"Guangling San"
Guqin solo composed by Xi Kang (223-262)
Partial division performed by Long Yi in 1993
Ancient guqin solo Guangling San ~ Xi Kang (223 -262) click to enjoy!
Guqin (Ancient Seven-stringed Chinese Music Instrument)
The guqin (Chinese: 古琴; pinyin: gǔqín; Wade-Giles: ku-ch'in; IPA: [kutɕʰin]; literally "ancient stringed instrument") is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favored by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the quote 「士無故不撤琴瑟」, meaning "a gentleman does not part with his qin without good reason", as well as being associated with the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius who is sometimes referred to by the Chinese as the father of Chinese music. It is "the instrument of the sages".
Traditionally the instrument was called simply qin, but by the twentieth century the term had come to be applied to many other musical instruments as well, so the prefix "gu-" (meaning "ancient") was added for clarification. It can also be called qixianqin ("seven-stringed instrument").
A Brief History of "Guangling San"
“Guangling San” is in lists of ancient melody titled as early as the Han dynasty, and could be found in many ancient repertoires including ensemble and solo sheng mouth organ, pipa lute and hujia reed pipe.
In ancient time many have belived that the origin of "Guangling San" melody is associated with an assassination incident concerning Nie Zheng stabed the Han King who lived in the fourth century BC.
The “Guangling San” in qin melody is traditionally attributed to Xi Kang (223 - 262), a famous essayist and poet who lived in the Wei dynasty capital of Loyang, where he was one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.
One of the accounts says he learned this melody from a ghost while stopping at Huayang Pavilion on his way to Kuaiji. Elsewhere he is said to have learned it from a qin master named Du Kui and/or his son. But Xi Kang had mentioned “Guangling San” together with other old melodies in one of his poems. Perhaps what happened at Huayang Pavilion was an experience that led to a revised version of the melody in qin.
Xi Kang was patronized by the Wei imperial family at a time when real power was being gathered into the hands of the Sima clan, who in 265 were to take over direct rule as the Jin dynasty (separated the country into two power called Eastern Jin and Western Jin, Western Jin ended 420). Meanwhile Xi Kang had been executed for offending an official who had the backing of the powerful Sima elite.
The official account of Xi Kang’s story
in the Official History Book of the Jin Dynasty (646 CE) is as below
Xi Kang was from the town of Zhi in the kingdom of Qiao (northwest Anhui province in PRC). Once when traveling to Kuaiji, he spent a night at Huayang Pavilion where he took his qin out to play in the evening. At midnight an un-expected guest paid him a visit, the man said that he was an ancient and discussed music theory with Xi Kang. The words were clear and precise, he then asked for the qin to demonstrate his version of “Guanglin San”. The melody was beautiful beyond description. Although he taught the tune to Xi Kang but made Xi Kang to promise that he would not pass it on to anyone else. In addition, this man did not say what his name was. (Thus a legend had Xi Kang learnt “Guangling San” from a ghost.)
At a time when Sima-yi was a high-ranking general in the state of Wei, Xi Kang and Zhong Hui were senior palace scribes. Whenever Zhong Hui had contact with Xi Kang, Xi Kang did not respect him. Zhong Hui hated him for this, so he made slanderous rumors that Xi Kang was one of the General Guanqiu-Jian’s coup members to try to restoring power of the Cao clan. Sima-yi believed Zhong Hui and out of political interest, Sima-yi decided to terminate Xi Kang.
When Xi Kang was about to be executed at Loyang's execution ground of the East Market, after he looked around at the scenery, his family, friends and by lookers, he asked for his qin to play his favorite “Guangling San” the very last time, saying: 'In the past Yuan Xiaoni wanted to learn “Guangling San” from me, but I’ve made promise never to part with it; so “Guangling San” will no longer exist after today.' Xi Kang was 39 years old when he died in 262. All gentlemen within the empire were heart broken, and when the emperor finally investigated and learned the truth, he was regretful.
© J.S. Li (Hong Kong)
