FOREWORD
Zhejiang is a picturesque place with awesome landscapes, dramatic poems and amazing music, which has deeply influenced everyone in Jiangnan. In cooperation with Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, China Cultural Centre in Sydney will launch “Music Zhejiang – Be Here to Hear Folk Music Film (Season 1)” on our website and social media on September 23, introducing the beautiful scenery of Zhejiang by folk music and showcasing this captivating city to the world.
This Music Film consists of 4 short music films. The beautiful folk melodies played by musicians from the Zhejiang National Orchestra, the charm of the Yangtze River with Jiangnan stringed and wind music, and the essence of Zhejiang culture, all displayed the beauty of Chinese folk music and Jiangnan’s fascinating scenery. The drum music “King Qian Shoots the Tide” is played in unison and celebrates the Qianjiang River tide and the braveness of the contemporary Zhejiang people. In the piece “Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove”, Guqin, Erhu, Pipa, flute, and Xiao blends seamlessly and highlights the charm of Chinese folk music.
The Shengzhou wind and drum music “Dream about the Sea and the Heaven” is an combination of folk style, modern technique and contemporary pulse, inventing a delicate artistic style of Suona. In the early forms of Jiangnan stringed and wind music, with a distinctive Jiangnan water town atmosphere, the guzheng music “Qinghe Water Song” depicts a picture of Jiangnan, in which the lotus flowers are dancing, and the sound of Zheng is rippling.
Let’s immerse in the dulcet Jiangnan stringed and wind music, enjoy the stunning scenery and nature in Zhejiang, and learn more about China.
1. Preface
The idea behind Music Zhejiang Film Season 1 is to create an interaction among scenery, poetry, and music, and to display the poetic splendor of Zhejiang and Chinese national music.
Poetry, calligraphy, rituals and music are the classics of Confucianism in ancient China. Folk music, as a traditional instrumental music performance, is known as the national music. Among a myriad of genres of Chinese folk music, Jiangnan stringed and wind music is born and grown in the south Yangtze River region, and takes root in the heart of local people.
Zhejiang Province is a delightful image of poetry, scenery, and music. The online folk music film series are launched against the backdrop of the pandemic, displaying the beauty of Four Poetic Roads in the Province, and relating to the Province’s cultural essence, picturesque landscape, and the development of cultural tourism, to bring the international-looking province and the world closer together.
2. Drum music King Qian Shoots the Tide
Composed by Xu Ke
Instruments：Wang Fusheng，HuangFu Qingling,Wang Yiwei etc.
“Waves stirred by gods of the river are just tiny, compared with the roaring sea tide flowing from the east coast.
If armed soldiers of King Wu can be found, the tide is to be defeated when shot at by thousands of powerful crossbows.”
Watching the Tide on August 15th by Su Shi (Northern Song Dynasty)
Drum culture dates to thousands of years ago, as evidenced by the sage Confucius’s quotes-“let’s get excited with the drumbeats”. Clay drum, the first Chinese drums was made in the pottery age. Drums have been widely used on ritual, military, and working occasions since the Zhou Dynasty. Nowadays there are dozens of types of Chinese drums, namely, Ansai waist drum, Fengyang flower drum, and the hand drum. The rise of drum culture is the reflection of a stable and prosperous society. The drum music King Qian Shoots the Tide is played in unison and celebrates the Qianjiang River tide and the braveness of the contemporary Zhejiang people who are committed to building the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.
3. Gu qin performance Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove
Composed by: Wang Yunfei
Instruments: Cao Yu, Liu Yan, Qu Rui etc.
“The respectable seven sages have become a distant legend. I can’t help shedding tears of mourning.”
Tribute to Yuhu Jushi by Shen Yue (Southern Dynasty)
In 2003, the Chinese Guqin entered the UNESCO Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity list. An important branch of the Chinese Guqin art, Zhejiang Guqin was among the list of the first batch of National Intangible Heritage issued by the State Council in 2008. Zhejiang Guqin was founded by Guo Chuwang and became the leading instrument in the Southern Song Dynasty, exerting great influence all the way to the Yuan and Ming dynasties. As the first systematic school of Guqin in China, Zhejiang Guqin features plainness, elegance, and fluency, upholds subtlety, smoothness, and fluency, and aims to create an elegant, calm, stable and light atmosphere. In the piece Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove, Guqin, Erhu, Pipa, flute, and Xiao blends seamlessly and highlights oriental culture.
4. Shengzhou wind and drum music Dream about the Sea and the Heaven
Composed by Xu Ke
Suona: Song Guangshun, Conductor:Chen zhenxuan
“While Yingzhou is a place hard to find,
Tian Mu Mountain is visible when clouds clear away.
The 48,000-feet-tall Tiantai Mountain is dwarfed by Tianmu,
So are other mountains in the country.
I dreamed of a trip to Wu Yue, flying over to the lake Mirror overnight,
then to Shanxi.
The residence of Xie Gong is still there, full of vigor.
I climbed the cloud ladder, wearing Xie Gong’s clogs,
then I saw the sunrise above the sea and heard the rooster crowing in the sky.”
Dreaming of A Trip to Tian Mu Mountain by Libai, Tang Dynasty
The Suona was introduced to China from Persia and Arabia in the 3rd century AD. It has become both a representative of national music and a popular folk music instrument over thousands of years in China. This Suona and folk band performance is an organic combination of folk charm, modern technique, and contemporary pulse, inventing a delicate artistic style of Suona other than just roughness. Imagine a gust of wind, sometimes sweeps across mountains and seas, and whispers to the conch at other times. It is a refreshing and unforgettable performance that fully demonstrates the talent of the Suona player.
5. Guzheng Qinghe River Song
Composed by Wu Na
Instruments：Xie Tao，Duan Yandi，Li Ting etc.
“The West Lake is most wonderful with the lotus in full blossom. I wander to the lakeside, carrying drinks. No need to raise flags, look, red banners and green covers follow me.
The boat sails deep into the waters where fragrant flowers grow. Misty rain falls and we sing to our content on the return trip.”
Caisangzi-The West Lake with Lotus in Full Blossoms by Ouyang Xiu, Northern Song Dynasty
An indigenous national instrument of long history, Guzheng is also known as the instrument of benevolence and wisdom and a carrier of the ancient Chinese culture. As the Guzheng art develops, the Chinese culture and music are inextricably interconnected, adding poetry, emotion, meaning and rhythm to Guzheng music.
Zhejiang Zheng features brightness, delicacy, and elegance. It retains the early form of Jiangnan music, creates a distinctive atmosphere of Jiangnan water town, reflects love for nature, hometown, and life, and expresses an optimistic spirit and a desire to pursue good ideals.
The Guzheng Qinghe Water Song depicts a picture of Jiangnan, in which the lotus flowers are dancing, and the sound of Zheng is rippling.
