng keng dang dang han chong chong."
2. "Scaly dragon" refers to the jiaolong (蛟龙), a creature from Chinese mythology resembling a snake with a tiger head, several fathoms in length, which was believed to have inhabited rivers and streams, where it caused floods, attacked and ate humans, and made a cry like the bellowing of a bull.
3. Ru po (入破, literally "entering [and] breaking") is a movement type that appears in many Tang-era suites.
4. Shi Chong (石崇, 249-300) was a politician of the Western Jin Dynasty who was well known for his extravagant and ostentatious lifestyle. Emperor Wu of Jin (r. 266-290) once sent his uncle Wang Kai (王恺, a wealthy man with whom Shi Chong had a notorious rivalry, both trying to outdo one another's lavish expenditures), a coral tree (Viburnum odoratissimum) two chi (c. 50 cm) in height as a gift. Shi Chong visited him, smashed it with an iron ruyi, and offered him several coral trees 3-4 chi in height in return.
5. "Gong-Shang" (宫商) refers to the first two notes of the Chinese pentatonic scale, comparable to Do and Re in the Western solfège system, and is often used metonymically to refer to musical notes, pieces, or music in general.


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《夜闻方响》
Hearing a Fangxiang at Night (Ye Wen Fangxiang)
作者：雍陶（中唐）
by Yong Tao (mid-Tang Dynasty; born c. 805; fl. 834)

方响闻时夜已深，声声敲著客愁心。
At the time I heard the fangxiang, it was already deep into the night,
And the cling-clang of its incessant striking was unsettling to my guests.
不知正在谁家乐，月下犹疑是远砧。
I don't know whose house this music was coming from,
But, under the moon, it closely resembled [the sound of] a distant anvil.

Notes:

The fangxiang (方响) was a glockenspiel-like instrument consisting of 16 tuned iron (or, more rarely, bronze or jade) keys in a vertical frame, which was used in yanyue music in the Tang and Song dynasties.


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Bibliography

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Additional Web resources

● Fangxiang/banghyang/hōkyō Facebook photo album (maintained by David Badagnani)

● Fangxiang/banghyang/hōkyō YouTube playlist (maintained by David Badagnani)

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Thanks to Steven Nelson for assistance with this page.

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