The first part of this series on the appreciation of the Chinese classical music includes the recordings compiled according to the general courses of the Chinese music history. Having covered the musical works from different dynasties of ancient China, this part can be regarded as a "Historical part" of the series on the appreciation of the Chinese classical music. It consists of six albums arranged in the order of Pre-Qin, Han, Wei and the Six Dynasties, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing. The editing arrangement of the series not only meets the demands of broad music lovers but also is suitable to the basic requirements in the instruction fo the Chinese music history.
PRE0QIN,HAN,WEI AND THE SIX DYNASTIES(770BC-580AD)--Sounds Left from Ancient Times
This series on the "Appreciation of Chinese Classical Music" consists of several independent albums covering the music of the Tang,Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Besides, we have edited this special album to cover the music of the Pre-Qin,Han, Wei and the Six dynasties. As a series introducing the Chinese classical music, it must start with this part. Although we cannot find exactly what the remote ancient Chinese music likes because of some historical limitations (The way of music dissemination and succession influenced the development of notation system and even the recording techniques are a product of industrial civilization),it does not mean what the remote ancient music is
completely strange to us. In fact, through archeological excavation and some necessary recreation, today we still can enjoy the "sounds left from ancient times" player on the musical instruments with a history of several thousand years. It is authentic in a historical sense.
QING DYNASTY(1644-1911)--Wild Goose on the Peaceful Beach
The flourishing of town folk music forms the main stream of the Qing music.The folk songs andballads, narrative music, song-dance and instrumental music as well as the theatrical music all make a fuu development. We can find enough audio meterials about the theatrical music of that period because the genres and intonational systems were quite colorful and became more diverse which their different local features. So in this album of Qing music, we stress the instrumental music. We have selected ensembeles of strings and bamboo instruments or pieces played on other instruments. These pieces are in various styles and to a larger extent, show the secular tastes of the Qing music. Some of them such as the pipa pieces "Ambush All Around" and "Conqueror Xiang Yu's Triumphant Return" are selected in consideration of presenting the differences between the northern and southern styles of pipa playing.
Tracklist
CD1:PRE0QIN,HAN,WEI AND THE SIX DYNASTIES(770BC-580AD)--Sounds Left from Ancient Times
1.Chu Shang(Chime bells from Marquis Yi's tomb and Orchestra)
2.For Those Fallen for Their Country (Xun and Qin)
3.Flowing Water(Qin solo)
4.Qu Yuan Asking Way at the Free Crossing(Chime Bells of Marqius Yi and Orchestra)
5.Chu Song (Xun and Orchestra)
6.18 Beats on the Hujia (Qin and song)
7.The Elegant Orchid in Jieshi Tune (Chime bells and Orchestra)
8.Three Variations on the Plum (Qin solo)
9.Wine Frolic (Qin solo)
10.Guangling Tune (Qin solo)
11.Pecture of Primitive Hunting (Bone-whistle and Orchestra)
CD2:TANG DYNASTY(618-907)--The Rainbow Skirt and the Feathered Coat
1.Bird Singing in Spring(Ensemble)
2.Drinking Music(String-pluched ensemble)
3.Spreading Golden Sand (Ensemble of Chinese musical instruments)
4.Prelude of Dance Music of Imperial Palace
5.Three Variations at Ynguan Pass(Qin solo)
6.Bodhisattva-like Barbarians(song)
7.Li Sao(Qin solo)
8.Flowers and Jade Trees at Back Courtyard(song)
