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.
- A Bit of Scattered Money (Yi Sa Jin)
- Amidst Mountains Thinking of an Old Friend
(Shanzhong Si Youren)
- Ancient Lament (Gu Yuan)
- Ancient Style, The (Gufeng Cao)
- Apricot Forum (Xing Tan)
- Ascending the Great Void
(Lingxu Yin)
- Autumn in a Lunar Palace
(Guanghan Qiu)
- Autumn in the Han Palace Han Gong Qiu)
- Autumn Moon Shining on a Reed Pavilion
(Qiuyue Zhao Maoting)
- Autumn Reverie at Dongting
(Dongting Qiu Si)
- Autumn River Night Anchorage
(Qiujiang Yebo)
- Boya Mourns Ziqi
(Boya Diao Ziqi)
- Bright Virtue Prelude
(Mingde Yin)
Butterfly Dream (Diemeng Yin)
- Calling out in Flight
(Feiming Yin)
- Cangwu Lament (Cangwu Yuan)
- Canon of Purity and Tranquility
(Qingjing Jing)
- Captured Unicorn Huo Lin)
- Celestial Air Defining Biyu Mode
(Shenpin Biyu Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Chushang Mode
(Shenpin Chushang Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Gong Mode
(Shenpin Gong Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Guxian Mode
(Shenpin Guxian Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Jiao Mode
(Shenpin Jiao Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Qiliang Mode
(Shenpin Qiliang Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Ruibin Mode
(Shenpin Ruibin Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Shang Mode
(Shenpin Shang Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Shangjiao Mode
(Shenpin Shangjiao Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Wuyi Mode
(Shenpin Wuyi Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Yu Mode
(Shenpin Yu Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Zhi Mode
(Shenpin Zhi Yi)
- Celestial Air Defining Old Shang Mode
(Shenpin Gu Shang Yi)
- Clear Evening Intonation
(Qingye Yin)
- Clouds over the Xiao and Xiang Rivers
(Xiao Xiang Shui Yun)
- Come Away Home (Gui Qu Lai Ci)
- Covered Brambles Prelude
(Mengji Yin)
- Cranes Cry in the Nine Marshpools
(He Ming Jiugao)
- Cranes Dance in the Grotto-Heaven
(He Wu Dongtian)
- Cry of the Ospreys (Guan Ju)
- Defining Da Lü [Great Tone] Mode
(Dalü Yi)
- Defining Jiao Mode
(Jiao Yi)
Defining Qingshang Mode
(Qingshang Yi)
- Defining Qingyu Mode
(Qingyu Yi)
- Defining Wumei Mode
(Wumei Yi )
- Defining Yize Mode
(Yize Yi)
- Defining Yingzhong Mode
(Yingzhong Yi)
- Defining Zhi Mode (Zhi Yi)
- Discussing the Dao at Kongtong Mountain
(Kongtong Wen Dao)
- Doorbar Song (Yanyi Ge)
- A Drunken Fisherman Sings in the Evening
(Zui Yu Chang Wan)
- Dwell at the Source
(Chutai Yin)
- Eighteen Scholars Ascend Yingzhou
(Shiba Xueshi Deng Yingzhou)
- Emperor Yu's Gathering at Mount Tu
(Yu Hui Tushan; 1425)
- Emperor Yu's Gathering at Mount Tu
(Yu Hui Tushan; 1491)
- Encountering Spirits in an Isolated Mansion
(Gu Guan Yu Shen)
- Epic Virtue (Da Ya)
- Evening Call of the Raven
(Wu Ye Ti; 1425)
- Evening Call of the Raven
(Wu Ye Ti ; 1491)
- Evening Talk by a Snowy Window
(Xue Chuang Ye Hua)
- Exemplary Woman Prelude
(Lienü Yin)
- Falling into Grief (Li Sao)
- Fisherman's Song (Yu Ge; 1491)
- Fisherman's Song (Yu Ge; 1549)
- Floating Goblets (Liu Shang)
- Floating on the Canglang River
(Fan Canglang)
- Flourishing Orchid (Yi Lan)
- Flowing Streams (Liu Shui)
- Fragrant Orchid (Pei Lan)
- Going with Old-Style Relations
(Gujiao Xing)
- Guangling Melody (Guangling San)
- Han Credentials Melody
(Han Jie Cao)
- Huaxu Clan Prelude (Huaxu Yin)
- Hidden Virtue (Yin De)
- High Mountains (Gao Shan)
- Exemplary Woman Prelude
(Lienü Yin)
- Jade Pendants in a Heavenly Breeze
(Tianfeng Huanpei)
