In September 2003 I performed and lectured at the Tartu Early Music Festival; that November I also took part in a program called "Music of the Middle Ages, East and West" with the Trefoil Ensemble. An impromptu event connected to the former showed me that the early Western music vocal techniques can sound very good for early qin songs.

My article on historically informed qin performance was originally presented at the meeting of the ACMR (Association of Chinese Music Research) in Detroit, October 2001. It contains the basics of the argument I have used when presenting the topic elsewhere.

Melodies which demonstrate the issues discussed include the following.

The melody Yin De reappears later under the title Qiujiang Yebo. A comparison of the changing modal characteristics gives important clues on the treatment of mode in early qin music.

The versions of Dongting Qiu Si played today were usually derived from the versions in several different handbooks. In this way some of the distinctive early modal characteristics are lost. Comparing the versions gives indications on changing tastes over the years. Understanding the differences is an essential part of historically informed performance.

Zhongqiu Yue can be interpreted as a simple melody in duple rhythm; a freer interpretation perhaps better evokes the atmosphere suggested by the title. An underlying rhythmic structure, though hidden, helps give the melody form.

Yi Lan,which uses standard tuning, begins with two different harmonics on mi, one a Pythagorean third (81/64 in relation to the tonic do), the other a just intonation third (80/64=5/4). Such slight dissonances, an essential part of early qin music, do not appear in the traditional repertoire has handed down to the present.

Two versions of Zui Weng Yin, one published in 1539, the other in 1571, both apply lyrics to a melody following the common pattern of one character for each right hand stroke. However, while the contours of the former closely follow that of the melody as it would normally be sung, those of the latter do not.

 
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