Mongolian Sihu Music

01 · Historical Records

Mongol four-string fiddle music circulates mainly in the Horqin grasslands, and its origin is of one lineage with the xiqin used by the ancient Kumoxi people and with the “tiqin” of the Qing court orchestra. In the Lü Lü Zheng Yi Hou Bian compiled in the Kangxi reign the Mongol four-string fiddle was already called the “tiqin”, which shows clearly enough its place in the court music of that time.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Mongol four-string fiddle music is a traditional music circulating mainly on the Horqin grasslands. Four-string fiddle music is deeply rooted in the life of the great mass of the Mongol people: in Horqin Right Middle Banner one person in every three on average is an accomplished four-string fiddle player. In the Lü Lü Zheng Yi Hou Bian compiled in the Kangxi period the Mongol four-string fiddle is called the “tiqin”. It has been established by investigation that the four-string fiddle was once one of the indispensable leading instruments in the performance of such large court music as Asir. Three kinds of Mongol four-string fiddle music are current in Horqin Right Middle Banner: one is the Han folk tune, such as The Eight Scores, The Victory Command and Ten Thousand Years of Joy; another is the Horqin folk-song tune, such as Modeleima, He Ying Hua and Nan Hua; and the third is the narrative-singing tune, such as The Hurrying-on-the-Road Tune, The Attending-Court Tune and The Admonition Tune. Today the four-string fiddle not only accompanies narrative-singing pieces but may also serve as duet, unison, ensemble and solo in folk orchestras and mixed orchestras, and can make up for the deficiency of the folk orchestra in the treble register. In long performing practice its players have continually improved their fingering and bowing so that the range is continually extended, the volume steadily increased and the tone colour ever more perfect. They have worked out a whole set of stopping techniques—pressing, striking, plucking and sliding—and a varied skill of “fast tune, long bow”, effectively avoiding the noise that the treble four-string fiddle, with its double strings and double bow, easily produces, so that the music comes out clear, ringing, clean and crisp; in this way the basic performing style of the Mongol treble four-string fiddle—pure and bright, vigorous and clangorous—was established. Players may choose treble, alto or bass four-string fiddle according to the needs of the piece. In Mongol four-string fiddle music, whether amateur or professional and semi-professional, there are fixed performing pieces and relatively stable areas of activity; among the professional artists there is a clear relation of master and pupil. Horqin Right Middle Banner of Inner Mongolia has also organized a four-string fiddle ensemble of more than a thousand players, which has many times taken part in large performing activities. Among the banner's four-string fiddle players there are about a hundred professional artists, a thousand semi-professional artists and more than ten thousand enthusiasts.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The four-string fiddle music of Horqin Right Middle Banner is distributed mainly over the sumu and townships of Mongol settlement within the banner and radiates to the Hinggan league and the Tongliao area. The local professional artists have a clear relation of master and pupil, and among the banner's four-string fiddle players there are about a hundred professional artists and a thousand semi-professional ones.

Other submitting regions for the same item: Mongolian Sihu Music · Mongolian Sihu Music · Mongolian Sihu Music.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Transmitters at every level go among the people to take apprentices and transmit their art. Mongol four-string fiddle music has a rich accumulation and intense expressive power, its performing technique is a thing apart, and its melody is drawn out and ancient; it concentrates the wisdom of the Mongol people and embodies their ideas, ways of thinking, religious beliefs, customs and aesthetic taste. It plays an irreplaceable part in transmitting and disseminating traditional national music, raising the quality of spiritual life, satisfying the people's need to appreciate national art and promoting cultural exchange between China and other countries, and it also has a certain reference value in the study of history, cultural studies and folklore. (Associated bearer recorded in the official archive:) Taotiege, male, Mongol, born January 1956, a native of Horqin Right Middle Banner, Inner Mongolia. From childhood he learned the art of four-string fiddle playing with the elders of his family and was already famous in his home district while at primary school. He also learned the ancient traditional pieces of the Mongol four-string fiddle from other folk artists, and after many years of accumulation gradually formed a distinctive personal performing style. In 2005 he took the lead in organizing a four-string fiddle ensemble of a hundred players and had it rehearse regularly. In 2014 he organized and founded the Hinggan league four-string fiddle society. He is a representative bearer of the fifth batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage items, the Mongol four-string fiddle music. In 2006 he won the second prize in the radio and television grand prix of Mongol four-string fiddle playing of the eight provinces and regions. Over the years he has trained more than ten accomplished transmitters of Mongol four-string fiddle music, including Heihu, Bilige and Hasi.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

• Wuyunlong 02-0274
• Tegexidouleng 02-0275
• Bayanbaolige 04-1518
• Mengyidama 04-1519
• Taotege 05-2060
• Baojie 05-2061

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Mongolian Sihu Music (Keerqinyouyizhongqi, Inner Mongolia) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Taotege · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