Probbing Into The Performance Art Of Pipa In Hu Dengtiaos' Silk String Quintet

Silk String Quintet is a new Chinese folk music performance type founded by Mr. Hu Dengtiao in Middle 20th Century. In Silk String Quintet, composer uses five different Chinese string instrument, including Erhu (or Gaohu), Liuqin (or Zhongruan), Yangqin, Pipa and Zheng, leverages composing skills of Chinese traditional small-sized ensemble, and also introduces the performing skills of Western stringed music ensemble. This new performance type not only maintains traditional skills and timbre of Chinese folk music, but also enhances the expression power of folk music, providing a new idea for creation and performing of Chinese traditional folk music.This article will focus on Pipa specifically and illustrate the role of Pipa in Mr. Hu Dengtiaos' Silk String Quintet from four main aspects, read as "Forming and developing of Silk String Quintet", "Characteristic of Silk String Quintet Performing","the Tang qu of Silk String Quintet" and "Role of Pipa in Silk String Quintet performance". From a perspective of performing skill, we will analyze role and importance of Pipa to Silk String Quintet, in order to provide some theoretic guidance to Silk String Quintet creation and performing.There are few research papers about this topic currently, and all available papers can only be found in some domestic Music journals. A summary is as follows:1) 8 papers written by Mr. Hu Dengtiao, including his views of organization of Chinese folk music orchestra and creation of folk music.2) 12 papers written by students of Mr. Hu Dengtiao or other researchers, including analysis of several specific works of Silk String Quintet (Chang Shouzong's), general instruction of Mr. Hu Dengtiao's Silk String Quintet, role of Silk String Quintet in the evolution of Chinese indoor traditional music performing(Guo Shuhui's,Sheng Yunfang's).3) 6 papers mentioning string quintet type or performing in researches on Chinese indoor traditional music creation.In all these research papers listed above, we can find some basic ideas on both evolution and performing type of Silk String Quintet. However, there are almost no research with focus and deep analysis of one specific instrument in Silk String Quintet, which is also a weak link of current research of Silk String Quintet.