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Zhang Ziqian
Zhang Ziqian (, 1899–1991), a famous seven-string zither qin player, was born in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, during the late Qing Dynasty. He began studying the guqin with a guqin master Sun Shaotao at the age of thirteen. In the 1930s, Zhang moved to Shanghai and worked as an accountant at a salt factory. In Shanghai, he met Zha Fuxi and Peng Zhiqing who were active qin players then. They frequently played the guqin together and Zhang's playing skills were greatly influenced by them. In 1936, Zhang, Zha, Peng and other masters founded Jin Yu Qin She (Qin Society of Contemporary Yu Region), a qin society. In 1956, Zhang became a guqin performer by being appointed as a member of the state-run Shanghai Minzu Yuetuan (Shanghai National Music Ensemble); and a guqin teacher at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1960. As a professional guqin performer of the Guangling School, one of the qin schools, Zhang skillfully transcribed guqin pieces from ancient manuscripts w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yangzhou
Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across the river to the south. Its population was 4,414,681 at the 2010 census and its urban area is home to 2,146,980 inhabitants, including three urban districts, currently in the agglomeration. Historically, Yangzhou was one of the wealthiest cities in China, known at various periods for its great merchant families, poets, artists, and scholars. Its name (lit. "Rising Prefecture") refers to its former position as the capital of the ancient Yangzhou prefecture in imperial China. Yangzhou was one of the first cities to benefit from one of the earliest World Bank loans in China, used to construct Yangzhou thermal power station in 1994. Administration Currently, the prefecture ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qin Society
This is a list of currently existing qin societies, of which some are learned societies. There is a difference between qin schools and qin societies. The former concerns itself with transmission of a style, the latter concerns itself with performance. The qin society will encourage meetings with fellow qin players in order to play music and maybe discuss the nature of the qin. Gatherings such as this are called ''yaji'' ( 雅集, literally "elegant gatherings"), and take place once every month or two. Sometimes, societies may go on excursions to places of natural beauty to play qin, or attend conferences. They may also participate in competitions or research. Of course, societies do not have to have a strict structure to adhere to; it could mostly be on a leisurely basis. The main purpose of qin societies is to promote and play qin music. It is often a good opportunity to network and learn to play the instrument, to ask questions and to receive answers. Most qin schools and societi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1899 Births
Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a customs office in Puerto Alonso, leading to the Brazilian settlers there to declare the Republic of Acre in a revolt against Bolivian authorities. **The first part of the Jakarta Kota–Anyer Kidul railway on the island of Java is opened between Batavia Zuid ( Jakarta Kota) and Tangerang. * January 3 – Hungarian Prime Minister Dezső Bánffy fights an inconclusive duel with his bitter enemy in parliament, Horánszky Nándor. * January 4 – **U.S. President William McKinley's declaration of December 21, 1898, proclaiming a policy of benevolent assimilation of the Philippines as a United States territory, is announced in Manila by the U.S. commander, General Elwell Otis, and angers independence activists who had fought against ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guqin Players
This is a list of contemporary players of the guqin of the 20th and 21st centuries. It attempts to list most ''notable'' players (i.e. if they are publicly known and/or have made a significant contribution to qin music). Table guide *Personal Names (English): Gives name(s) of person in English. If that person was born with a Chinese name, it is listed in Mandarin pinyin. If one has a Cantonese or other Chinese dialect name, the Mandarin pinyin takes priority over it in order listing. The names will be listed in alphabetical order. For the sake of tidiness, the Family name will go first. *Personal Names (Chinese): Given name(s) of the person in traditional full Chinese characters. If that person does not have a Chinese name, it would be marked 'None'. *Dates: Gives the year of birth and death of said person. If not known, then deceased (dec.) or active (act.) will be used instead. *School or Base: The person's school or where they are currently active if known. *Remarks: Any impo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guqin Notation
The notation of the guqin is a unique form of tablature for the Chinese musical instrument, with a history of over 1,500 years, still in use today. History Written qin music did not directly tell what notes were played; instead, it was written in a tablature detailing tuning, finger positions, and stroke technique, thus comprising a step by step method and description of how to play a piece. Some tablatures do indicate notes using the gongche system, or indicate rhythm using dots. The earliest example of the modern shorthand tablature survives from around the twelfth century CE. An earlier form of music notation from the Tang era survives in just one manuscript, dated to the seventh century CE, called Jieshi Diao Youlan 《碣石調幽蘭》 (Solitary Orchid in Stone Tablet Mode). It is written in a longhand form called ''wenzi pu'' 〔 文 字譜〕 (literally "written notation"), said to have been created by Yongmen Zhou (雍門周) during the Warring States period, which gi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guqin Playing Technique
