Chapter 18 Section 7: Music in Sanle Baixi

Sanle first appeared in the pre-Qin period.According to the records of "Zhou Li Chun Guan", the folk music and dramas that the common people like are called "San Yue".In the court of the Zhou Dynasty, Sanyue was in charge of the low-level music official "Yan Ren".After the Western Han Dynasty, all kinds of novel miscellaneous music, acrobatics, illusions, dances, etc. introduced from the Western Regions were also included in Sanyue performances, which enriched the content and form of Sanyue unprecedentedly. The form of comprehensive theatrical performances is called "Hundred Operas".Since then, "Sanyue" and "Baixi" have gradually become synonyms for the same kind of performing arts since the Han Dynasty.

The programs performed by Baixi in the Han and Wei Dynasties include acrobatics - jumping balls (throwing balls), flying swords, dancing wheels, playing bottles, walking ropes, Dulu (jacking poles, climbing poles), stacking cases (high-level take the top) ), etc.; dances—pan drums, Jian drums, bipi dances, long-sleeved dances, towel dances, etc; Illusion, dragon playing, lion playing, fish playing, bird playing, horse racing and so on.The performances of these programs are accompanied by instrumental accompaniment and singing according to different requirements. The beautiful and majestic music is very popular among people.Sometimes the accompanists and singers also join the performances with heavy makeup to make the performance atmosphere more lively.Zhang Heng, a scientist of the Eastern Han Dynasty, has a wonderful description of the performances of all kinds of operas in Kyoto in "Xijing Fu". Clear and euphemistic... before the end of the song, the clouds are flying and the snow is flying. Fairy singer.

The band organization of Baixi music accompaniment can be roughly divided into three types: one is the band in the form of advocacy music, which uses a combination of wind instruments and percussion instruments.For example, the band in the portrait of Yuping Dayi Feng Junruren Baixi Music and Dance in Tanghe, Henan, uses instruments such as panpipes, yu (sheng), 筚篥, and drums. This is a typical advocacy band arrangement.The other is the form of silk and bamboo music, which uses a combination of wind instruments and stringed instruments.For example, the band in the baixi music and dance murals in Liaoyang Bangzitai, Liaoning, uses musical instruments such as clarinets, zithers, and pipas, as well as clapping (beating the rhythm) and singing, which is very similar to the silk and bamboo accompaniment bands mentioned in the previous chapters.Another category is the form of bell and chime music, which is a large-scale comprehensive band that combines chime bells, chime chimes and other musical instruments.For example, in the stone carvings of Baixi music and dance in Yinan, Shandong Province, only the group on the left uses chime bells, chime chimes, cymbals, xun, panxiao, yu, 筚篥, se, floor drum, and Jiangu. There are 17 singers participating in the singing (Figure 21), which is very similar to the aforementioned "Sound of Bells and Chimes" band in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.

The Sanyue Baixi in the Han and Wei dynasties was the heyday of the development of this art category. As a comprehensive performing art form combining singing and dancing, acrobatics and instrumental music, it went through the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and played a key role in the formation of Song and Yuan opera art and the independent acrobatic art. The development of Chinese folk music and the prosperity of folk music and dance have had a profound impact.