Chinese Music

TRADITIONAL MUSIC
Musical instruments have been unearthed from tombs dating back to the Shang dynasty and Chinese folk songs can be traced back at least this far. Traditional Chinese instrumens are often based on ancient Chinese poetry, making them very symbolic in form. Two books of the Confucian canon, the Book of Songs and the Book of Rites both dwell on music, the first actually being a collection of songs and poems, formerly set to music.
The traditional Chinese music scale differs from its Western equiva- lent. Unlike Western music, tone is considered more important than melody. Music to the Chinese was once believed to have cosmological significance and in early times, if a musician played in the wrong tone,it could indicate the fail of a dynasty.
Traditional Chinese musical instruments include the two-stringed fiddle (erhu), four-stringed banjo (yue qin), two-stringed viola (huqin), vertical flute (dongxiao),- horizontal flute (dizi), piccolo (bangdi), four- stringed lute (pipa), zither (guzheng) and ceremonial trumpet (suona). Traditional music places a lot of emphasis on percussion, which is what you'll most likely hear at funerals, temples and weddings.
China's ethnic minorities have preserved their own folk song traditions;a trip to Lijiang in Yunnan gives you the chance to appreciate the ancient sounds of the local Naxi orchestra.The communist anthem 'The East is Red' developed from a folk song popular in northern China and later became a defining element of the Cultural Revolution. Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth (opposite) contains many beautiful folk songs of this region.
Many department stores in China sell traditional Chinese instruments like flutes and piccolos and most music stores sell recordings of opera and instrumental music.

CHINESE OPERA

Chinese opera has been formally in existence since the northern Song dynasty, developing out of China's long balladic tradition.

Performances were put on by travelling entertainers, often families, in teahouses frequented by China's working classes. Performances were drawn from popular legends and folklore. Beijing opera became officially recognised in 1790, when perform- ances were staged for the imperial family.

There are over 300 types of opera in China, Beijing opera being the most familiar to West- erners. Other types include Yue opera and Kunqu opera, among others. Yue opera is commonly performed in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. Its singing and dialogue are all in Cantonese dialect. In addition to Chinese traditional instruments, Western instruments such as the violin, saxophone, cello and double bass are also used. Kunqu opera, originating in Jiangsu, is notable for its soft melodies and the use of the flute.

Chinese opera is fascinating for its use of make-up, acrobatics and elaborate costumes. Face painting derives from the early use of masks worn by players and each colour suggests the personality and attributes that define a character. Chinese audiences can tell instantly the per- sonality of characters by their painted faces. In addition, the status of a character is suggested by the size of headdress worn - the more elaborate, the more significant the character. The four major roles in Chinese opera are the female role, the male role, the 'painted-face' role (for gods and warriors), and the clown.

POPULAR MUSIC

China's thriving music industry came about in the 1980s, a time when many younger Chinese were becoming more exposed to international music trends. The energetic Hong Kong song industry had for years been popular in China, with its twinkle-eyed and pretty emissaries (Aaron Kwok, Faye Wong, Andy Lau, Kelly Chen, Jackie Cheung et al) warbling their catchy, saccharine melodies. Further north, however, their harmless songs of love and loss impacted with a growing rock scene. Cui Jian, the singer and guitarist whose politically subversive lyrics provoked authori- ties, led the way for a slew of gritty bands who hacked away at the edifice of rock and metal (Tang Dynasty) and punk (Underground Baby, Brain Failure). Nowadays, major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have a thriv- ing underground music scene and plenty of places to hear live music.