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Performance Themes     Performances     Original Repertoire   /   New Works   /   Guqin Melodies 中文     首頁
My Repertoire
Also arranged alphabetically by romanization (pinyin).
No number indicates an alternate title for the linked one.
Double listing means I have learned two versions.

I have reconstructed (written out staff notation for and made recordings of) all the music in two of the three earliest surviving handbooks: Shen Qi Mi Pu (1425) and Zheyin Shizi Qinpu (1491). As for the fourth handbook, Taigu Yiyin (1511 and 1515), I have transcribed all the music, but can fluently play only a few of them (currently about eight or nine) and have not yet made any recordings. Beyond this, I have learned almost 40 melodies from Xilutang Qintong (1549), plus a total of perhaps 40 further melodies from the following: Faming Qinpu (1530), Fengxuan Xuanpin (1539), Longhu Qinpu (1585), Sanjiao Tongsheng (1592), and Songxianguan Qinpu (1614). The links below are to the melodies I have learned from these handbooks.1

I have also written out transcriptions of many other melodies, especially qin songs. However, I cannot fluently play many of these. For example, in addition to all the songs in Taigu Yiyin (1511 and 1515), mentioned above, I have done this for two versions of Shitan Zhang.2 I have also written commentary on other melodies, such as Pingsha Luoyan and Pu'an Zhou.3

However, these are not all listed below, as this list includes only those melodies which I have learned to play fluently (though I may need a few days' practice first). With Taigu Yiyin in particular I need to work with a specialist who can help with details of the relationship between the music and the natural rhythms of the poetry.