9.Wang Zhaojun (Zheng ensemble)
10.Poplars and Willows in Spring (Silk string ensemble)
11.Rowing Dragon Boar (Bamboo flute solo)
12.Dance of Playing Swords (Zheng solo)
13.Drunkard (Silk string ensemble)
14.Vast Desert (Bili and Orchestra)
15.Battles Music for King Qin's Army(Chime bells and chorus)
CD3:SONG DYNASTY(960-1279)--Shadow of Apricot Blossoms
1.Xiaoxiang's Waters and Clouds(Qin solo)
2.Plums by the Ge River(Ensemble)
3.Shadows of Apricot Blossoms(Song with title of ci tune)
4.Jade Plum Blossoms(Ensemble)
5.Love for the Red Dress(Ensembel)
6.Short Drinking Music in Shang Mode(Song with title of ci tune)
7.Delicate Fragrance(Ensemble)
8.Scattered Shadows(Ensemble)
9.Ritual Songs for Yue:Chu Tune on Emperor Shun(Song with title of ci tune)
10.Jiao Shao(Ensemble)
11.Zhi Shao(Ensemble)
12.Song of Yangzhou in Andante(Song with title of ci tune)
13.Sorrows of Paring(Ensemble)
14.Ritual Song for Yue--Yue Xiang Ce Shang Tune(Song with title of ci tune)
15.Light Yellow Willows(Ensemble)
16.Green Pavilion Chant(Song with title of ci tune)
17.Lovely Melody(Ensemble)
18.Autumn Night Chant(Song with title of ci tune)
19.Ancient Lament(Ensemble)
20.The Immortal of Stone Lake(Ensemble)
CD4:YUAN DYNASTY(1271-1368)--Recall of Old Time at Tongguan Pass
1.Vulture Catches Swan(Pipa solo)
2.Oriole Singing(Qin,xiao and pipa)
3.Crow Croaking at Night--Pomegranate
4.Ancient Music of the Naxi Nationality--Suite of Baisha Xiyue(Orchestra and voices)
5.The Injustice Done to Dou E(Qin ,xiao and pipa)
6.The "West Chamber Story in Multiple Modes"By Dong Xieyuan(Two Arias)
7.The Old Stories in the Tianbao Period in Multiple Modes--Repreimanding Concubine Yang at Mawei(Two Arias)
8.Frengyu Xiangsheng Huolang Dan--Jiu Zhuan Huolang'er(Three Arias)
9.Recalling the Past at Tongguan Pass(Scattered tune of Yuan Dynasty)
10.A Comprehensive Record of Affairs--Wishing to be in Double(Changzhuan)
11.Autumn Meditation--Banquet at the Parting Pavilion(Scattered tune of Yuan Dynasty)
12.Maiden's Grievance--Green Skirt(Scattered tune of Yuan Dynasty)
13.Inscriptions to the West Lake(Scattered tun of Yuan Dynasty)
14.The Injustice Done to Dou E--Killing Dou E(Aria from Yuan Drama)
CD5:MING DYNASTY(1368-1644)--Autumn Meditation at Dongting Lake
1.Autumn Meditation at Dongting Lake(Qin, xiao and erhu)
2.Sunny Spring(Qin solo)
3.Fishing Tune(Qin solo)
4.Concubines Xiang's Sorrow(Qin solo)
5.Dressing Table(Xiao and Orchestra)
6.Wearing Orchid(Qin solo)
7.Chao Yuan Song(Ensemble)
8.Crow Croaking at Night(Qin solo)
9.Tune of Happy Evening(Qin solo)
10.Stroy of Pipa--Eating Chaff(Aria of Southern Drama)
11.Tale of Washing Dress--Encirclement(Aria of Kunqu Opera)
12.Tale of Emerald Hairpin--Overtones(Aria of Kunqu Opera)
13.Wuxiake Muqam--the First Dastan Inerlude from the Eighth Muqam Siute(Song and Dance music)
CD6:QING DYNASTY(1644-1911)--Wild Goose on the Peaceful Beach
1.Dragon Chanting in the Vast Sea(Ensemble)
2.Wild Goose on the Peaceful Beach(Qin solo)
3.Rembering of the Xiao Performance on the Phoenix Platform(Qin song)
4.Lyrics on Autumn Wind(Double-pipe solo)
5.Banqiao Pouring Out His Feelings(Qin song)
6.Walking on the Street(Silk and bamboo ensemble)
7.Reference to the Strings--A Cluster of Clear Tones(Ensemble)
8.Conqueror Xiang Yu's Triumphant Return(Pipa solo)
9.Deep Night(Jinghu and Orchestra)
10.Ambush All Around(Pipa solo)
11.References to the Strings--Sixteen Beats(Ensemble)
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Posted By: les_pauler Date: 04 May 2008 03:57
“
SONG DYNASTY(960-1279)--Shadow of Apricot Blossoms