The playing techniques of the guqin, sometimes called fingerings, are more numerous than those of any other Chinese or Western musical instrument. Basic sounds The music of the qin can be categorised as three distinctively different "sounds." The first is ''san yin'' 〔 散音〕, which means "scattered sounds." This is produced by plucking the required string to sound an open note . The second is ''fan yin'' 〔 泛音〕, or "floating sounds." These are harmonics, in which the player lightly touches the string with one or more fingers of the left hand at a position indicated by the ''hui'' dots, pluck and lift, creating a crisp and clear sound . The third is ''an yin'' 〔 按音 / 案音 / 實音 / 走音〕, or "stopped sounds." This forms the bulk of most qin pieces and requires the player to press on a string with a finger or thumb of the left hand until it connects with the surface board, then pluck. Afterwards, the musician's hand often slides up and down, thereby modi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guqin Construction
The construction of the guqin Chinese zither is a complex process like any other musical instrument. However, there is much symbolism in the choice of materials, the shape or form of the instrument that are important things to consider when creating a qin. Design Overview In simplistic terms, the guqin is an acoustic instrument consisting of a sound chamber formed by two long planks of wood glued together. One or both planks are carved inside to form a hollow chamber. On the underside of the instrument are sound holes. Strings are supported by a nut and bridge. Scale length is typically 43" to 44.5". The center of the top is used as a fingerboard and is arched to some degree. Inlays mark note positions on the fingerboard. The instrument has feet on the underside to allow it to be played on a tabletop without blocking the sound holes. The underside also houses tuning pegs or tuners. The strings are traditionally made of silk but modern steel-on-silk strings are also used ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guqin History
The history of the Guqin, an ancient Chinese musical instrument, is a long one that spans 3,000 years. Although similar, it should not be confused with another Chinese zither instrument, the guzheng, which has bridges. Overview Ancient origins Legend has it that the qin, the most revered of all Chinese musical instruments, has a history of about 5,000 years. This legend states that the legendary figures of China's pre-history — Fuxi, Shennong and Yellow Emperor — were involved in its creation. Nearly almost all qin books and tablature collections published prior to the twentieth century state this as the actual origins of the qin, although this is now viewed as mythology. It is mentioned in Chinese writings dating back nearly 3,000 years, and examples have been found in tombs from about 2,500 years ago. Non-fretted zithers unearthed in tombs from the south show similar instruments that gradually became longer and had fewer strings, but they are not named in the tombs. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qin Schools
A qin school (琴派 ''qin pai'' in Chinese) is a school of guqin players that play in a style that is different from other styles. People often talk about regional styles because such a model simplifies things — and because it is still somewhat applicable, though less so now than 100 years ago. Generally guqin is highly individualistic so players' approaches will be very personal. Styles and schools These are the main schools in China: * Guangling (廣陵/广陵) * Yushan (虞山 also known as Qinchuan (琴川) or Shu (熟)) in Changshu 常熟 * Shu (蜀 or Chuan (川)) in Sichuan 四川 *Zhucheng (諸城/诸城) * Mei'an (梅庵/楳盦) * Pucheng (浦城) * Jiuyi (九嶷) * Zhe (浙) * Lingnan (嶺南/岭南) in Guangdong 廣東/广东 *Min (閩/闽) in Fujian 福建 *Shaoxing (紹興/绍兴) *Wu (吳/吴) *Shan'nan (山南) *Songjiang (松江) *Jinling (金陵) *Fanchuan (泛川) Today the three main centers of guqin are Beijing, the Jiangnan area (lower Yangtze valley, incl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shanghai Conservatory Of Music
The Shanghai Conservatory of Music () was founded on November 27, 1927, as the first music institution of higher education in China. Its teachers and students have won awards at home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name "the cradle of musicians." It is a Chinese state Double First Class University. As of 2021, Shanghai Conservatory of Music ranked no.4 nationwide among universities specialized in Arts in the recognized Best Chinese Universities Ranking and ranked the best in China in the "Music and Dance" subject . History The Shanghai Conservatory of Music is a music institute famous at home and abroad. It grew out of the National Conservatory of Music, which was established by Cai Yuanpei on November 27, 1927. Dr. Xiao Youmei (Shio Yiu-mei) was the director of the new school and curriculum. His teachings were based on the Leipzig Conservatory of Music, where he graduated. It was one of the first institutions of higher learning of modern music in China. It w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zha Fuxi
Zha Fuxi (; 1895–1976), also known as Zha Yiping () was a leading player and scholar of the guqin. Born in Jiangxi, he started learning guqin in his childhood. In 1936, he co-founded the Jinyu Qin Society () which later became one of the major national musical organizations for the guqin. Apart from his profession on guqin, he worked for the civil aviation company and was active in the labour movement. After the People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ... was established in 1949, he was a vice-chairman of the National Musical Association, president of the Beijing Guqin Society, and a department head at the Central Institute of (Folk) Music. Few recordings of his qin performance have been published, though more remain in private and institutional ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jiangsu Province
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the third smallest, but the fifth most populous and the most densely populated of the 23 provinces of the People's Republic of China. Jiangsu has the highest GDP per capita of Chinese provinces and second-highest GDP of Chinese provinces, after Guangdong. Jiangsu borders Shandong in the north, Anhui to the west, and Zhejiang and Shanghai to the south. Jiangsu has a coastline of over along the Yellow Sea, and the Yangtze River passes through the southern part of the province. Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, Jiangsu has been a national economic and commercial center, partly due to the construction of the Grand Canal. Cities such as Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Shanghai (separated from Jiangsu in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
