The Musical Arts of Ancient China (review)

This publication provides a catalog of 123 Chinese musical instruments from the Music Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Arts in Beijing, which were presented in an exhibition titled "Musical Arts of Ancient China." The exhibition was held at the University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong from September 27, 2001, to January 8, 2002.

The instruments are classified according to the four main categories of the Sachs-Hornbostel system: idiophones, membranophones, chordophones, and aerophones. The catalog presents one instrument per page, each with a color illustration and information on instrumental type, ethnic provenance, date of manufacture, date of purchase/archiving, measurement and specification, playing method, and uses. Information is available in both Chinese and English.

One of the strengths of this catalog is that it affords a glimpse of many instruments that are not commonly seen or known. As Bell Yung notes in his foreword: "The instruments can be divided into two large categories: those from the distant past, some dating to more than two millennia ago (with a few recent archaeological discoveries among them), and those from the distant corners of the vast country, particularly rare instruments from the national minorities that are seldom seen elsewhere" (p. 9).What I find particularly useful in the catalog is that it enables readers to think about instruments in comparative terms. Take for example, the three bowed zithers, zhengni, yazheng, and yaqin (pp. 111–13), found among the Zhuang, Chaoxian (Korean), and Han ethnic communities respectively. Placing these three instruments on consecutive pages prompts readers to take a broader perspective to understand them as relatedmaterial representations of different Chinese identities. Such an impact can only be a result of careful editorial and insightful curatorial planning.

The catalog also includes musical instruments of various ethnic communities within the Han ethnic group. In this way, this collection of instruments foregrounds organology as an important approach to the understanding of historical cross-cultural interactions between China and its neighbors, and also inter-ethnic relationships in China. Collectively, these instruments portray different facets of Chinese musical cultures. From their use in court music and folk song accompaniment, sacrificial rites and operatic music, they reveal the broad range of cultural practices that encapsulate the different meanings of Chineseness.

This catalog is a useful resource for both scholars and the general public. With its color illustration and succinct description of each instrument, this attractive catalog can serve as a good reference for educators and students interested in teaching and learning about Chinese music in particular, and Asian music in general.