The most typical genre of the Song dynasty music is the for the ci tunes.It concentratedly represents the achievement in the music and poetic arts of that time.In the history,because the words lasted long while the music always lost quickly and the meanings of the notaional symbols of Tang and Song could not be indentified by the posterity poeple,the music for ci tunes of Song dynasty have long been lost.In the 1950's,Yang Yinliu and Yin Falu made a deep study and decoded the notaions from the "Song by Taoist Baishi, a collection of songs survived in the Chinese history.This work has relived the songs of ci tune by Jiang Biashi.With the help of the modern recording techniques,we can keep the sounds of the songs of the Song dynasty for generations.In the limited space of this CD,we have included 16 songs set to ci tunes.Except the "Jade Plum Blossoms" and the "Short Drinking Music in Shang Mode",all of them are composed by Jiang Baishi.Some of them have remained the form of ci songs while others are arranged into instrumental pieces which will offer richer sound effects to the general music lovers.In order to help listeners understand the deeper meaning of lyrics,we have quoted some original lyrics of the songs in our connotations to the pieces.
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YUAN DYNASTY(1271-1368)--Recall of Old Time at Tongguan Pass
In the history of Chinese music,the Yuan dynasty saw the golden age of Chinese theatrical music.The music for the Yuan Drama can be regareded as a comprehensive combination of the musical genres and tunes evolved since Tang and Song.According to Wang Guowei's research on Zhou Deqing's "Rhymes in the Central China" which consists of 355 tune ttitles for the Yuan Drama,the tunes for the Yuan dramas come from the grand song-dance music of the Tang and Song dynasties,music of ci tunes in the Tang and Song dynaties,tunnes in multiple modes as well as the narrative music such as the drum lyrics and the zhuan(zhuan--a kind of narrative singing form),some traditional pieces of Song,etc. Therefore, we can that the Yuan Drama music,to a certain extent,reflects the highest achievement in the music field then.Both Yuan Drama and the Scattered Tunes of Yuan belong to the Nothern Tunes.However,the dramas generally have a complete structure of four acts and are performed in stage from while the Scattered Tunes of Yuan are usually sung without make-ups and composed of single short melody and melodies in gruops.The musical style of the northern tunes has more jumps higher then fourth for the melodies,forming an unrestrained and undulating characteristic.They use the diatonic scale and well-knit with more words to few tones,which are suitable for expressing a heroic spirit and a vigorous style.
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MING DYNASTY(1368-1644)--Autumn Meditation at Dongting Lake
The major feature of the Ming music lies in its secularity.Different kinds of folk songs and ballads spread from the folks of rural areas to the towns and became very popular.The new intonational systems of the north and south China were in the course of exchange and mingled with each other.Among the four most popular intonational systems for the southern theatrical tunes(Haiyan tone,Yuyao tone,Yiyang tone and kunshan tone).The most successful and fluential should be the system of Kunshan tones,which was established through reform by Wei Liangfu,a theatrical musician of Ming.This album includes the elegant and delicate "Water-mill Tunes" in Kunshan(or simple Kun)tones such as the arias form Liang Chengyu's "Huan Sha Ji" or "Tale of Washing Dress" and Tang Xianzu's "Peony Pavilion".From the colorful song and dance music of the minority nationalities in the Ming dynasty,we have extracted an episode from the twelve muqam suites,which are quite popular in the present Xinjiang and were already widely spread in the Ming dynasty.