Chapter 20 Section 2 Jiaofang and Liyuan

The prosperity of Yan music in the Tang Dynasty had a lot to do with the "Jiaofang", an institution set up by the court to train and manage music performers.The Jiaofang was first established in the reign of Emperor Gaozu Wude of Tang Dynasty (618-626 A.D.).In the second year of Emperor Kaiyuan (714 A.D.), there was an "inner teaching workshop" in the inner garden of Penglai Palace; two "foreign teaching workshops" were set up outside the Forbidden City and in Luoyang, Tokyo. The main task of the teaching workshop is to cultivate music and dance talents and to teach and rehearse singing, dancing and Sanyue.Artists in the teaching workshop are divided into several levels according to the level of sensuality and color skills: commoner women are selected into the teaching workshop to learn to play pipa, konghou, zither and other instruments, which are called "〔CHoU〕Tanjia"; Those with the highest level of skill and who often perform in front of the emperor are called "inners" or "foreheads".The number of insiders is small, and the performances are often supplemented by palace people and drummers.Therefore, during rehearsals, the wife often plays the role of demonstrating, leading the dance and holding the line at the front or back of the singing and dancing line.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the number of artists in the Jiaofang has been greatly expanded. There are more than 10,000 geisha in the Jiaofang in Chang'an alone.According to the memorandum of Cui Lingqin's "Jiaofang Ji" in the Tang Dynasty, the number of music, dance and Sanyue Baixi works of various ethnic groups accumulated in each teaching workshop has reached as many as 325.Among them, "Yizhou", "Spring Warbler [Zhuan Zhuan]", "Zhezhi", "Daweizhou", "Ta Yao Niang", "Wu Ye Cry", "An Gongzi", "Yushu Houting Flower" ", "Xihe Sword Artifact", "Hemanzi", "Green Waist", "Liangzhou" and other songs, dances and music dramas were all rehearsed by Jiaofang artists and performed in the palace, and they were highly valued by the government (Figure 23) .

The prosperity of "Faqu" in Tang Yan music has a great relationship with the establishment of another music institution "Liyuan" in the court. The Pear Garden is a music, singing and dancing teaching place set up by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty.Tang Xuanzong Li Longji, who personally set up Liyuan, was a multi-talented musician who appeared as an emperor in the feudal society of China. , "You can do whatever you want", even the great ancient musicians Kui and Shi Kuang "couldn't pass it" (Tang Nanzhuo's "Jiegulu").Tang Xuanzong "loved Faqu". In the second year of Kaiyuan (714 A.D.), he selected 300 people from the disciples of Zuobu Ji to teach in Liyuan, and he personally served as a music coach. Anyone who "has a wrong sound" will "must be aware of it and correct it." Therefore, these artists are also called "disciples of the emperor's Liyuan".In addition, he also selected hundreds of court ladies to live in Yichun North Courtyard to learn music, singing and dancing. These musicians are also called "Pear Garden Disciples".There are also more than 30 "Small Voices" in the Liyuan institution. This is the children's music team, which is composed of children under the age of 15.The programs rehearsed in Liyuan are mainly Faqu, and these Faqu are mainly Tang Xuanzong's works.

In addition to the Liyuan in the palace, there is also a "Liyuan Biejiaoyuan" in Chang'an; and a "Liyuan Xinyuan" in Luoyang.The former has about 1,000 people to learn French music and rehearse new songs; the latter has about 1,500 people to play common folk songs, and those with outstanding skills are transferred to the teaching workshop. Jiaofang and Liyuan in the Tang Dynasty produced a group of outstanding music and dance performance talents, which not only injected fresh blood into the development and prosperity of the music and dance of various ethnic groups in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, but also contributed to the development of Chinese secular music due to the alternate metabolism of outstanding artists. It also played a role that cannot be underestimated.Bai Juyi's "Pipa Xing" chanted "the eldest married as a businessman's wife" The artistic career of the woman is a typical example of this.