Chapter 25 Su Zhipo/The Great Musician from the Western Regions

Su Zhipo, a famous musician and pipa player from the Northern Zhou Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty. In the middle of the 6th century AD, the Turkic ethnic minority in northern my country was very powerful. Under the leadership of Ashina, the Turkic Khanate was established and controlled the countries in the Western Regions.When the territory was the largest, it started from the Liao Sea in the east, the Caspian Sea in the west, the Amu Darya River in the south, and Lake Baikal in the north.At that time, the Turks established a very close relationship with the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Yu Wenyong, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, was a farsighted monarch who attached great importance to harmonious coexistence with neighboring countries.In March 568 AD, envoys were sent to the Turkic Khan to propose to the Turkic Khan, and asked to marry Princess Ashina, who was proficient in music and dance, as the queen.

On the day of the wedding, the city of Chang'an was decorated with lanterns and festoons, drums and music were loud, workshops were suspended, merchants went on strike, Qiuci drums and music resounded through the sky, and people danced the "Su Mu Zhe" dance, which was very lively.Princes from many dependent countries also came to congratulate.This large-scale celebration feasted the eyes of the people of Chang'an, and for the first time experienced the music and dance of the Western Regions full of the atmosphere of the desert and grassland. Among the entourage who followed Princess Ashina to the Northern Zhou Dynasty, there was a great musician, and he was Su Zhipo.

Su Zhipo's family has been musicians for generations, and Su Zhipo is the most outstanding one. He is not only a brilliant pipa player, but also an outstanding music theorist.After he arrived in Central Plains, he played a very important role in the development of Central Plains music. Chinese stringed instruments were basically plucked plucked instruments before the Song Dynasty. The earliest stringed instruments such as Qin, Se, Zheng, and Konghou were played horizontally on a table or on a shelf.Since the appearance of "Xiantao" at the end of the Qin Dynasty, it gradually evolved into a plucked plucked instrument like the Ruan Xian played in the arms. These instruments were collectively called pipa at that time.The pipa brought by Su Zhipo has a pear-shaped speaker, which is similar to today's pipa. At that time, it was called a five-string chord pipa, collectively called Hu pipa. Su Zhipo was a famous player who played Hu pipa.Hu pipa quickly became popular in the Tang Dynasty and became one of the most popular musical instruments in the Tang Dynasty.

Su Zhipo is not only excellent in pipa skills, but also proficient in temperament.He once learned from his father the theory of the seven modes of "five dan" and "seven tunes" used in the Western Regions, and he brought this theory to the Central Plains.The musician Zheng Yi at that time had learned the theory of Kucha pipa and Kucha tunes from Su Zhipo, and created the theory of eighty-four tunes.The theory of seven tunes gave the music of later generations a new concept, effectively promoted the establishment of the music system of the Chinese nation, promoted the vigorous development of Yan music in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and had a profound impact on the development of Song Ci, Yuan Opera and even opera.

Su Zhipo also made great contributions to the music of her own nation. The Uyghur Twelve Muqam is the most widely influential folk singing art in Central Asia, especially in the Western Regions where the Uyghur people live. , It is also extremely rare in the history of national art in the world.It draws the essence from thousands of folk tunes and folk songs, and expresses the sentiments and ideals of the Uyghur people in the form of music, dance, and poetry singing.Twelve Muqam music, which develops simultaneously with the history and culture of the Uyghur people, has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the Uyghur people.As early as the 5th century, Su Zhipo used graphic spectrum (Tocharian symbols) to record some main tunes belonging to the category of Twelve Muqams, and made great contributions to the preservation of Twelve Muqams. big contribution.