Jiangnan sizhu (Wu Chinese pronunciation: [koŋ nø sɨ d̥zoʔ]) is a style of traditional Chinese instrumental music from the Jiangnan region of China.[1][2]
Name
editThe name Jiangnan sizhu (
History
editSizhu is a 20th-century term that refers to the folk ensembles that first appeared in the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911/12) dynasties and have continued to the present day.[3] Many regional variants exist, but the most influential has been the Jiangnan sizhu, which in the 19th century became established south of the Yangtze River, especially in the cities of southeast Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang provinces. By the early part of the 20th century, Shanghai had become the centre of sizhu activities; the city's elite organized numerous amateur clubs that played for social functions and for their own entertainment. The Shanghai sizhu became the basis of the modern Chinese orchestra in the mid-20th century.
Instruments
editInstruments typically used in Jiangnan sizhu include plucked, bowed, strummed and struck string instruments; flutes and sometimes also mouth organs; and small percussion instruments. The most commonly used instruments are:
- Dizi – transverse bamboo flute, most commonly with traditional equal distant finger holes which does not produce an equal temperament, although the equal-tempered dizi is standard with professionals
- Xiao – end-blown bamboo flute, as with the dizi, equal distant finger holes are preferred with the equal-tempered type standard with professionals
- Erhu – two-string vertical fiddle, standard erhu D4, A4 tuning. A second erhu is sometimes used, known as fanhu (
反 胡 ) or fan erhu (反 二 胡 ), meaning "counter fiddle" or "cross fiddle"; it has thicker strings tuned a minor third (B3, F4#) or fourth (A3, E4) below the leading erhu - Pipa – pear-shaped lute with four strings, uses standard tuning of A2, D3, E3, A3. Although G2, C3, D3, G3, a whole tone lower, is sometimes used, with other string instruments also tuned a tone lower
- Yangqin – hammered dulcimer, smaller than the large professional solo type, has range of two octaves and a fifth; D3 to A5
- Sheng – free-reed mouth organ, most commonly with 17 pipes
- Sanxian – plucked lute with three strings, the small "southern" type is used, tuned to D3, A3, D4.
- Qinqin – plucked lute, tuned to D3, A3, (optional 3rd string is tuned to D3)
- Guban – Wooden clapper (paiban) and small drum (biqigu, diangu, or huaigu)
Several other instruments sometimes are also used:
- Zhonghu – two-string fiddle, larger and lower pitched than the erhu
- Ruan – plucked lute with four strings
- Liuqin – small plucked lute with four strings
- Guzheng – plucked zither with movable bridges
- Pengling – a pair of small bells
As in an Irish traditional music session, the instrumentation is not fixed, and so may vary according to the musicians who are available for a particular performance. Usually only one of each instrument is used, and an ensemble can range from as few as two to as many as ten or more musicians, with the erhu, dizi or xiao, pipa, and yangqin being the core instruments. Players may sometimes switch instruments between pieces.
Repertoire
editEight Great Pieces
editAt the centre of the repertory are the Eight Great Pieces (Ba Da Qu,
- Hua San Liu
花 三 六 (Huā Sān Liù, "Ornamented 'Three Six'") - Huan Le Ge 欢乐
歌 (Huān Lè Gē, "Song of Joy") - Man Liu Ban 慢六
板 (Màn Liù Bǎn, "Slow 'Six Beats'") - San Liu
三 六 (Sān Liù, "Three Six") - Si He Ru Yi
四 合 如意 (Sì Hé Rú Yì, "Four Together as You Wish") - Xing Jie
行 街 (Xíng Jiē, "Walking in the Street", "Wedding Procession," or "Street Procession") - Yun Qing
云 庆 (Yún Qìng; "Cloud Celebration") - Zhong Hua Liu Ban
中 花 六 板 (Zhōng Huā Liù Bǎn, "Moderately Ornamented 'Six Beats'"; also called薰 风曲 Xūn Fēng Qǔ, "Warm Breeze Tune") (Witzleben p. 61)
The repertoire is based on old melodies such as "Lao Liu Ban" (Old Six Beats), also called "Lao Ba Ban" (Old Eight Beats).[4] These were elaborated to create new pieces such as "Zhong Hua Liu Ban" (Moderately Ornamented Six Beats), the latter of which is the most important piece of all the pieces derived from "Lao Liu Ban" (Old Six Beats) (Jones 276).