  1. A Bit of Scattered Money (Yi Sa Jin)
  2. Amidst Mountains Thinking of an Old Friend (Shanzhong Si Youren)
  3. Ancient Lament (Gu Yuan)
  4. Ancient Style, The (Gufeng Cao)
  5. Apricot Forum (Xing Tan)
  6. Ascending the Great Void (Lingxu Yin)
  7. Autumn in a Lunar Palace (Guanghan Qiu)
  8. Autumn in the Han Palace Han Gong Qiu)
  9. Autumn Moon Shining on a Reed Pavilion (Qiuyue Zhao Maoting)
  10. Autumn Reverie at Dongting (Dongting Qiu Si)
  11. Autumn River Night Anchorage (Qiujiang Yebo)
  12. Boya Mourns Ziqi (Boya Diao Ziqi)
  13. Bright Virtue Prelude (Mingde Yin)
    Butterfly Dream (Diemeng Yin)
  14. Calling out in Flight (Feiming Yin)
  15. Cangwu Lament (Cangwu Yuan)
  16. Canon of Purity and Tranquility (Qingjing Jing)
  17. Captured Unicorn Huo Lin)
  18. Celestial Air Defining Biyu Mode (Shenpin Biyu Yi)
  19. Celestial Air Defining Chushang Mode (Shenpin Chushang Yi)
  20. Celestial Air Defining Gong Mode (Shenpin Gong Yi)
  21. Celestial Air Defining Guxian Mode (Shenpin Guxian Yi)
  22. Celestial Air Defining Jiao Mode (Shenpin Jiao Yi)
  23. Celestial Air Defining Qiliang Mode (Shenpin Qiliang Yi)
  24. Celestial Air Defining Ruibin Mode (Shenpin Ruibin Yi)
  25. Celestial Air Defining Shang Mode (Shenpin Shang Yi)
  26. Celestial Air Defining Shangjiao Mode (Shenpin Shangjiao Yi)
  27. Celestial Air Defining Wuyi Mode (Shenpin Wuyi Yi)
  28. Celestial Air Defining Yu Mode (Shenpin Yu Yi)
  29. Celestial Air Defining Zhi Mode (Shenpin Zhi Yi)
  30. Celestial Air Defining Old Shang Mode (Shenpin Gu Shang Yi)
  31. Clear Evening Intonation (Qingye Yin)
  32. Clouds over the Xiao and Xiang Rivers (Xiao Xiang Shui Yun)
  33. Come Away Home (Gui Qu Lai Ci)
  34. Covered Brambles Prelude (Mengji Yin)
  35. Cranes Cry in the Nine Marshpools (He Ming Jiugao)
  36. Cranes Dance in the Grotto-Heaven (He Wu Dongtian)
  37. Cry of the Ospreys (Guan Ju)
  38. Defining Da Lü [Great Tone] Mode (Dalü Yi)
  39. Defining Jiao Mode (Jiao Yi)
    Defining Qingshang Mode (Qingshang Yi)
  40. Defining Qingyu Mode (Qingyu Yi)
  41. Defining Wumei Mode (Wumei Yi )
  42. Defining Yize Mode (Yize Yi)
  43. Defining Yingzhong Mode (Yingzhong Yi)
  44. Defining Zhi Mode (Zhi Yi)
  45. Discussing the Dao at Kongtong Mountain (Kongtong Wen Dao)
  46. Doorbar Song (Yanyi Ge)
  47. A Drunken Fisherman Sings in the Evening (Zui Yu Chang Wan)
  48. Dwell at the Source (Chutai Yin)
  49. Eighteen Scholars Ascend Yingzhou (Shiba Xueshi Deng Yingzhou)
  50. Emperor Yu's Gathering at Mount Tu (Yu Hui Tushan; 1425)
  51. Emperor Yu's Gathering at Mount Tu (Yu Hui Tushan; 1491)
  52. Encountering Spirits in an Isolated Mansion (Gu Guan Yu Shen)
  53. Epic Virtue (Da Ya)
  54. Evening Call of the Raven (Wu Ye Ti; 1425)
  55. Evening Call of the Raven (Wu Ye Ti ; 1491)
  56. Evening Talk by a Snowy Window (Xue Chuang Ye Hua)
  57. Exemplary Woman Prelude (Lienü Yin)
  58. Falling into Grief (Li Sao)
  59. Fisherman's Song (Yu Ge; 1491)
  60. Fisherman's Song (Yu Ge; 1549)
  61. Floating Goblets (Liu Shang)
  62. Floating on the Canglang River (Fan Canglang)
  63. Flourishing Orchid (Yi Lan)
  64. Flowing Streams (Liu Shui)
  65. Fragrant Orchid (Pei Lan)
  66. Going with Old-Style Relations (Gujiao Xing)
  67. Guangling Melody (Guangling San)
  68. Han Credentials Melody (Han Jie Cao)
  69. Huaxu Clan Prelude (Huaxu Yin)
  70. Hidden Virtue (Yin De)
  71. High Mountains (Gao Shan)
  72. Exemplary Woman Prelude (Lienü Yin)
  73. Jade Pendants in a Heavenly Breeze (Tianfeng Huanpei)
  74. Jade Sheng Heavenly Crane Yao Tian Sheng He)
  75. Kongtong Mountain Prelude (Kongtong Yin)
  76. Lament of the Xiang River Concubines (Xiang Fei Yuan)
  77. Li Ling Thinks of Han (Li Ling Si Han)
  78. Liezi Rides the Wind (Liezi Yu Feng)
  79. Linqiong Melody (Linqiong Yin)
  80. Long Clarity (Chang Qing)
  81. Male Phoenix Seeks his Mate, A (Feng Qiu Huang; 1549)
    Male Phoenix Seeks his Mate, A (Feng Qiu Huang; 1539)
  82. Marshbank Melody (Zepan Yin)
