Tang-era piece: Yuedian Yue
《越殿樂》
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 3 December 2023)
In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Tang-era piece entitled Yuedian Yue《越殿樂》, which exists in the form of an instrumental part for a single-movement piece in the Dorian mode.
As preserved in Sino-Japanese sources, this piece is called Etenraku『越殿樂（えてんらく）』or『越天樂（えてんらく）』, and it appears in the following score collections:
1) and 2) Sango Yōroku and Jinchi Yōroku, both of which were compiled in the late 12th century
3) Ko-fu-Ryoritsu-no-Maki『古譜呂律巻』, also called Hōshō-fu『鳳笙譜』(1201)
Although the title may be translated literally as "Music of the Palace of [the state of] Yue," Tang Dynasty music scholar Laurence Picken (1909-2007) believed the "Yuedian" in the title to mean "Khotan," and, thus, that the piece's title translated as "Music of Khotan." Khotan was a Persian-speaking oasis kingdom located in what is today the southwestern part of China's westernmost province of Xinjiang. It was one of the earliest Buddhist states in the world. From the Han Dynasty until at least the Tang Dynasty it was known in Chinese as Yutian or Yudian (rendered in various ways including 于阗, 于填, 于窴, and 于殿). The kingdom existed for over a thousand years until it was conquered by the Muslims under the Kara-Khanid Yusuf Kadir Khan of Kashgar in 1006. The name of the modern city of Hotan has been spelled "和田" (Hetian) in Chinese since 1959, and before that "和阗" (also pronounced "Hetian").
This piece, which is in 4/4 meter, comprises three sections of two measures each (six measures in total), with each pair of measures being repeated. According to musicologist Steven G. Nelson, in standard practice the piece is performed in AABBCCAABB form, ending on the repetition of B. In Japanese, this form is called ni-hen (literally "two repeats"). Alternatively, it may be performed in AABBCCAABBCCAABB form, which is called san-ben, meaning "three repeats." This refers to the number of times that the repeat of the B section comes around. This special three-part form is very rare in the Tōgaku repertory.
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Chinese historical sources mentioning Yuedian Yue
● 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. In the text, the title appears as Yuedian《越殿》.
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Videos and recordings of Yuedian Yue
● Full-ensemble performance of Yuedian Yue by an ensemble from the Research Centre for Japanese Traditional Music at the Kyoto City University of Arts, dir. Takwa Satoshi (Moscow, Russia, 2013)
● Full-ensemble studio recording of Yuedian Yue by Bilibili user männlichkeit (China, 2018)
● Performance of Yuedian Yue by Tomoko Sugawara (kugo) (probably New York City, 2020) (starts at 2:18)
● Performance of Yuedian Yue by Tomoko Sugawara (kugo) (probably New York City, 2020) (starts at 2:35)
● Performance of Yuedian Yue by Tomoko Sugawara (kugo) (probably New York City, 2020) (starts at 24:22 in the first video and 2:31 in the second video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-1NgHTafk0&t=1462s
● Cross-cultural performance of Yuedian Yue by the Eurasia Consort (probably New York City, 2020) (starts at 22:03)
● Full-ensemble realization of Yuedian Yue, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds (Japan, 2021)
● Duo performance of Yuedian Yue by Tomoko Sugawara (kugo) and Peiyou Chang (guqin) (New York, 2021)
● Multitrack recording of Yuedian Yue, performed by Bilibili user Beilin Zhai Zhuren (北林斋主人), bili, heng di, and percussion (China, 2021)
https://www.bilibili.com/video/av417428184/
● Solo pipa performance of Yuedian Yue by Bilibili user He He He He He Zhouzi (鹤鹤鹤鹤鹤洲子) (China, 2021)
● Solo pipa performance of Yuedian Yue by Bilibili user 桐木D (China, 2022)
● Full-ensemble realization of Yuedian Yue, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds (Japan, 2022)
● Solo koto performance of Yuedian Yue by Bilibili user 桐木D (China, 2022)
● Full-ensemble realization of Yuedian Yue, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds, revised version 7.1 (Japan, 2022)
● Full-ensemble realization of Yuedian Yue from a Meiji-era source, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds (Japan, 2022)
● Solo koto performance of Yuedian Yue by Bilibili user 扬波-小锤-芥末cookie (China, 2023)
● Koto, large drum, and paiban performance of Yuedian Yue by Bilibili user 扬波-小锤-芥末cookie (China, 2023)
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Bibliography
● Picken, Laurence. "Central Asian Tunes in the Gagaku Tradition." Festschrift für Walter Wiora, zum 30. Dezember 1966 (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1967), pp. 545-551.
● Picken, L.E.R., and R. F. Wolpert. "Mouth-Organ and Lute Parts of Tōgaku and Their Interrelationships." Musica Asiatica, vol. 3 (1981), pp. 79-95.
● Wolpert, Rembrandt. "Tang-Music (Tōgaku) Manuscripts for Lute and Their Interrelationships." In Music and Tradition: Essays on Asian and Other Musics Presented to Laurence Picken; ed. D. R. Widdess and R. F. Wolpert (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981), pp. 69-121.
https://www.amazon.com/Music-Tradition-Essays-Presented-Laurence/dp/052110596X
https://www.amazon.com/Music-Tradition-Essays-Presented-Laurence/dp/052110596X
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Thanks to Steven G. Nelson for assistance with this page.
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