10th December 2005

This, the 17th meeting of the London Youlan Qin Society, was held at the home of Sarah Moyse in southwest London, and was the last for 2005.

Introduction

We were delighted to welcome qin player Yang Chunwei from Beijing. Yang Chunwei is a highly respected qin player in China who comes from a family of musicians. Her younger sister is also a talented qin player. She studied with qin masters Liu Shenjiao, Mei Yueqiang and Wu Wenguang, and has played the qin for more than 20 years. Currently she teaches at the China Conservatory in Beijing. Just before coming to London, she played contemporary qin compositions in a series of concerts in Paris for the French Autumn Festival.

The evening before the yaji, she gave a marvellous concert at SOAS, which was greatly appreciated by everyone who was fortunate enough to have heard it.

Programme

After a delicious lunch, the following music was played:
  1. Da Hujia 大胡笳 (The Greater Nomad Reedpipe) *, played by Charlie Huang. This is based on the story of Cai Wenji, who was forced to marry a Xiongnu chief and bore him two sons. She eventually returned to China, but had to leave her children behind.
  2. Gu Yuan 古怨 (Ancient Lament) ^ played by Wang Tingting. This is the earliest surviving qin song, written by Jiang Kui (Baishi). Jiang Kui, famous for his ci 词 songs, is important for being the only person to have left us both the music and the lyrics of his songs. The piece uses ceshang 侧商 tuning (lowered 3rd, 5th and 6th strings).
  3. Ao Ai 欸乃 (The Creak of an Oar) #, played  by Chen Jinwei. The title is an onomatopoeic representation of the sound made by an oar on the river. It is based on the poem Yu Weng 渔翁 (The Old Fisherman) by Liu Zongyuan 柳宗元 of the Tang Dynasty:

    Yan xiao ri chu bu jian ren,      烟消日出不见人,    The sun rises, the mist is light and there is no one in sight;
    Ao ai yi sheng shan shui lu.     欸乃一声山水录。   A single sound – the creak of an oar – resounds over a limpid stream amid the green hills”.

  4. You Lan 幽兰 (The Solitary Orchid) *, played by Yang Chunwei. This is the oldest piece is the current qin repertoire, and is believed to date from the 5th century. The various extant versions of this piece are all interpretations of the score found in a temple in Kyoto, Japan. The version Yang Chunwei played is that of Wu Wenguang.
  5. Tian Lai 天籁 (Sounds of Nature) *, played by Julian Joseph. This piece was composed by Zhang Ruishan in the late 19th century and published in the Shiyi Xian Guan Qinpu 十一弦馆琴谱 in 1907.
  6.  Guangling San 广 陵散 #, played by Marnix Wells. We heard the introductory part of the version in Shenqi Mipu 神奇秘谱 (1425).
  7. Jiu Kuang 酒狂 (Drunken Ecstasy), played by Christopher Evans. Also from Shenqi Mipu.
  8. Changmen Yuan 长门怨 (Lament at the Changmen Palace) #, played by Jiang Shu. This piece from the Mei'an Qinpu 梅庵琴谱 (1931) is based on the story of Chen Ajiao, who fell out of favour with the emperor Han Wudi and was exiled to the Changmen Palace.
  9. Kongzi Du Yi 孔子读易 (Confucius Reads the Book of Changes) #, played by Sarah Moyse. In his later years, Confucius was fascinated by the Book of Changes (Yi Jing 易经). Tradition says that he edited it.
  10. Xiao Xiang Shui Yun 潇湘水云 (Mists and Clouds over the Xiao and Xiang Rivers) #, played by Chen Jinwei. Attributed to Guo Chuwang of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279AD). The music contrasts the ethereal beauty of the rivers with the composer’s anguish at the destruction wrought to his homeland by the Mongol invaders.
  11. Dongting Qiu Si 洞庭秋思 (Autumn Thoughts by Lake Dongting) #, played by Dan Nung Ing.
  12. Tai Dong 胎动 (Quickening) #, played by Yang Chunwei. This is one of the contemporary compositions she played in Paris. The composer wrote it in staff notation, and Yang Chunwei worked out the fingering. It uses a special tuning.
  13. Shenren Chang 神人畅 (Joy of Gods and Men) *, played by Yang Chunwei. This is said to have been composed by the mythical emperor Yao, when he was visited by a deity. This was Wu Wenguang's interpretation.
  14. Liu Shui 流水 (Flowing Water) *, played by Charlie Huang. This was the Sichuan version, which he learned from Zeng Chengwei during the Chinese music summer school in July.

^ Played on a qin made by Zhang Jiayun
# Played on a qin made by Ma Weiheng
* Played on a qin made by Zeng Chengwei

    Wang Tingting
    Yang Chunwei, played Shenren Chang
    		 Wang Tingting, sang Gu Yuan
    		 Chen Jinwei, played Ao Ai


    Copyright the London Youlan Qin Society, 2005. All rights reserved.