  83. Melody from Longshuo (Longshuo Cao)
  84. Melody of the Fisherman's Song (Yu Ge Diao)
  85. Melody of the Transcendent Venerable One (Xianweng Cao)
  86. Metamorphosis (Shenhua Yin)
  87. Mid-autumn Moon (Zhongqiu Yue)
  88. Moon Atop a Plum Tree (Meishao Yue)
  89. Mozi Sings with Feeling (Mozi Bei Ge)
  90. Mount Tiantai Prelude; Sections 1-2 only (Tiantai Yin)
  91. Mountain Life (Shanju Yin; 1425)
  92. Mountain Life (Shanju Yin; 1491)
  93. No Ulterior Motives (Wang Ji)
  94. Nomad Reed Pipe, Long Version (Da Hujia)
  95. Nomad Reed Pipe, Short Version (Xiao Hujia)
  96. Nourishing One's Natural Character (Yi Zhen)
  97. Old Toper's Chant (Zui Weng Yin; 1539)
  98. Old Toper's Chant (Zui Weng Yin; 1571)
  99. Opening Fingering (Kai Zhi)
  100. Osprey Cry Tune (Guan Ju Qu)
  101. [Paired] Pheasants' Morning Flight (Zhi Zhao Fei; 1425)
  102. [Paired] Pheasants' Morning Flight (Zhi Zhao Fei; 1491)
  103. Peaceful Evening Prelude (Liangxiao Yin)
  104. Profoundly Serene (Xuan Mei)
  105. Purification Ceremony Intonation (Xiuxi Yin)
  106. Qu Yuan Asks for Advice (Qu Yuan Wen Du)
  107. Respect the Virtuous (Shi Xian)
  108. Rhapsody of Holy Men (Shenren Chang)
    Ride the Vapors (Qi Qi)
  109. Roaming to the Eight Corners of the earth (Baji You)
  110. Sacred Confucian Annal (Kongsheng Jing)
  111. Secluded Orchid, in Stone Tablet Mode (Jieshidiao You Lan)
  112. Secondary Sage Melody (Yasheng Cao)
  113. Seeking a Recluse (Zhao Yin)
  114. Selecting Reality (Cai Zhen You)
  115. Short Clarity (Duan Qing)
  116. Sigh for Antiquity (Kai Gu; 1425)
  117. Sigh for Antiquity (Kai Gu; 1539)
    Sitting and Forgetting (Zuo Wang)
  118. Song of Chu (Chu Ge)
  119. Song of Southern Breezes (Nanxun Ge)
  120. Song of the South Wind (Nanfeng Ge)
  121. Song of Wind Through Pines (Feng Ru Song Ge)
  122. Song Yu Mourns Autumn (Song Yu Bei Qiu)
  123. Spirit Roaming the Universe (Shen You Liuhe)
  124. Spring Dawn (Chunxiao Yin)
  125. Spring Dawn at Peach Spring (Taoyuan Chunxiao)
  126. Springs Flowing over Rocks (Shishang Liu Quan)
  127. Spring Thoughts (Chun Si)
  128. String Tuning Melody (Tiao Xian Pin)
  129. Strum Silk Prelude (Caoman Yin)
  130. Sunny Spring (Yang Chun; 1425)
  131. Sunny Spring (Yang Chun; 1549)
  132. Thinking of [Emperor] Shun (Si Shun)
  133. Thinking of Guanshan (Yi Guanshan)
  134. Thinking-of-Parents Melody (Si Qin Cao)
  135. Three Repetitions of Plum Blossom (Meihua Sannong)
  136. Thrice Parting for Yangguan (Yangguan Sandie; 1491)
  137. Thrice Parting for Yangguan (Yangguan Sandie; 1530)
  138. Wander Afar (Yuan You)
  139. Wandering in a Lunar Palace (Guanghan You)
  140. Water Immortals' Melody (Shuixian Qu)
  141. Wei Riverbank Intonation (Weibin Yin)
  142. Wen Wang's Tune (Wen Wang Qu)
  143. Wenjun Melody (Wenjun Cao)
  144. White Snow (Bai Xue)
  145. White Moon over the River (Jiang Yue Bai)
  146. Wild Geese in Autumn (Qiu Hong)
  147. Wild Geese Traverse Hengyang (Yan Guo Hengyang)
  148. Wind and Thunder (Feng Lei Yin)
  149. Wine Mad (Jiu Kuang)
  150. Withdrawing from Society (Dunshi Cao)
  151. Woodcutter's Song (Qiao Ge)
  152. Yellow Bell Modal Prelude Huangzhong Yi
  153. Yellow Clouds of Autumn at the Frontier Huangyun Qiusai)
  154. Zhao Jun's Lament (Zhaojun Yuan)
  155. Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream (Zhuangzhou Meng Die)

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Others for which I have written transcriptions but do not yet play fluently include:

  1. Xianpei Ying Feng (Fairy Jade Facing the Wind)
  2. Fenghuang Taishan Yi Chui Xiao (On Phoenix Terrace Recalling the Playing of a Flute)
    (Return)

2. 釋談章 Stanzas of Siddham (Return)

3. In 1974/5 I learned Pu'an Zhou and Pingsha Luoyan from my teacher Sun Yü-Ch'in, but for many years I haven't played the melodies I learned from him, or any other such melodies from today's common repertoire. (Return)

 
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