Chapter 94 Wu Sheng and Xiqu

Wu Sheng is a folk song popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang during the Northern Dynasties; Xiqu is a folk song popular in Jingchu (now Hubei) during the Northern Dynasties. After the clothes of the Eastern Jin Dynasty crossed the south, the old music disappeared.So I once again turned my attention to the folk, and learned nourishment from folk music.Wu Sheng and Xiqu, with their fresh, lively, melodious and melodious features, were quickly loved by the upper-class rulers and the lower-class people, and became the main components of "Qing Shang Music". "Book of Southern Qi·Xiao Huiji Biography" said: "Since Song Daming (Emperor Xiaowu's reign), vocal tricks have been favored, and there are many Zheng and Wei vulgar, elegant music, and there are few good ones." "Book of Southern Qi·Wang Seng" "Qian Zhuan" also said: "Most of the ceremonies and music in the imperial court violated the canon, and the folks competed to create new songs." Xiqu.

Different from Han Yuefu folk songs, Wu Sheng and Xiqu were produced in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the big cities on both sides of the Han River, and they reflect the life of the citizen class.It does not have the profound social content and strong fighting spirit of Han Yuefu, but more about the love between men and women. It is rarely a long work like Han Yuefu, but mostly short ditties with five words and four sentences.According to records, there are twenty-four Wu Sheng songs that have been handed down now, including "Midnight Song", "Midnight Four Seasons Song", "Shangsheng Song", "Reiyi Song", "Qianxi Song", "Dingdu Huge Song" ", "Hua Shan Ji", "Reading Songs" and so on, are all famous works that have been recited through the ages.According to "Ancient and Modern Music Records", there are mainly two categories of Western tunes: "Dance Music" and "Yi Ge", with a total of 34 pieces and more than 140 pieces.Among them, the famous ones are "Stone City Music", "Wu Ye Cry", "Mochou Music", "Three Continents", "Cai Sang Ferry", "Jiangling Music", "An Dongping", "Nah Beach" (the above dance songs) and "Qingyangdu" "Daughter and Son", "Yedu Niang", "Lailuo", "Pingxi Music", "Looking for the Sun", "Baifujiu", "Pu Pu" (the above song) "Meng Zhu" and "Yi Le" (the above dance music and song ) "Yang Ren'er", "Xiwu Night Fly", "Moon Festival Folding Willow Song" (the above ordinary songs), etc.

Both Wu Sheng and Xiqu were originally a cappella without accompaniment, which were called "tuge" in ancient times.Orchestral accompaniment was added later. "Song Shu Le Zhi" said: "Wu Ge miscellaneous songs came out of Jiangdong. Since Jin and Song Dynasties, they have been slightly expanded. At the beginning, they were all pure songs, and then they were played by various strings."