Others perform for their own enjoyment, cultivation and cultural continuity. They have "gongfu"-mastery, skill, and ability rolled into one. They accomplish what ancient Chinese thinkers and artists have always considered their Overall goal-to bring the human mind into a state of harmony and order.
You are about to discover an intimate and refined music that is as rich, diverse and complex as any of the great musical traditions known today. It represents the soul, the essence, the way, the core of life. It is great music, period. So make a pot of tea; imagine yourself in a grotto, at a pavilion or window shopping downtown. Wherever you are, these stories will speak to you. Listen, journey and connect with them!
-Josef Bomback
Oberlin - December, 1997
"That music circled the beams of the room for three days, and still sounded in my ears; for three months following that not even meat was fragrant".
During the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient China (770-221 B.C.), intellectuals had different views of music. Although Laozi (the metaphysical mystic who founded Taoism in the sixth century B.C.) and Mozi felt that music was generally unproductive and unnecessary became it caused rulers to neglect the affairs of state, Confucius' positive view of music had a huge impact. Confucius befieved that through "right conduct" a country could become civilized and that through music its people could achieve universal harmony. He felt that music should be used to influence the people, believing that its proper function was for the worship of a deity, the praising of a benevolent ruler or the calming of passions-but not simply for amusement.
Chinese music is both expressive and evocative. When a bride is carried through town in a sedan chair on her way to her new husband's home, the "suona", sheng and gong proclaim die family's joy, the springy rhythms of the music echoing each bounce of the chair. Tragic and disconsolate feelings can also be conveyed, and the sound of wailing is often heard in Chinese music, evoking feelings of tragedy and sadness.
Chinese music records many stories and much history, although no words may be used. The story itself is a critical part of Chinese music, and part of a muscian's genius is the ability to tell a story in all its fullness without actually saying anything. The story of a general who spends his last hours with his concubine after being defeated in battle, expressing his love as she dances for him, is a component of many musical pieces.
Chinese music has a ceremonial function and was used to introduce dignitaries at important events. The introduction for a general would be different from that of a civil servant, and each would be distinguished by particular phrasing and instrumentation. In Beijing opera you can tekk exactly what is happening-whether an entering character is good or bad, an official or a thief-without looking at the stage.
Music is inextricably linked with nature in China, where muscians have traditionally performed in natural settings. The natural spot for a "gin" is next to a willow tree, by the bank of a small, bubbling stream, against a backdrop of high mountains looming like great warriors. The earth itself listens as the "gin" players replicate the setting in his music.
The idea of Qio is now familiar in the West. Qi has been translated as a life force, energy, spirit, subtle matter or energy present in organizewd form. It was Laozi who first connected Qi with pitch, timbre and resonance, and by the time os Zhuangzi (circa 300 B.C.). Chinese muscians were obsessed with pitch and timbre. WQi was thought to be the wind of heaven, producing twelve pitches that corresponded to the months of the year. There was little division between spiritual Qi and physical matter; it was even thought that armies had a specific Qi, which could be measured by a shaman playing notes on a pitch pipe to register the strength of an opposing force. Whether to fight a battle, delay or retreat depended on the enemy's musical Qi.
Generation after generation of China's people have received strength and wisdom from their musical culture. During the selections, arranging, and recording of this compilation, all the particpants immersed themselves completely in the project. Every effort was made to capture the full sound, feeling and diversity of China's music.