Jiangnan Sizhu (Silk and Bamboo Music)
01 · Historical Records
During the Jialong reign period of the Ming dynasty, at the same time as the operatic musicians headed by Wei Liangfu created the shuimo style of Kunqu quju at Nanmatou in Taicang, a full-scale sizhu band was organized with Zhang Yetang as the central figure, played in gongche notation and doubled by Kunqu troupes and tangming drum players; it gradually developed into a specialized band for sizhu performance. By the 1960s and 1970s, the traditional Jiangnan sizhu bands had all disbanded of their own accord.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Jiangnan sizhu is the general name for sizhu music popular in southern Jiangsu, western Zhejiang and the Shanghai area. It is so named because the band consists mainly of sizhu instruments such as the erhu, yangqin, pipa, sanxian, qinqin, dizi and xiao. At the end of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty a new musical genre, “xiansuo”, took shape in Wuzhong (the Suzhou area), and can be regarded as the predecessor of Jiangnan sizhu. It is closely bound to folk-custom activities, has a broad mass basis, and was later formally named Jiangnan sizhu. The traditional techniques of Jiangnan sizhu include “you elaborate and I simplify”, “you go high and I go low”, ornamental variation, interlocking so as to leave each other room, and improvisation, and they gradually formed the stylistic features of “small, fine, light and elegant”. These techniques and this style carry deep social and cultural meanings such as mutual deference between people and coordinated innovation. Jiangnan sizhu has a rich repertoire, and its traditional pieces include Zhong Hua Liu Ban, San Liu, Xing Jie, Si He and Yun Qing. Nie Er once adapted Dao Ba Ban into Jin She Kuang Wu, which soon became popular throughout the country; Liu Tianhua's adaptation and composition Bian Ti Xin Shui Ling has long been a famous work of the music world and has had a far-reaching influence nationwide. Jiangnan sizhu is one of the outstanding representatives of the culture of the Jiangnan water towns.
Zhong Hua Liu Ban
Jiangnan sizhu has a rich repertoire; its traditional pieces include Zhong Hua Liu Ban, San Liu, Xing Jie, Si He and Yun Qing.
San Liu
Jiangnan sizhu has a rich repertoire; its traditional pieces include Zhong Hua Liu Ban, San Liu, Xing Jie, Si He and Yun Qing.
Xing Jie
Jiangnan sizhu has a rich repertoire; its traditional pieces include Zhong Hua Liu Ban, San Liu, Xing Jie, Si He and Yun Qing.
Si He
Jiangnan sizhu has a rich repertoire; its traditional pieces include Zhong Hua Liu Ban, San Liu, Xing Jie, Si He and Yun Qing.
Yun Qing
Jiangnan sizhu has a rich repertoire; its traditional pieces include Zhong Hua Liu Ban, San Liu, Xing Jie, Si He and Yun Qing.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Taicang is one of the birthplaces of Jiangnan sizhu. In the Jialong reign period of the Ming dynasty Wei Liangfu created the shuimo style of Kunqu quju and Zhang Yetang organized the sizhu band, both at Nanmatou in Taicang; the players were mostly members of Kunqu troupes and tangming drum players doubling in, playing in gongche notation, and specialized sizhu bands gradually split off later. In the towns and villages of the locality, temple fairs, weddings and birthday celebrations and household gatherings all made use of sizhu; bands reciprocated one another with pieces such as San Liu and Xing Jie as the rule, forming a style that is plain and even and that values the understanding of ensemble playing.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Jiangnan Sizhu (Silk and Bamboo Music) · Jiangnan Sizhu (Silk and Bamboo Music).
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Sizhu music comes from the people and is rooted among the people; it is simple and easy to perform, suitable for wide dissemination, and has important folk-custom cultural value. The emergence and the continuation of Jiangnan sizhu music are of great importance to the study of the history of Chinese national music and to the development of opera, of folk-custom culture and of mass culture. To this day the old artists over seventy have died one after another and there is a dearth of successors; in addition, very few traditional pieces have been transmitted in score, so Jiangnan sizhu is gradually heading towards endangerment.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Lu Chunling 02-0280
- Zhou Hao 02-0281
- Zhou Hui 03-0841
- Shen Fengquan 03-0842
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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