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08. Mid Autumn Moon
- Shang mode,2 standard tuning: 5 6 1 2 3 5 6, but played as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 |
中秋月
1
Zhongqiu Yue 1 See the enlargement 3 |
This title occurs for the first time in Songxianguan Qinpu (1614), then survives in three other handbooks, dated
1647
(repeated 1692),
1692 and
1722. The versions are all almost identical.4
The year's fullest moon occurs at mid-autumn, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. None of the handbooks has any commentary, so the origin of the melody and its connection with the mid-autumn moon are uncertain.
On the other hand, I can report that at 4 AM on the morning of the mid autumn festival of 2002 I played this melody below one of the fullest moons I have ever seen, on top of one of the peaks of Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain), and the experience was quite magical. The sky was perfectly clear and the night dead quiet except for the occasional soughing of the wind. Each note on the qin was sufficient on its own, so there was no hurry to play the next one.5
Inspiration can also come from the many poems that speak of the Mid-Autumn moon. Of particular note are those by Su Dongpo with Mid-Autumn Moon as their title.6
Mid-Autumn is also associated poetically with Peaceful Evening (liang xiao), as in a poem by Duan Keji.
The melody is largely pentatonic, with fa also occurring in several passages, always after re.
Preface
None
Three sections
(00.00) 1. (harmonics)
(00.29) 2.
(01.15) 3.
(02.18) harmonics
(02.32) end
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a
separate page)
1.
Mid Autumn Moon (中秋月 Zhong Qiu Yue)
78.381 has only 中秋 zhong qiu: mid-autumn. QQJC VIII/95.
(Return)
2.
Shang mode (商調 shang diao)
For further information on shang mode see
Shenpin Shang Yi and
Modality in Early Ming Qin Tablature.
(Return)
3.
Image: Painting by 知玄 Zhi Xuan
See details.
(Return)
4.
Tracing Zhong Qiu Yue
Zha Guide 30/--/-- lists this melody in:
5.
Playing Zhongqiu Yue during Mid-Autumn
The experience on Huang Shan was a good example of the lesson to be learned from a story originally told in connection with the most famous qin master of antiquity, Bo Ya.
(Return)
6.
Mid-Autumn poems of Su Dongbo
These are translated and discussed in Michael A. Fuller, The Road to East Slope; Stanford U. Press, 1990; pp.237-8. In all there are four such poems written in 徐州 Xuzhou during the mid-autumn festivals of 1077 and 1078; several years earlier he also wrote one in 密州 Mizhou (eastern Shandong province).
The poem written in 1077 follows the (7+7) x 2 syllabic pattern of Wang Wei's famous Yang Guan poem originally called Weicheng Tune. My translation of Su Dongpo's poem, as follows, goes word for word:
Sunset's clouds gather together, flowing pure and cool.
The Milky Way, making no sound, circles the Jade Dish (the moon).
This life, this evening: it cannot always be so good.
The bright moon: next year, from what place will I see it?
The Chinese syllables fit exactly the note count of the four phrases of the harmonic section opening Zhongqiu Yue, meaning the poem could be used as lyrics for that part of the melody. However, there is no record of this ever having been done.
Su's mid-Autumn poem written in Mizhou, using the cipai
Shui Diao Ge Tou, was published in 1618 set to a qin melody of that name.
(Return)
Return to the annotated handbook list or to the Guqin ToC.