Tang-era piece: An Cheng Yue《安城樂》

Tang-era piece:  An Cheng Yue

《安城樂》

compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 27 September 2026)

 

In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Tang-era piece entitled An Cheng Yue《安城樂》(Peaceful City Music), which exists in the form of instrumental parts for a piece (or movement) in the Dorian mode on A or E, comprising 16 measures of 8/4.

The list of "Tang music" pieces prepared by the Japanese flute player Heguri no Hideshige (平群秀茂) that appears in his Sango Hishō『三五秘抄』(928) lists An Cheng Yue as the po (破, "broaching") movement for Yuedian Yue《越殿樂》, in the Dorian mode on E.

As preserved in Sino-Japanese sources, this piece is called Anzeiraku『安城樂（あんぜいらく）』, and it appears in the following score collections:

1) Hakuga Fue-fu『博雅笛譜』, also known as Hakuga no Fue-fu (literally "Hakuga's Fue Scores"), and properly known as Shinsen Gaku-fu (Chōshukyō Chiku-fu) 『新撰樂譜（長秋卿竹譜）』(literally "Newly Compiled Music Scores (Lord Long Autumn's Bamboo [Flute] Scores)") (966)

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

4) Rosei Yōroku『蘆聲要録』(perhaps 1661)

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Videos and recordings of An Cheng Yue

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-KHG1DJk-s

● Full-ensemble realization of An Cheng Yue, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds, revised version 1 (Japan, 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmPiLiWwYPs

● Full-ensemble realization of An Cheng Yue, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds, revised version 2 (Japan, 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqlWiBhyuIs

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Bibliography

● Marett, Allan.  "Tunes Notated in Flute-Tablature from a Japanese Source of the Tenth Century."  Musica Asiatica, vol. 1 (1977), pp. 1-59.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0193232340/

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Thanks to Steven G. Nelson for assistance with this page.

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