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Post by davidbadagnani on Feb 16, 2006 4:23:07 GMT
I just found this enormous site which has literally hundreds of Chinese instruments I've never heard of, with long articles on each, categorized by type. www.e56.com.cn/minzu/Musical/Musical_main.aspIf you can't read Chinese you can use babelfish.altavista.com/tr to get the gist of the articles by copying and pasting the Chinese text, to produce a (usually pretty bad) English translation. |
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Post by davidmdahl on Feb 21, 2006 6:17:03 GMT
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Post by blueharp on Feb 21, 2006 6:44:21 GMT
I believe it is a se, the ancient 25 string zither that was eclipsed by the zheng.
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Post by davidbadagnani on Feb 21, 2006 8:04:37 GMT
Wow, these are being marketed? It looks like it's got nylon-wrapped metal strings, like a modern zheng (!).
Does anyone understand why the bridges always seem to be arranged in this way (not from low to high) on the se? And what the logic of its tuning was?
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Post by Charlie Huang on Feb 21, 2006 9:41:08 GMT
OMFG! I WANT!!! The strings aren't mounted in the pic. As far as I have read, you don't arange the bridges like that. It should be like a modern guzheng arrangement, but in a sort of zig-zag formation. Difficult to describe. From 1st to 13th, it goes diagonally, then from 14th to 25th the diagonal line shifts to the left. See top two pics here: www.chime.com.cn/A-3-1.htm |
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Post by Si on Feb 22, 2006 12:37:13 GMT
I dont see much about suona in this forum. Is that because, like me, you all feel it is an offensive noise and about as musical as kazoo?
I love chinese music but sorry I hate the suana and drums and gongs and anything noisy!!
Am I right?..............i'm not wrong...............?
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Post by Charlie Huang on Feb 22, 2006 14:01:43 GMT
The reason we don't talk about said instruments is because:
1. No one seems to play suona
2. erm... I think that's it!
BTW, I do like drums (if played in a certain manner).
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Post by sanmenxia on Feb 22, 2006 16:44:24 GMT
I think Chinese reed instruments (suona, houguan, and esp guanzi) are majestic, powerful, magnificent instruments capable of playing absolutely sublime music , listen to Buddhist Music of Tianjin www.wyastone.co.uk/nrl/world/5416a.htmlor Guangdong folk tunes www.hugomedia.com/regional/HRP706-2.htmyou might change your mind  From what I've heard, they are also very, very difficult to learn to play, and perhaps a bit inconvienant because of the volume. I have to admit I’m not that keen on percussion instruments though, sounds like someone’s knocking over a load of pots and pans in the kitchen ;D |
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Post by Charlie Huang on Feb 22, 2006 17:32:10 GMT
Has anyone listened to Yim Hok-man's "Poems of Thunder" (vol. 1 & 2)? He's a percussionist.
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Post by sanmenxia on Feb 22, 2006 18:24:15 GMT
I've got a CD by Yim Hok-man on Naxos, d'you mean that one? I can't remember what's it like! I think I play it once after I got it, but haven't listened to it since.
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Post by davidbadagnani on Feb 22, 2006 21:55:23 GMT
I play the suona and houguan (Cantonese bamboo guan). I don't think it's really an "unusual" instrument so if you want to talk about it, the "dizi" section might be the best place, as there's no double reed section of this bulletin board.
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Post by davidbadagnani on Feb 22, 2006 21:59:28 GMT
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Post by sanmenxia on Feb 23, 2006 11:11:37 GMT
I've got that Zhihuasi CD, but with a different cover, great CD. In the same series, there's also a solo guanzi CD by Hu Zhihou, who played on the Zhihuasi CD.
I've come acrossed that "Gao Hong/Buddhist Temple Music of Beijing" before, but I decided not to get it after hearing the samples, it sounded similar to the Zhihuasi CD, and also because it was quite expensive.
