Tang-era piece: Zui Liangzhou
《㝡凉州》
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 Zui Liangzhou《㝡凉州》, which exists in the form of instrumental parts for a single-movement zhong qu (中曲, medium-length piece) consisting of 20 measures of 4/2, which is to be performed four times. Although sometimes performed in Mixolydian mode on D, based on Sino-Japanese lists of piece titles and their associated modes dating back to the 10th century, it appears to have been originally performed in the Lydian mode on D, called Zheng Gong (正宮) or Shatuo diao (沙陀調) in Chinese and Sada-chō (沙陀調) in Japanese.
As preserved in Sino-Japanese sources, this piece is called Sairyōshū『㝡凉州（さいりょうしゅう）』or『最凉州（さいりょうしゅう）』, 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) Ruisō Chiyō『類箏治要』(1296 or c. 1261)
4) Rosei Yōroku『蘆聲要録』(perhaps 1661)
According to Biji Manzhi《碧鸡漫志》(mid-12th century), this piece was originally a daqu suite comprising 24 sections in all, but by the time it was transmitted to Japan just a single section remained.
In the Tang Dynasty, Liangzhou《凉州》was the title of a piece of music originating from Liangzhou (modern-day Wuwei, Gansu) in China's far northwest, which had for centuries been an important hub in the Silk Road trade. Liangzhou's location at the edge of Chinese civilization, and its high degree of influence from the cultures of neighboring Central Asia, gave its music an exotic character that made it especially attractive to Tang-period listeners.
It seems likely that Zui Liangzhou / Sairyōshū《㝡凉州》, as the piece's title appears in Sino-Japanese sources, is a corruption of Xi Liangzhou《西涼州》(Western Liangzhou). A state of this name was in existence beginning in the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and the Xiliang repertory is said to have been developed in the late 4th century, as a blend of Kuchean and Chinese elements.
In the early Kaihuang era (开皇初, 581-600) of Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝, r. 581-604), the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), there was instituted a set of seven ensembles in the Sui palace at Daxing (大兴, the Sui name for Chang'an; modern-day Xi'an), called the Qi Bu Yue (七部乐, literally "Seven Musical Divisions"), which were inherited from the Fang Yue (方乐, literally "music [and dance of various] regions") of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). These divisions performed music and accompanying dance from various Asian nations, and the first of these divisions was the Guo Ji (国伎, banquet/entertainment music blending Chinese traditions with musics from regions on China's western border). Early in the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui (隋炀帝), c. 605-608, two more divisions were added, making nine divisions in total (Jiu Bu Yue, 九部乐); the Guo Ji (国伎) was changed from the first to the second division, and its name was changed to Xiliang Ji (西凉伎, music/dance of Xiliang [also called Liangzhou, 涼州] in central Gansu province]). The Tang Dynasty inherited the Jiu Bu Yue of Sui, adding a tenth division in 642 or 643, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, making ten divisions in total (Shi Bu Yue, 十部乐).
----------------------------------------------
Chinese historical sources mentioning Liangzhou
● 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 Liangzhou《涼州》.
● Yuefu Zalu《乐府杂录》(Miscellaneous Notes Regarding the Music Bureau)
A collection of small essays (biji, 笔记) by the Tang 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. In the text, the title appears as "Liangzhou"《涼州》.
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh/%E6%A8%82%E5%BA%9C%E9%9B%9C%E9%8C%84
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh/%E6%A8%82%E5%BA%9C%E9%9B%9C%E9%8C%84
● Beimeng Suoyan《北梦琐言》(mid-10th century)
In the 逸文卷四 section, the title appears as Liangzhou《涼州》.
● 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. In volume 204, the title appears as Liangzhou《涼州》.
● 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 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). It contains some discussion of the music of the Sui Dynasty. In volume 216, the title appears as Liangzhou《涼州》.
● 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. Pieces of Liangzhou (涼州) origin are discussed in volume 3.
----------------------------------------------
Chinese poems and poetic lyrics mentioning Liangzhou
《王家琵琶》
The Pipa in the Prince's Household (Wang Jia Pipa)
作者：张祜（唐）
by Zhang Hu (Tang Dynasty, c. 785-c. 849)
金屑檀槽玉腕明，子弦轻撚为多情。
Over a gold-flecked sandalwood soundbox, jade wrists glow;
Gentle pressure on the thinnest string makes feelings flow.
只愁拍尽凉州破，画出风雷是拨声。
There's only sorrow at the stroke that ends "Liangzhou"'s Po,
Wind and thunder are conjured from that plucked note.
Notes:
In music of the Tang period, po (破, translated as "broaching," "breaking," or "breakdown") was a movement of medium tempo that usually fell between an introductory xu (序, prelude) and a final ji (急, "quick"), movement, essentially taking the form of a development section.
* * * * * * * * *
《凉州词二首》
作者：王之涣（唐）
by Wang Zhihuan (Tang Dynasty, 688-742)
by Wang Zhihuan (Tang Dynasty, 688-742)
其一
黄河远上白云间，一片孤城万仞山。
羌笛何须怨杨柳，春风不度玉门关。
其二
单于北望拂云堆，杀马登坛祭几回。
汉家天子今神武，不肯和亲归去来。
More information:
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%98%A5%E9%A3%8E%E4%B8%8D%E5%BA%A6%E7%8E%89%E9%97%A8%E5%85%B3
More information:
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%98%A5%E9%A3%8E%E4%B8%8D%E5%BA%A6%E7%8E%89%E9%97%A8%E5%85%B3
* * * * * * * * *
《杂曲歌辞 凉州词》
作者：耿湋（中唐）
by Geng Wei (mid-Tang Dynasty)
国使翩翩随旆旌，陇西岐路足荒城。
毡裘牧马胡雏小，日暮蕃歌三两声。
* * * * * * * * *
《杂曲歌辞 凉州词》
作者：薛逢（唐）
by Xue Feng (Tang Dynasty, fl. 841)
昨夜蕃兵报国雠，沙州都护破凉州。
黄河九曲今归汉，塞外纵横战血流。
----------------------------------------------
Videos and recordings of Zui Liangzhou
● Ensemble/vocal performance of Zui Liangzhou by Xu Ge and his ensemble (Beijing, China, 2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGIAsiL8BjA
● Recording of Zui Liangzhou, performed by Bilibili user Beilin Zhai Zhuren (北林斋主人), bili (China, 2020)
● Multitrack studio recording of Zui Liangzhou, performed by Bilibili user Beilin Zhai Zhuren (北林斋主人), bili, heng di, and large drum (China, 2020)
● Full-ensemble realization of Zui Liangzhou, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds (Japan, 2021)
● Full-ensemble realization of Zui Liangzhou, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds, revised version (Japan, 2021)
● Full-ensemble realization of Zui Liangzhou, done by Tokinori Yanagita using synthesized sounds, revised version 2 (Japan, 2022)
● Full-ensemble and solo pipa realizations of Zui Liangzhou, done by YouTube user 古樂尋蹤_HGofACH using MIDI sounds (Canada, 2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM6EVSgpD-k
----------------------------------------------
Thanks to Keith Wong for assistance with this page.
----------------------------------------------
http://earlychinesemusic.blogspot.com/2020/04/site-index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment