Urgently need a college music appreciation essay

A River of Spring Water, a Lonely Moon, and Many Thoughts

-- Approaching the Night of Spring River and Flower Moon

Chinese Abstract: Studies on the pipa piece "Night of Spring River and Flower Moon" are not uncommon, and it is generally believed that the piece is divided into 10 sections, depicting the charming scenery of the night of the Spring River and Flower Moon and celebrating the beautiful scenery of the water town in the south of the Yangtze River, while rarely touching on the mood and the philosophy of life contained in the piece. It is generally recognized that the piece is divided into 10 sections, depicting the charming scenery of the night of the Spring River Flower Moon and praising the gracefulness of the Jiangnan water town, but seldom touches on the mood of the piece and the philosophy of life it contains. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the realization of life and the thinking of the universe shown in the music.

Keywords: pipa, sorrowful but not sad, artistic characteristics, mood

The talented Zhang Ruoxu wrote on the Yangtze River a "Night of the Spring River, Flowers and Moon," which has flowed into the hearts of many people over the centuries. Spring, river, flowers, moon, night, each word contains a beautiful reverie, each word is saturated with the flavor of beauty. The mesmerizing moon, the glistening lake, the clean sky, the white sand on the statue. This beauty has touched generations of people for thousands of years, and has settled in the blood of Chinese civilization, becoming an eternal classic. "The color is not fascinating, the scenery is not intoxicating," I do not know how many literati and writers, intoxicated by this virtual scene, intoxicated by this spring river flowers and moonlit night.

The famous song of the same name borrows the original poem's mood for interpretation, a sing-song three sighs, not radical, not bold. Gentle strings ruffle the tranquil air, a life to the beauty of the landscape painting gradually unfolded: in the evening of the evening drums to send away the sunset, the sound of the Xiao sound full moon, people driving a light boat, roaming in the calm spring river, both sides of the green hills stacked green, flowers and branches of the shadows; the surface of the water waves heart swinging moon, paddle sculls to add the sound. "The tide of the Spring River is even with the sea, and the bright moon * * * is born on the sea. Rippling with the waves for ten million miles, where the spring river has no moonlight." The beauty of Jiangnan and the timelessness of the poem are softly integrated into the euphemistic and simple melody and smooth and changeable rhythm. The music is graceful, the rhythm is smooth and varied, and the orchestration is crystal clear, which makes people have a deep memory of the past. [1]

1. Background and status of the piece:

The piece was originally a large pipa piece called "Sunset xiaogu", also known as "Xunyang pipa". The sheet music was first seen in the pipa score transmitted by Ju Shilin (about 1736~1820) and the handwritten copy of Wu Wanqing in the first year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1875) In 1895, pipa virtuoso Li Fangyuan included it in the New Score of Pipa for Thirteen Great Pipa Pieces of the Northern and Southern Schools After 1925, the Cosmos Society of Shanghai adapted it into a national orchestral music, renamed it as Moonlit Night on the Spring River and then it was reorganized and adapted for a number of times after the liberation, with the artistic The performance is more mature and perfect. [2]

This piece appeared as one of the masterpieces of Chinese traditional music at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and is a bright pearl in China's folk music.

2. Listen to the music:

The sound of the pipa rises, an exquisite picture of the spring, river, flowers, moon, the rhythm of the night as flowing notes like play; pipa ah, you are whisked by the wind of the ancients? The breath of the poem is dense; your hand is knocking on the door of the allusion? Door opening that glimpse, is the woman with the moon looking forward to the return of the eyes of the king?

The artistic characteristics of the piece "Moonlit Night on the Spring River" are mainly manifested in the melodic unfolding technique based on the core tones, which is based on the two core tones as the basis for the link to the modal or variations, constituting the melody of the presentation and unfolding. After the development of each section of music, a ****same material is often used as the end of a small section, which runs through the whole piece, making the music sound very harmonious. It shows the traditional Chinese music aesthetics of appreciation habits and use of characteristics, in the serenity of the new performance and flow, and this flow is submerged in the middle and elegant beauty of the show. [4]

The structural layout of the eleven sections of the piece can be roughly divided into three parts. The first part is the second to the fifth section, which is the presentation of the theme. The second part is the sixth section, which is a slightly contrasting passage developed on the basis of the first thematic material, with the melody appearing in the bass register and a subtle, deep tone. The third part of the seventh to eleventh paragraph, the tenth paragraph is the climax of the whole piece, mainly using rapid and various modal techniques to form the music continues to develop the momentum of the meandering melodic line up and down twice, graphically depicting the sculling sound of the rush, the boat and the water beat each other, the waves undulate, the light boat close to the shore of the joyful scene. The specific analysis is as follows:

(1) Introduction:

The introduction adopts the rhythm of a free loose board, with the pipa simulating the faint sound of drums coming from the river in the distance, and the xiao and zheng playing slight waves, depicting the scene of the setting sun reflecting on the surface of the river, and the smoky wind ruffling the ripples of the water.

(2) The Bells and Drums of the River Tower

The orchestra plays the theme of the piece, which is as beautiful as a song, and the phrases are connected by the same tone, which is euphemistic and calm; the drums roll softly, which is in a far-reaching mood. The ending phrase played by the Xiao and Pipa is a fixed termination phrase that runs through every paragraph, as if people are hearing and seeing the Xiao and drums, the bright moon, the shadow of the flowers, the clouds and the water, the fishermen's songs and other scenery, and then heartily exclaimed, "The moonlit night of the Spring River is as beautiful as a picture".

(3)

The theme is shifted up four degrees for free modal progression, and the melody has a sense of rising dynamics, presenting the view of the moon rising in the sky.

(4) "Returning to the Mountain and Water"

This is the second variation of the piece. The tune spirals downward and then rises back up, showing the rippling water. It vividly expresses the river breeze and the joyful mood of the people who are boating on the river.

(5) "Flower Shadow Cascading"

This is the third variation of the piece. After seven bars of slow melody, the pipa plays a flamboyant melody with four sets of tight and then wide patterns, which is quite imposing. The mood rises and falls steeply, and then remains joined at the end, as if the shadows of the flowers in the water were swaying and layered in confusion, in contrast to the tranquil picture depicted before.

(6) "The Deep Interval of Water and Clouds"

In the thick middle and low registers, the pipa, zheng, and xiao play in unison, then jump in octaves and use vibrato and overtones to create an ethereal soundscape. The contrast in tone range and timbre is reminiscent of an empty, hazy evening scene in the middle of a river.

(7) "Fishing and Singing in the Evening"

This piece of music is very distinctive in that it starts with a resting half-beat in the third measure of each phrase, which makes it seem fun and lively. Xiao and pipa, accompanied by wooden fish, play a descending melody like a song, as if the fisherman sings while sculling, while the other instruments play in unison after the long notes of each phrase, as if the people on the boat are answering the chorus, which expresses the joyful mood of the people who are enjoying their nightly trip to the fullest, and also adds a witty and active atmosphere to the piece.

(8) "Migratory Lan Clapping"

This is the fifth variation of the piece. The pipa first plays a series of slow and fast staccato and powerful modal patterns, and then the orchestra plays the whole piece, which is similar to the mood of a fishing boat breaking the water, the river lapping and the waves splashing.

(9)

The sound of running water and sculling is used to portray the many fishing boats on their way home. Because of the repetition with the ninth paragraph, it is often deleted without playing.

(10) "Alas for the Returning Boat"

This is the climax of the piece, with the music rising in a repetitive manner, the zheng playing like running water, the tempo going from slow to fast, from weak to strong, and the melody being compact, powerful, and exciting. It vividly depicts the boat breaking the water, the waves splashing, the sound of the sculling boat, and the picture of the boat approaching from afar.

When the music reaches its climax, the melody slows down to its original speed. The guzheng is playing from low to high, and then it moves to the end of the eleventh section.

