A Study Of The Zheng Zither Of The Qing Dynasty

Up until now,a systematic and comprehensive work on the history of the zheng zither has yet to appear,whether at home or abroad.While the history of zheng of the pre-Qin,Yuan,and Ming dynasties awaits urgent research,zheng of the Qing Dynasty has received even less attention.This thesis tries to present a comprehensive survey of the art of zheng in the over 200 years of the Qing Dynasty.The first chapter explains the structures and expressive forms of the Qing zheng through its shapes,performance techniques and repertoire: first,an introduction to the structural traits of the Qing zheng inherited from previous dynasties and developed during the Qing Dynasty;second,a description of the performance techniques of the zheng;third,an analysis of the forms of zheng music on the basis of individual works.The second chapter introduces the ways in which zheng music was passed down during the Qing Dynasty.The main forms of inheritance of zheng music during the Qing Dynasty,namely master-apprentice inheritance,family inheritance,government-organized inheritance,and inheritance through notation,disclose the reasons why zheng survived and developed in the Qing Dynasty.The third chapter describes the application of zheng in different contexts.In the yanyue tradition of the court,zheng was an accompaniment instrument of the duiwuyue and mengguyue music;in folk music,zheng was the main instrument in ensemble playing,operas and narrative music;in literati music,zheng was played at farewell feasts and family music activities;in religious music,zheng could be seen in Buddhist and shamanic rituals.The fourth chapter discusses the social functions of zheng music,which can be divided into the educational,aesthetic,entertaining and ritualistic functions.The fifth chapter aims to analyze the aesthetic styles and cultural meanings of the Qing zheng.This chapter discusses zheng’s styles of “sadness”,“spectacularity” and“vulgarity” through its timbres and sounds,expressive techniques and specific works.On the basis of zheng’s structures,culture and functions,this chapter also probes the ideal of zheng,as an “instrument of the benevolent and wise”,for the integration of heaven and Man,.These questions about the Qing zheng have yet to be answered systematically.Apart from surveying related historical data,we should dig deeper into these under-studied areas in order to provide theoretical support for further research.