This Jiqin is almost identical to the erhu of later generations. It has a rosewood sound box and neck, the sound box is covered with python skin, and the bow hair is also the best white horsetail. It is exquisitely crafted and obviously made by a famous artist.
I tried playing it and the sound quality was really good.
Now I'm in the mood.
Zhang Shixun tuned the strings, gathered his emotions, and with a flick of his right hand, "Erquan Yingyue" echoed in the pavilion.
"Erquan Yingyue" is a portrayal of the life of blind A Bing and a masterpiece that expresses his emotions. In later generations, it can be said to be a classic work of erhu.
This piece of music has a profound artistic conception, revealing not only the sadness and vicissitudes of life, but also the indignation of not bowing to fate, and expressing the love and longing for life. The melody is sometimes deep and sometimes inspiring.
Once, after listening to this erhu piece, a world-renowned conductor could not help but burst into tears and said, "I should kneel down to listen..."
The erhu is an indispensable instrument in folk music in later generations. Zhang Shixun was influenced by his parents since he was a child and he also loved the erhu very much. He put a lot of effort into his playing skills. When he first started practicing, he was very hardworking, sometimes even to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. This "Erquan Yingyue" was naturally one of the pieces he practiced hard.
Playing this piece of music in front of all the girls now is particularly touching.
He thought of leaving his parents and family behind, traveling across time and space to the Song Dynasty, about to face a world of turmoil and war. He thought of the prosperity of Tokyo and the impending catastrophe; he thought of the countless Song people who were about to be displaced and lose their lives. He couldn't help but immerse himself in the music, as if he wanted to express his deep longing through the notes...
Many emotions such as misery, indignation, helplessness, and resentment are intertwined with each other.
The women followed the ups and downs of the melody, sometimes intoxicated, sometimes inexplicably sad and angry, sometimes calm and peaceful, and sometimes with a surge of emotions...
After the song was over, the room was very quiet and all the girls were in tears.
They are all literary women and are most easily infected by music.
Zhang Shixun said apologetically, "Sorry! I didn't do it well."
After a long while, Sun Sansi took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes and asked, "Mr. Zhang, what is the name of the piece you played?"
"Erquan Yingyue."
"Who did this? Could it be you?" Xu Poxi couldn't help but ask repeatedly.
“This was done by a blind man in Wuxi.”
"Oh! It wasn't composed by you?"
"The blind man's name is A Bing, from Wuxi, and he's a Taoist priest of the Zhengyi school."
Xue Zixiaodao: "I've only heard of the Quanzhen Sect. When did the Zhengyi Sect emerge?"
"Little sister, don't talk nonsense if you don't know." Her sister Xue Zida beside her said, "The Taoist precepts of the Zhengyi Sect are not as strict as those of the Quanzhen Sect. They can marry and have children, eat meat and drink wine, and don't have to live in the Taoist temple."
Zhang Shixun nodded and said, "Madam Xue is very insightful."
Xu Poxi was getting impatient. "Don't interrupt me, let Master Zhang talk about this blind man A Bing."
Zhang Shixun coughed lightly and said, "A Bing lost his mother at the age of three and was raised by his aunt from the same clan. He learned to play the violin from a young age and was proficient in playing various instruments by the age of twelve... Unfortunately, he later indulged himself and became decadent, spending his days in brothels and prostitutes, contracting a series of illnesses and eventually going blind..."
Li Shishi said, "What a pity!"
"Fortunately, despite his pain and despair, A Bing did not give up. He learned from his mistakes, picked up his zither, and went out to the streets, earning a living by playing."
The women sighed for a while, and Xu Poxi asked, "How did you get his music score?"
"On my way back from overseas, I passed through Wuxi and was walking down the street one day when I stumbled upon this piece of music," Zhang Shixun said, his voice lowering. "I went back to him to get his score, but unfortunately, I was told that Abing had died."
"So, you...?"
"I wrote down this music score from memory." Zhang Shixun was a little annoyed by their chattering, so he picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea to calm his nerves.
Li Shishi said, "You remembered it after just one performance, and you played it so brilliantly. This proves that the saying 'skillful and cheerful' is indeed not an exaggeration."
Zhang Shixun shook his head. "Compared to Abing, it's a world away. After all, he based his compositions on his own experiences, pouring all his emotions into the music."
Li Shishi said, "It's a pity that this A Bing you mentioned is dead. Otherwise, we would have invited him to Tokyo."
Zhang Shixun smiled faintly and thought to himself: Let’s wait a thousand years, provided you can live that long.
"Mr. Zhang, please play another song." Ding Dusai begged.
Zhang Shixun agreed without hesitation and said with a smile, "The song just now made you cry, so I will play another one to make it up to you."
"Great!" The girls applauded.
"Don't ask me about the origin and allusions of the song anymore. I'm exhausted from explaining it over and over again." Zhang Shixun emphasized.
"Okay." The women nodded in unison.
Zhang Shixun thought for a moment and asked them, "Who among you can recite the poem 'Moonlit Night' by Liu Fangping of the Tang Dynasty?"
"I can!"
"I can!"
"I can do that too!"
Li Shishi, Ding Dusai and Xue Zida answered almost at the same time.
"Haha! There are so many talented women." Zhang Shixun praised and said, "Someone please recite it. The piece I'm playing is inspired by the artistic conception of this poem."
"Little sister Zi, you come and recite it." Li Shishi said to Xue Zixiao.
Xue Zixiao cleared his throat and recited, "Deep in the moonlight, the night is dark, the Northern Dipper is slanting, the Southern Dipper is tilted. Tonight I know the spring air is warm, the sound of insects is filtering through the green window screens."
Her voice was rhythmic and very sweet, and she recited it word for word.
"Good!" Zhang Shixun praised. They are all educated people and can recite any poem.
Tune the strings, shake your right hand, and start playing.
This piece of music was composed by a famous musician in later generations. It is said that one time he was enjoying the cool air under the moon, looked up at the moon, and was moved by the scene. He picked up the erhu to express his feelings. The melody of the music is gentle, soft, quiet and simple.
The girls were mesmerized by the song and cheered in unison when it ended.
Zhang Shixun put away the Jiqin and handed it to the waitress beside him. He said with a smile, "I, Zhang, took advantage of my drunken stupor today and made a fool of myself in front of you all. I am truly ashamed."
"Mr. Zhang, you are too modest. Your Jiqin skills are beyond my imagination." Li Shishi praised sincerely. Then, looking at Xu Poxi, she said, "Sister Xu is also a master at playing the Jiqin. How do you think she compares to Mr. Zhang?"
"How can the light of a firefly compete with the brightness of the bright moon? Compared to Master Zhang, I am just a beginner." Xu Poxi stood up and bowed respectfully to Zhang Shixun. She said, "If Master Zhang does not forsake me, I would like to take him as my disciple."
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