Tracing the centuries-old evolution of a traditional Chinese pipa masterpiece
In short: Watch Grammy-nominated virtuoso Wu Man perform a piece with roots stretching back to the Ming Dynasty. This performance captures the intricate history of a musical work that has evolved through centuries of handwritten scores.
The performance, filmed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Astor Chinese Garden Court on April 13, 2016, features a piece with a long lineage. While the music has been popular since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), its written history is more recent. A handwritten score containing seven untitled sections first surfaced in 1875.
This specific excerpt is drawn from an 1895 publication titled Li Fangyuan's New Collection of 13 Pipa Score. Unlike the earlier 1875 version, this score features eight subtitled sections, illustrating how these traditional compositions were refined and reorganized over time.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Pipa: “Flute and Drum Music at Sunset" (excerpt), performed by Wu Man
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