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Post by davidmdahl on Jan 3, 2007 9:30:25 GMT
I am currently reading a biography of Robert Van Gulik, author of the Judge Dee stories, and a player of the guqin. Gulik also wrote the book "The Lore of the Chinese Lute", referring to the guqin. I have an opportunity to buy a copy of this book in very good condition, but for a dear price. Is the book interesting and useful for guqin players only, or is it likely to be of interest to others of us as well?
Thanks.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by SCWGuqin on Jan 3, 2007 11:21:01 GMT
I've read through it on a couple of occasions and didn't find it interesting. It's a survey in rather loose style (i.e. he wasn't an academic or anything), and I found a lot of the ideas and organization unhelpful. Anything an English-speaker wants to know about qin lore can probably be found at www.silkqin.com, which references VG a lot.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jan 3, 2007 12:06:43 GMT
Haven't got the book (yet) because of the cost. I'm spending my money on qinpu and other modern books on the qin.
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Post by Si on Jan 3, 2007 13:26:39 GMT
I thought the early chapter on how music was viewed in china and how to think about old music, quite interesting. Specially concerning the so called scholars music and the other common musics.
I would not think its a must doe a none qin fan.
I hope someone like Jim Thopson (silkqin.com) or Chris Evans writes a more deffinative modern book. If I win the lottery I will commision one to be written for us all here at least.
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Post by davidmdahl on Jan 3, 2007 19:01:32 GMT
I think I will try to find "The Lore of the Chinese Lute" via Interlibrary Loan. Then I can decide if I need the book.
I have found few books and articles on Chinese music in English that have much depth or relevance. Gulik's book is frequently cited as a reference source on the guqin, and the author is a very fascinating man. It is interesting that the book itself does not have a better reputation among guqin players. Maybe the trouble is that the players with a deep knowledge about the guqin are not inclined or skilled at writing a definitive book on the subject, and the academics who could write such a work don't have enough understanding.
I found an undergraduate paper on the erhu online recently, but I was very disappointed in the shallowness exhibited regarding the instrument and music.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by calden on Jan 3, 2007 20:37:34 GMT
I found an undergraduate paper on the erhu online recently, but I was very disappointed in the shallowness exhibited regarding the instrument and music. Best wishes, David Let me guess... it was rather... sophomoric? Carlos
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Post by davidmdahl on Jan 3, 2007 21:01:29 GMT
You are definitely on a roll, Carlos. <g>
Best wishes,
David
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Post by guzhenglover on Jan 4, 2007 5:46:20 GMT
I've got a copy of the book by van Gulik as I am trying to build up a small library of guqin books (and not necessarily because it's a more useful book than others out there or anything). I don't have much to add to fellow guqin enthusiasts' comments except that van Gulik was indeed a respected academic and scholar in Sinology who wrote in many genres. His main contribution is probably promoting Chinese culture - not least guqin art - to the western audience, so whilst people "already in the know" like us guqin enthusiasts may not find his book anything groundbreaking, it might be worth remembering that it still fulfilled a pretty important role at the time it was written and still to this day to some English-speaking people who might just want to read up on the subject of guqin without necessarily dwelling on it as an academic matter. But that's my humble opinion anyhow.
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