I have to agree, these instrument can't really be called unsual, just not as common as the guzheng, dizi etc.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Feb 23, 2006 13:38:53 GMT
I've got a CD by Yim Hok-man on Naxos, d'you mean that one? I can't remember what's it like! I think I play it once after I got it, but haven't listened to it since. Yes, that's the one. |
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Post by davidbadagnani on Feb 23, 2006 22:10:04 GMT
I've got that Zhihuasi CD, but with a different cover, great CD. In the same series, there's also a solo guanzi CD by Hu Zhihou, who played on the Zhihuasi CD. I've come acrossed that "Gao Hong/Buddhist Temple Music of Beijing" before, but I decided not to get it after hearing the samples, it sounded similar to the Zhihuasi CD, and also because it was quite expensive. I have to agree, these instrument can't really be called unsual, just not as common as the guzheng, dizi etc. Unfortunately, the original one (with liner notes mostly in Japanese) seems to have gone out of print, and I don't know if the new version even has liner notes at all, as some of the rereleases in that series don't. Just picked up the Tianjin one for $3.50 used on Amazon; thanks for the recommendation. You're right, the Gao Hong CD is expensive. I think the guanzi must have been much more common in ancient times--even the name "tou guan" (head guan--the source of the Cantonese "hou guan") comes from the fact that it was a leading instrument in court and ritual ensembles. It's great that at least a few players can still play it (very) well. |
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Post by davidbadagnani on Feb 23, 2006 22:13:47 GMT
I've just realized recently that the Zhihuasi CD features conservatory musicians playing the Zhihuasi repertoire. So I don't know exactly who the musicians who play regularly at the temple are. The dizi player I met there must have been in his 30s. Apparently Zhang Benxing, the monk who is in charge of the music (who is about 82) is trying to pass his knowledge of the vocal repertoire to a 16-year old boy. www.cctv.com/english/TouchChina/Express/20030620/101075.htmlToo bad there aren't more people in Beijing who want to learn and keep this music going. |
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Post by davidbadagnani on Feb 24, 2006 18:32:50 GMT
I just heard from Dr. HAO, Li, one of the managers of the Zhihua Si temple in Beijing and she told me that the head monk, Zhang Benxing, is very old now (he must be 85 by now), and that Cui Qiang, the young boy who was studying the vocal repertoire, has left and is apparently no longer learning the music or performing with the group. But the six musicians who perform there are Zhang's students. The temple's renovation has finished and the musicians are playing again regularly.
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Post by sanmenxia on Mar 10, 2006 2:08:38 GMT
re: Zhihuasi CD
The CD I've got is from the "JVC World Sounds" series. It has sleeve notes in both Japanese and English, written by Hu Zhihou (guanzi player) with an introduction by Zhao Feng (doesn't say who he/she is), there are a few photos as well. On the back cover there's one of Zhang Benxing (I think) playing a pair of small cymbals.
The English seems like a full translation of the Japanese. It doesn't have a list of the musicians, it just says an ensemble from departments from the Central Conservatory, lead by Hu Zhihou. Also it says they were taught by Xuzeng, a monk-performer.
I think sleeve notes are very important, if the new release of the CD hasn't got them then its missing a vital part of the CD.
I'm really glad to hear that there are people are still performing the music, thanks for the news, although with the way modern China's going you have to wonder about the future of genuine trad/folk music.
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Post by davidmdahl on Mar 15, 2006 22:51:46 GMT
I recently purchased a difficult-to-find CD of Vietnamese Hat Boi or Tuong theater. Apparently the Vietnamese counter part to the suona, the dan ken, is an important instrument in Tuong. I don't know enough Chinese opera/theater to know how Tuong compares, but it is quite interesting. The instrumental and vocal styles are an acquired taste on their own, but a live performance is a wonderful experience.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by davidbadagnani on Mar 16, 2006 1:53:49 GMT
How can one find this CD? I want to listen to this music. I play the Vietnamese ken (oboe) but have only played Central Vietnamese folk music and Hue court music so far. I've heard a small video clip of this opera music and liked the oboe music. They play for long periods with a lot of circular breathing; they must have a lot of endurance. Have you seen this music live? I think some types of Vietnamese theater are performed in Seattle, but I'm not sure whether the one you mention is among them. BTW, is "dan" really the prefix for this instrument? I thought that was just for string instruments.
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Post by davidmdahl on Mar 16, 2006 4:45:44 GMT
The CD is out-of-print and very hard to find. I "won" my copy on Ebay, and it recently arrived all the way from Istanbul. The title is "Vietnam Court Theatre Music: Hat-Boi" on the Unesco label.
You're right about the name for the VN oboe. I don't know what I was thinking. Apparently "ken bau" is the name, according to the website of the Vietnamese Institute of Musicology.
Best wishes,
David
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