Qin Music and Calligraphy

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The qin, the Ancient Chinese seven stringed zither is one of the four refined arts traditionally pursued for self-cultivation. (The other three are painting, calligraphy, and chess.) Dr. Mingmei Yip will discuss the interrelation of two of these arts: qin and calligraphy. Chinese aesthetic theories of the two arts will be discussed, especially the abstract beauty of notes and lines and the imitation of animals and objects in nature. Interplay between the yin/yang polarity of empty and full will also be explored.

The presentation will include both performance on the qin with vocal accompaniment and demonstrations of calligraphy.

Program

Drinking Spree
 This composition is attributed to Ruan Ji, one of the seven literati of the Bamboo Groves in the Wei Dynasty. To avoid political entanglement, Ruan spent his time playing the qin, pretending to be drunk and mad. The late qin master Yao Bingyan (1921-1983) reconstructed this piece from the qin manual Shenqi Mipu (Marvelous and Mysterious Qin Handbook , 1425). He settled the score by using the triple meter, which is otherwise unknown in qin music.

Three Variations of the Plum Blossom
 The earliest score of this piece was published in “Wondrous Esoteric Qin Handbook” (1425). In Chinese culture, plum blossom, symbolizing a gentlemen’s virtue —  lofty and righteous, is beloved by poets, artists and qin players. This piece has two themes, a melodious harmonic section extolling the steadfastness symbolized by the plum blossom and a quick and animated section expressing its bravery of surviving the harshness of winter. The harmonic section is repeated in the low, middle, and high registers respectively accounting for the name of the piece. My version is from the Spring Grass Pavilion Qin Handbook (1744 ).

Evening Cry of the Raven
 In ancient China, the raven’s cry was considered an auspicious sign. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589), the Duke Liu Yiqin’s life was under threat because the King was jealous of him. The evening as he was about to flee the country, he heard the raven’s cries. His concubine considered this a good sign and predicted that he would go free. She was later proved to be right. This is a virtuoso piece which fully explores the performer’s finger dexterity.

Flowing Water
 This is a virtuoso piece which imitates the different images of flowing water.

Immortal of the Magpie Bridge
Lyrics: Qin Guan (1049-1100)
Music/translation: Mingmei Yip

This is the Song dynasty (960-1279) poet Qin Guan’s most famous love song. It expresses the pain and suffering of two separated lovers.

Delicate clouds scamper above on the seventh evening of the seventh month
Falling stars carry my bitterness,
secretly traversing the remote Milky Way.
Meeting but once amidst the autumn wind and the dews drops
surpasses endless encounters on earth.

Love is tender as water
Our wedding day is a distant dream
Dejected, I watch the magpies return.

If  love between two people is to last,
Must they see each other day and night?
If love between two people is to last
Must they see each other day and night?

URL: www.mingmeiyip.com

Author Bio

Presented By:

Mingmei Yip received her PhD in musicology from the University of Paris (Sorbonne) on a scholarship from the French Government. A master performer on the qin, she has given lectures and recitals at venues such as Columbia University, Oxford University, Beijing University, the University of Paris, Amsterdam University, Oberlin Conservatory, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the China Institute in New York.

Mingmei is also a writer, her literary career began at fourteen when her essay about art was published in a literary magazine. She has published fourteen books, with two on the qin. Her latest being her 7th novel The Witch’s Market (Kensington Books) which received a glowing review from the ew York Times and her 2nd children’s book Grandma Panda’s China Storybook (Tuttle Publishing, 2014) which she both wrote and illustrated. She wrote columns for seven major newspapers and has appeared on over 40 TV and radio programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and the United States. Her poems were published and performed in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S.

Mingmei is also accomplished as a painter and calligrapher. A one-person show of her paintings of Guan Yin (the Chinese Goddess of Compassion) and calligraphy was held at the New York Open Center Gallery in SoHo in 2002. This exhibit was the subject of a full hour special program on CHN cable in New Jersey

Mingmei was a professor of music in Hong Kong, and in 2005, an International Institute of Asian Studies fellow in Holland. She has taught qin playing and calligraphy at two major Hong Kong Universities.