A ''qupai'' (; also called ) is the generic term for a fixed
melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
used in
traditional Chinese music
''Guoyue'' ( 國 樂; literally "national music"; also ''minyue'' (民乐), ''huayue'' (華樂) or ''zhongyue'' (中樂)), nowadays refers to the music composed for Chinese musical instruments, which is an extension of the Chinese traditional ...
. The literal meaning is "named tune," "labeled melody," "titled tune," or "titled
song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
". ''Qupai'' are relatively brief, most comprising between 20 and 70
measures
Measure may refer to:
* Measurement, the assignment of a number to a characteristic of an object or event
Law
* Ballot measure, proposed legislation in the United States
* Church of England Measure, legislation of the Church of England
* Measu ...
in
2/4 meter
The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...
. Many ''qupai'' are centuries old, but only a few of these have been handed down to the present.
''Qupai'' are commonly used in Chinese opera, such as ''
kunqu
Kunqu (), also known as Kunju (), K'un-ch'ü, Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. Kunqu is one of the oldest traditional operas of the Han nationality, and is also a treasure of Chinese traditional cult ...
'' and
Beijing opera
Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became fully developed and recognize ...
, as well as by folk and ritual ensembles, including ''
Jiangnan sizhu ''Jiangnan sizhu'' () is a style of traditional Chinese instrumental music from the ...
'' and
Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
ritual music. ''Qupai'' have also been used as the basis for 20th century compositions for Chinese instruments, both solo and ensemble. In these contexts, these stock melodies very often serve as a basis for melodic elaboration and
variation. This variation is particularly well codified in the ''taoqu'' structure of ''Chaozhou xianshi'' music.
EOL 8: Birth of a New Mode? (Dujunco): Chaozhou Modal Practice
, ''Ethnomusicology OnLine''.
The ''Baisha xiyue
Baisha xiyue (, literally "Baisha fine music") is one of the two surviving forms of traditional music of the Nakhi people, Naxi (also spelled Nakhi or Nahi) people of Lijiang City, Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China, known as "Naxi ancient music". Bai ...
'' tradition of the Naxi of Lijiang
Lijiang (), also known as Likiang, is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Yunnan Province, China. It has an area of and had a population of 1,253,878 at the 2020 census whom 288,787 lived in the built-up area (metro) made of Gucheng ...
, Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
utilizes 24 ''qupai''.
Notable ''qupai''
*Ba Ban (八板, Eight Beats)
*Huang Ying Liang Chi (黄莺亮翅, Oriole Soaring)
*Jiang Jun Ling (将军令, General's Command)
*Liu Qingniang (柳青娘, Lady Green Willow)
*Qiansheng Fo (千声佛, A Thousand Buddhas)
*Shui Long Yin (水龙吟, Water Dragon Chant)
*Wan Nian Huan (万年欢, Everlasting Joy)
*Xi Jiang Yue (西江月, Moon Over the West River)
*巫山顶
*即 (五三点)
*五梆子
*巴音杭盖
*推辘轴
*十番
*Si Gong Zhu (四公主, Four Princesses)
See also
* Xiaodiao
References
External links
Xi Jiang Yue (西江月) Moon Over the West River in Chinese Calligraphy,Big Seal Script
*Harris, Rachel (2004).
Singing the village: music, memory and ritual among the Sibe of Xinjiang
'. .
*Witzleben, John Lawrence (1995).
"Silk and bamboo" music in Shanghai: the jiangnan sizhu instrumental
', p.70. .
{{Melody types
Chinese music
Melody