中國傳統器樂

阿倫‧費莎

中國傳統器樂存在幾個不同的類型，以古琴和琵琶為例的獨奏音樂；傳統的室內「絲竹樂」；和許多戶外的「吹打樂」等。對於中西方的聽眾而言，鑒於獨奏音樂的國際化，它早已讓聽眾們耳熟能詳了。許多獨奏音樂都已經錄製成了黑膠唱片或激光唱片進行分享。室內傳統音樂卻沒有那麼火紅，但在中國，這已經開始改變了。

自一九六○年代後，音樂學者們以「絲竹」這個詞作為一個普遍對室內器樂演奏的稱謂。最具代表性的是江南絲竹（蘇南地區），潮州弦詩（廣東省沿海地區），客家絲弦（廣東省中部地區），閩南南管（福建南部及台灣），廣東音樂（ 嶺南地區及香港）。這些地區性的小樂隊都是由使用絲弦的拉彈樂器及竹類吹管樂器所組成，傳統的南方樂隊主要是受清代中葉（公元一八○○）以來的北方弦索樂所影響演變而成。這些傳統的地區性音樂多年來部份地已經發展為帶有跨文化互動性質，特別是潮州音樂與客家音樂（他們許多曲調和樂器也是類似的）；客家音樂及廣東音樂（客家音樂的旋律亦被廣東作曲家應用）；以及廣東音樂和江南絲竹（自二十世紀初以來香港和上海兩個高度都市化地區的音樂家都有共同的音樂理念）。絲竹式音樂是普遍存在於家庭和樂社中，作為娛樂和個人修習，雖然，閩南音樂家有時也在佛教寺廟演奏，而江南音樂家也會在當地茶樓中獻技。各地區的曲目大抵都是一些稱為「曲牌」的舊曲調（命名曲調），旋律來自傳統戲曲及民間曲調。最普遍的就是「八板」，它是由六十八拍來組成八個樂句的器樂曲牌。 「八板」在華南已經非常有影響力，許多著名作品也以其為基調，如昭君怨、寒鴉戲水、出水蓮和餓馬搖鈴等。

大致來說，與南方絲竹音樂對比的是聲響巨大的吹打音樂。這類型的音樂，在整個中國的每個地區都擁有著不同的組合和名稱，如蘇南吹打、山東鼓吹、西安鼓樂、潮州大鑼鼓和台灣北管。這些樂種通常是用來進行戶外慶典和巡遊活動，如喪葬，祭祀和宗教儀式。傳統來說，通常使用管子與笛子，伴以笙，或由小型樂隊與嗩呐（有笙或無皆可）；敲擊樂器的使用，則包括鐃鈸鑼鼓，在華北地區亦有使用「雲鑼」的，其音樂節奏本身往往是較為活潑及明快。

在我所作的「華南絲竹傳統」研究中，我發現幾個特點值得特別關注。第一，普遍地在潮州，客家及閩南地區的人士，都認為他們的音樂和演奏風格可以追溯到唐代，事實上，一些名詞和樂器特色是可以追溯到唐代，但目前沒有證據顯示這些音樂的傳承是在明初時期（ 一三六八至一六六二年）或以前已出現。另一種信仰，是他們的音樂反映了儒家美學和其他古老的意識形態，這對我來說是特別有興趣，因為很多不同的音樂家都試圖解釋這種關係，如五架頭，五聲調式，有時甚至是某些詞語，也與中國吉祥號碼的五和八扯上關係；其次是，好的修養是需要有節制和含畜；再者是，旋律的演化應體現在自發的概念（道家的「自然」理念）；以及，也許最重要的是這些傳統風格的音樂，鼓吹著人性的善良和美德（具有儒家理念）。潮州，客家及閩南的音樂家堅信他們的高雅音樂是儒家音樂（儒樂）。努力保存這些古老的意識形態在中國東南沿海地區的音樂傳統，是我的新書《中國華南的絲竹器樂》之焦點。

二○○七年冬於加拿大溫哥華卑斯省立大學

Alan R.Thrasher:

民族音樂學者

加拿大卑詩大學民族音樂學系主任

Traditional Chinese Instrumental Music

Alan Thrasher

Traditional Chinese instrumental music exists in several quite different types, notably: the solo genres, the gin zither and pipa lute repertoires being good examples; the regional indoor ‘silkbamboo’ chamber music traditions; and the numerous outdoor “‘blowing-hitting’ genres. The solo genres are reasonably well known to Chinese and Western audiences because these repertoires have become ‘nationalized’ and are also well recorded on LP and CD; but the regional ensemble types are not so well known outside of their districts, though in China this is beginning to change.

