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| Handbook List Preface Table of Contents | 首頁 |
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Lixing Yuanya
Rational nature basic elegance 1 |
理性元雅
1618 Music for 1 string qin 2 |
Lixing Yuanya contains music compiled by Zhang Tingyu,3 a man said to be either from Guanzhong (apparently referring to the central Shaanxi plain) or Yan'an (northern Shaanxi). According to the entry in Qinshu Cunmu he achieved his jinshi degree in 1610 then rose in rank to Gentleman of the Interior in the Ministry of Works.4 The preface by Zha Fuxi adds he spent much time in Zhejiang province, and also speculates that he may have been a follower of Xu Nanshan.5 However, no source is given for this information. It seems generally to be considered that his handbook, Lixing Yuanya was published in Nanjing, or at least circulated there. Thus, this handbook is thought to reflect the qin song style that flourished especially in the that region towards the end of the Ming dynasty. 6
Lixing Yuanya, organized into four folios, contains 72 melodies, all with lyrics. 31 occur here for the first time. Thirteen are written for 5-string qin, five for 9-string qin and five for 1-string qin. Of the 49 using 7-string qin, 24 have 20 non-standard tunings. The handbook with the second largest number of tunings is Xilutang Qintong (1525), which uses 14.7
As for the 20 tunings, the names and tuning details used here are often different from those used in other handbooks; they also do not include at least four of the tuning methods in 1525. Note also that although Qinshu Daquan, Folio 13 (1590), lists melodies for 19 non-standard modes, it has only titles, no actual tablature or indications of tuning mmethod.
This handbook soon circulated in Japan. In Lore of the Chinese Lute, Van Gulik writes that the Japanese qin expert Kodama Koku (1734-1811) had a manuscript copy on which he wrote various colophons.8
In Japan the ichigenkin one string zither is said to have come from China around this time. The modern ichigenkin does not much resemble Chinese one string zithers as depicted in old illustrations, and little work has been done tracing the actual connection.
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a
separate page)
1.
理性元雅 Lixing Yuanya (2010 QQJC VIII/173-343)
理性元雅 21475.37 only 理性; 1356 no 元雅. Qinshu Cunmu adds some details, perhaps from its reference, Siku Cunmu (新傳理性元雅 Xinchuan Lixing Yuanya is included in Siku Quanshu Cunmu Congshu, Zi 74).
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2.
Tablature for 1 string qin: Xing Tan music and
lyrics
Lixing Yuanya (QQJC VIII/339-343) has five melodies in one string qin tablature. This is the only Chinese handbook with tablature detailing music for one-string qin; the image above is from QQJC VIII/342.
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3.
Zhang Tingyu 張廷玉 (Bio/xxx)
Zhang Tingyu signs his opening remarks 關中張廷玉 Zhang Tingyu of Guanzhong. 42402.26 關中 says Guanzhong is the Shaanxi plain around Chang'an (today Xi'an). No other location or meaning is mentioned.
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4.
工部郎中 Gentleman of the Interior in the Ministry of Works。 Qinshu Cunmu also said Zhang Tingyu was from 延安 Yan'an (northern Shaanxi).
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5.
Xu Nanshan
Comments with the handbook Luqi Xinsheng (1597) deal with problems identifying Xu Nanshan.
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6.
The preface discusses this but does not give much detail.
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7.
See further in Qinshu Daquan, Folio 13 (1590).
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Return to the annotated handbook list or to the Guqin ToC.