(11) "Epilogue"

When the erhu and xiao successively play the melodious main theme, the music returns to the poetic mood at the beginning of the piece. A light and indistinct gong at the end gives the music a more profound and long-lasting mood. It is as if the light boat is fading away, and the river and sky are a peaceful night. [3]

3. Perception of the music:

The tune will be profoundly beautiful art world deliberately hidden in the confusing artistic atmosphere, the whole psalm seems to be shrouded in a piece of ethereal and confused moonlight, attracting the listener to explore the true meaning of the beauty of it. It is said that this piece is "mournful but not hurtful", showing the charming scenery of the night of the Spring River and the Moon while carrying a hint of reflection on the infinity of the universe and the transience of life; despite the sadness, it is still light; despite the sighs, it is always light; mournful but not hurtful, and resentful but not chaotic. On the one hand, it is a lamentation on the shortness of life, envying the infinity of the universe and mourning the shortness of our life. And in this sigh also contains the realization of the endless vitality of all things in the universe. In comparison with the everlasting moon and the endless river, life is small and transient, but it is also this small and transient life that, in the face of the infinite universe, gives rise to a contemplation and a dream that transcends the limitations of existence. On the other hand, it is the admiration and lingering of life. Strolling along the river, the spring night is quiet, the jade rabbit rises in the east, the river is swinging, the shadow of flowers swaying. The pipa strings in the ear, silky ......

Finally, the last, scattered, quiet, departed, leaving only the endless river and bright bright moon. The good night of the spring river and the moon, the remote river and sky, the infinite depth of the universe, such a scenario can always evoke a person's remote and low back to the unending thoughts. The music in the ear is a bit heavy, like a long murmur, deep and heavy music, without words, but it seems to be asking the world: "When did the moon begin to shine on the banks of the river? When did the moon in the river begin to shine?" A lone moon hovering in the middle of the sky, as if waiting for someone, but can never be as desired. Under the moonlight, there was only the great river's rapid flow, rushing away. I don't know who was the first to be surprised by the brightness of the moon, and no one can know, this light shines in the spring river of the moon, from when it began to sprinkle the earth. Short life is always too fragile, the years are always so merciless, the pipa interpretation of the vicissitudes of the truth of the world: life is so small and short, which is as deep as the universe of eternity. Looking up at the moon, I don't know what night it is.

Concluding Remarks: The famous song "Moonlit Night of Spring River" depicts the charming scenery of the spring river on a moonlit night through the euphemistic and simple melody, smooth and varied rhythms, skillful and delicate orchestration and meticulous performance, and praises the exotic beauty of the Jiangnan water town. The whole piece is just like a long scroll of landscape with fine brushwork, soft colors, and clear and elegant, which is fascinating, and is an oddball in China's national music. When appreciating the piece, we should not only analyze it comprehensively in terms of its tune, rhyme and rhythm, but also pay attention to the mood of Zhang Ruoxu's poem of the same name in order to comprehend the contemplation after the joy. Life changes endlessly from generation to generation, and the only thing that remains unchanged is the river and the moon; but on the other hand, life is short, but everything in the universe is endless and has infinite vitality. It is sad, but there is no lack of hope.

Notes:

[1]. A Course in Music Appreciation (First Book) - Chinese Section

[2]. The Basic Knowledge of Music and Appreciation of Famous Songs

[3]. A Concise Course on Traditional Chinese Music

[4]. Music and Music Appreciation

References:

1 Zhang Limin. Tutorial on Music Appreciation (First Book) - Chinese Part, Shanghai: Shanghai Music Publishing House, 1st edition, January 2006, 3rd printing, March 2007

2Li Liang. Basic Knowledge of Music and Appreciation of Famous Songs, Changsha: National University of Defense Technology Press, 1st edition, 1st printing, January 2006

3 Yuan Jingfang, ed. A Concise Tutorial on Chinese Traditional Music, Shanghai: Shanghai Conservatory of Music Press, 1st edition, May 2006, 2nd printing, January 2007

4Jun Zhang, Aimin Guo, Yuegeng Li, eds. Music and Music Appreciation, Changsha: Central South University Press, 1st edition, 1st printing, August 2004

5Qian Renkang, Hu Qiping, eds. Music Appreciation, Beijing: Peking University Press, 1st edition, January 2005, 2nd printing, November 2005

6 Yu Danhong, ed. University Music Appreciation, Shanghai: East China Normal University Press, 1st edition, February 2007

7 Zhang Yuchi, Zhang Fuyan, eds. Appreciation of Chinese Instrumental Music Works, Liaoning: Chunfeng Literature and Art Publishing House, 1st edition, January 2006

8 Liu Chenghua. The Divine Charm of Chinese Music, Fujian: Fujian People's Publishing House, 1st edition, January 1998