- Jade Sheng Heavenly Crane
Yao Tian Sheng He)
- Kongtong Mountain Prelude
(Kongtong Yin)
- Lament of the Xiang River Concubines
(Xiang Fei Yuan)
- Li Ling Thinks of Han
(Li Ling Si Han)
- Liezi Rides the Wind
(Liezi Yu Feng)
- Linqiong Melody (Linqiong Yin)
- Long Clarity (Chang Qing)
- Male Phoenix Seeks his Mate, A
(Feng Qiu Huang; 1549)
Male Phoenix Seeks his Mate, A
(Feng Qiu Huang; 1539)
- Marshbank Melody (Zepan Yin)
- Melody from Longshuo
(Longshuo Cao)
- Melody of the Fisherman's Song
(Yu Ge Diao)
- Melody of the Transcendent Venerable One
(Xianweng Cao)
- Metamorphosis (Shenhua Yin)
- Mid-autumn Moon (Zhongqiu Yue)
- Moon Atop a Plum Tree
(Meishao Yue)
- Mozi Sings with Feeling
(Mozi Bei Ge)
- Mount Tiantai Prelude; Sections 1-2 only
(Tiantai Yin)
- Mountain Life (Shanju Yin; 1425)
- Mountain Life (Shanju Yin; 1491)
- No Ulterior Motives (Wang Ji)
- Nomad Reed Pipe, Long Version
(Da Hujia)
- Nomad Reed Pipe, Short Version
(Xiao Hujia)
- Nourishing One's Natural Character
(Yi Zhen)
- Old Toper's Chant
(Zui Weng Yin; 1539)
- Old Toper's Chant (Zui Weng Yin; 1571)
- Opening Fingering (Kai Zhi)
- Osprey Cry Tune
(Guan Ju Qu)
- [Paired] Pheasants' Morning Flight
(Zhi Zhao Fei; 1425)
- [Paired] Pheasants' Morning Flight
(Zhi Zhao Fei; 1491)
- Peaceful Evening Prelude
(Liangxiao Yin)
- Profoundly Serene
(Xuan Mei)
- Purification Ceremony Intonation
(Xiuxi Yin)
- Qu Yuan Asks for Advice
(Qu Yuan Wen Du)
- Respect the Virtuous
(Shi Xian)
- Rhapsody of Holy Men
(Shenren Chang)
Ride the Vapors (Qi Qi)
- Roaming to the Eight Corners of the earth
(Baji You)
- Sacred Confucian Annal
(Kongsheng Jing)
- Secluded Orchid, in Stone Tablet Mode
(Jieshidiao You Lan)
- Secondary Sage Melody
(Yasheng Cao)
- Seeking a Recluse
(Zhao Yin)
- Selecting Reality
(Cai Zhen You)
- Short Clarity
(Duan Qing)
- Sigh for Antiquity (Kai Gu; 1425)
- Sigh for Antiquity (Kai Gu; 1539)
Sitting and Forgetting (Zuo Wang)
- Song of Chu
(Chu Ge)
- Song of Southern Breezes
(Nanxun Ge)
- Song of the South Wind
(Nanfeng Ge)
- Song of Wind Through Pines
(Feng Ru Song Ge)
- Song Yu Mourns Autumn
(Song Yu Bei Qiu)
- Spirit Roaming the Universe
(Shen You Liuhe)
- Spring Dawn
(Chunxiao Yin)
- Spring Dawn at Peach Spring
(Taoyuan Chunxiao)
- Springs Flowing over Rocks
(Shishang Liu Quan)
- Spring Thoughts
(Chun Si)
- String Tuning Melody
(Tiao Xian Pin)
- Strum Silk Prelude (Caoman Yin)
- Sunny Spring (Yang Chun; 1425)
- Sunny Spring (Yang Chun; 1549)
- Thinking of [Emperor] Shun
(Si Shun)
- Thinking of Guanshan
(Yi Guanshan)
- Thinking-of-Parents Melody
(Si Qin Cao)
- Three Repetitions of Plum Blossom
(Meihua Sannong)
- Thrice Parting for Yangguan
(Yangguan Sandie; 1491)
- Thrice Parting for Yangguan
(Yangguan Sandie; 1530)
- Wander Afar (Yuan You)
- Wandering in a Lunar Palace
(Guanghan You)
- Water Immortals' Melody
(Shuixian Qu)
- Wei Riverbank Intonation
(Weibin Yin)
- Wen Wang's Tune
(Wen Wang Qu)
- Wenjun Melody
(Wenjun Cao)
- White Snow
(Bai Xue)
- White Moon over the River
(Jiang Yue Bai)
- Wild Geese in Autumn
(Qiu Hong)
- Wild Geese Traverse Hengyang
(Yan Guo Hengyang)
- Wind and Thunder
(Feng Lei Yin)
- Wine Mad
(Jiu Kuang)
- Withdrawing from Society
(Dunshi Cao)
- Woodcutter's Song (Qiao Ge)
- Yellow Bell Modal Prelude
Huangzhong Yi
- Yellow Clouds of Autumn at the Frontier
Huangyun Qiusai)
- Zhao Jun's Lament
(Zhaojun Yuan)
- 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:
- Xianpei Ying Feng
(Fairy Jade Facing the Wind)
- 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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