The ch’in, a fretted long zither, has been the favorite instrument of Chinese scholars and artists ever since the time of Confucius. The music of this instrument has thus enjoyed a unique position and an uninterrupted tradition. It is also the most characteristic of Chinese music.
Over one hundred symbols (chien-tzŭ) are used in its finger technique for achieving the essential yet elusive qualities of this music: subtle inflections in the production and control of its tones as means of expression. They indicate the articulation and timbre of either a single tone or series of tones. They specify the occurance of variable microtones between fixed scale tones; and, they control the rhythmic and dynamic organization within each tonal aggregate.
In this adaptation, I have magnified, as closest to the original as possible, these inflections in pitch, articulation, timbre, dynamics and rhythm to a more perceptible level by expanding the articulation and timbres possible on each instrument used and by controlling the microtonal modifications in pitch according to the nature of each instrument.
The suble fluctuations in tempo are a feature in this type of music, in accordance with the tradition of ta ch’ü of the T’ang Dynasty.
“Yü Ko” means “Song of The Fisherman.” The fisherman here is a symbol of the man who is in harmony with nature.
(Chou Wen-Chung)
- ISMN: 9790014083045 (M014083045)