Other pieces
editThese are other pieces that are played by Jiangnan sizhu music clubs. It includes pieces that were originally instrumental solos, music from narrative genres, and sizhu pieces from Jiangnan and other areas.
- Zhong Liu Ban (also called Hua Liu Ban,
花 六 板 ) - Kuai Hua Liu Ban (
快 花 六 板 ) - Kuai Liu Ban (
快 六 板 ; also called Kuai Hua Liu,快 花 六 ) - Lao Liu Ban (
老 六 板 ) - Man San Liu (慢
三 六 ) - Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye
春江 花 月夜 (Chūn Jiāng Huā Yuè Yè, "Spring River Flower Moon Night") adapted from an ancient pipa solo in 1925 by the Datong Music Club. - Deng Yue Jiao Hui
灯 月 交辉 (Dēng Yuè Jiāo Huī, "Lanterns and Moon Exchanging in Brilliance"), ensemble piece from the Jiangnan area (Hangzhou) - Han Jiang Can Xue
寒 江 残雪 (Hán Jiāng Cán Xuě, "Cold River and Remnants of Snow") - Huai Gu 怀古 (Huái Gǔ, "Thinking of the Past"), originally from Fujian Hakka (Kejia) music.
- Ni Chang Qu 霓裳
曲 (Ní Cháng Qǔ, "Rainbow Skirts"), ensemble piece from the Jiangnan area, said to be from Hangzhou - Xu Hua Luo 絮
花落 (Xù Huā Luò, "Catkin Flowers Falling"), derived from Lao Liu Ban. - Yang Ba Qu 阳
八 曲 (Yáng Bā Qǔ, "Yang Eight Tune"), also called Fan Wang Gong 凡忘工 or 梵王宫 (Fàn Wáng Gōng, "Fa as Mi") or 梵皇宫 (Fàn Huáng Gōng), ensemble piece from the Jiangnan area. The last fast section was arranged by Nie Er into the piece "Dance of the Golden Snake." - Zhe Gu Fei 鹧鸪飞 (Zhè Gū Fēi, "Flying Partridge"), from Hunan, commonly played as a dizi or xiao solo.
New Jiangnan sizhu compositions include:
- Chun Hui Qu
春 晖曲 (Chūn Huī Qǔ, "Spring Sun") - Hao Jiangnan
好 江南 (Hǎo Jiāngnán, "Good Jiangnan")
Social context
editJiangnan sizhu is generally considered to be a folk tradition rather than a professional one, and is most often performed by amateurs. It is typically performed in informal gatherings, often at tea houses. By the mid-20th century, it had also entered the curriculum of China's conservatories, where it continues to be performed by large ensembles of traditional instruments in fully scored arrangements.
Notable musicians
editIn the second half of the 20th century, a quartet from China playing Jiangnan sizhu repertoire as well as newly composed pieces comprised four men: dizi player Lu Chunling (1921–2018), pipa player Ma Shenglong (马圣龙, 1934–2003), yangqin player Zhou Hui (
Related genres
editShanghai opera, which was developed in the mid-20th century, has a musical style and accompaniment that is closely related to Jiangnan sizhu.
Reference and further reading
edit- ^ Thrasher 2008, p. 5-7.
- ^ Music, Garland Encyclopedia of World (February 2013). The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Routledge. pp. 1115–1117. ISBN 978-1-136-09594-8.
- ^ Thrasher 2008, p. 72-73.
- ^ Thrasher 2008, p. 44.
- Thrasher, Alan Robert (2008). Sizhu Instrumental Music of South China: Ethos, Theory and Practice. Brill. ISBN 9789004165007.
- Jones, Stephen (1995). Folk Music of China. Oxford: Clarendon Press OUP.
- Witzleben, J. Lawrence (1995). "Silk and Bamboo" Music in Shanghai: The Jiangnan Sizhu Instrumental Ensemble Tradition. Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press