Music scholars from the 1960s onward have used the term ‘silk-bamboo’ (sizhu) as a general category in identification of the chamber music types. Most representative are Jiangnan sizhu (southern Jiangsu), Chaozhou xianshi (‘string poem’ music, coastal Guangdong province), Hakka sixian (‘silk string’, interior Guangdong province), Minnan nanguan (‘southern pipe’ music, southern Fujian province, Taiwan), and Cantonese yinyue (‘music’, southern Guangdong province, Hong Kong). These ensembles are dominated by relatively soft instruments with ‘silk’ strings (Lutes, fiddles and zithers) and flutes of ‘bamboo.’ Most southern traditions are related to the historic ‘string’ genre of North China (xiansuo), a chamber music type well documented by the mid-Qing dynasty (c1800) but in performance before this. Among these traditions there has been a good amount of cross-cultural interaction over the years, notably between Chaozhou and Hakka peoples (many of their tunes and instruments are similar), between Hakka and Cantonese peoples (Hakka melodies have been adapted by Cantonese composers), and between Cantonese and Jiangnan peoples (the two highly urbanized regions of Hong Kong and Shanghai having shared musical ideas since the early 20th century). Sizhu-type music is generally played in homes and in music clubs for entertainment and self-cultivation, though Minnan musicians also sometimes perform at Buddhist temples and Jiangnan musicians play in the local teahouses. The regional repertories are based upon a group of old tunes called gupai (‘named tunes’), melodies derived from traditional opera and other song-types. Most widespread is Baban (“Eight Beat”), an instrumental gupai of 68 beats, organized in eight phrases. The Baban form has been extremely influential in South China, serving as a foundation for such famous pieces as Zhaojun Yuan (“Lament of Zhao Jun”), Hanya Xishui (“Winter ravens playing in the water”), Chushui Lian (“Emerging lotus blossoms”) and Ema Yaoling (“Hungry horse shaking its bells’).

Broadly speaking, the southern sizhu music may be contrasted with chuida (“blowing-hitting’) music, which is dominated by louder wind instruments and percussion. This type of music is found throughout China, each region possessing its own variants and names, such as Sunan chuida (southern Jiangsu province), Shandong guchui (‘drumming-blowing’), Xi’an guyue (‘drum music’, Shaanxi province), Chaozhou daluogu (‘great gong-drum’) and Taiwanese beiguan (‘northern pipe’). These types are usually employed to perform for outdoor celebrations and processions, such as funerals, calendrical rites and religious ceremonies. In most traditions, wind instruments dominate, typically with the guanzi reed-pipe and dizi flute, supported by the sheng mouth-organ, or in other ensembles with the suona shawm (with or without the sheng). Percussion instruments include cymbals, gongs and drums, and in North China sets of ‘cloud gongs’ (yunluo). The music itself tends to be ‘lively’ (qingkuat) in its movement and bright in tone colour.

In my own research on the ‘silk-bamboo’ traditions of South China, I have found several characteristics to be of particular interest. First, the widespread local belief among the Chaozhou, Hakka and Minnan that their music preserves styles and practices dating back to the Tang dynasty (618-907). In fact, some terminology and points of instrument design can be traced back to Tang sources, but there is no evidence of these exact musical traditions appearing before the early Ming period (1368-1662). Another belief among these cultures 1s that their music reflects the virtues of Confucian and other ancient ideologies. This I have found especially interesting because of the many different ways musicians have tried to explain this relationship: that five-piece ensembles, pentatonic modes and sometimes even certain phrase lengths are associated with (even determined by) auspicious Chinese numbers such as five and eight; that good embellishment style requires moderation and control (hanxu); that melodic variations should be realized in a spontaneous manner (ziran, a Daoist ideal); and, perhaps most important, that these traditional styles of music encourage virtuous behaviour (a specific Confucian goal). Chaozhou, Hakka and Minnan musicians indeed say that their refined music IS Confucian music (ruyue). The survival of these ancient ideologies in the musical traditions of coastal southeast China is the focus of my new book, Sizhu Instrumental Music of South China (E.J. Brill, 2008).

Alan R. Thrasher

University of British Columbia