Consoling the Mind with Music

3 min read

One cannot discuss Chinese music without mentioning a seven-stringed musical instrument, the Chinese zither, which represented the zenith of cultivated learning in ancient times, followed by go, calligraphyand painting. As the most ancient instrument in China, the zither has long been a favorite of the literati.While music in general was meant to govern the country by promoting harmony, the Chinese zither was more of an individual instrument for solace and personal appreciation.Ancient Chinese literati consideredthe zither a prerequisite for their cultivation. Its beautiful melodies helped to maintain peace and balance of the mind.

Ambiance was an important aspect in playing the Chinese zither.Zong Bing(375-443),a painter and musician of the late Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) and early Southern Dynasties(420-589), enjoyed playing the zither by a stream in the mountains. As he plucked the strings gently, he would gradually forget where he was. The sounds of the zither mixed with the echoes from the mountains, until the musician found himself at one with nature.Playing the Chinese zither in snow was also a favorite pastime for ancient artists, who regarded the instrument as the purest of its kind in the world. What could be more fitting than playing it midst white snow? Wu Wei(1409-1508),a famed painter of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), described the following scene in the masterpiece Looking for Plum Blossoms in Snow.A man with a walking stick is crossing a snow-covered bridge.A page follows him, holding a zither in his arms.

Melting snow flows under the bridge, revealing the rugged rocks of the riverbed. This painting represented a dreamland for ancient Chinese artists and scholars.A moonlit night was also considered ideal for playing the zither. Wang Wei(c.701-761),a highly accomplished poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), liked playing the zither in a bamboo forest on moonlit nights. His poem “In a Bamboo Forest”has these lines:”Sitting alone in a deep bamboo forest,/I play my zither and whistle along./No one else around,/I have the moon for company.”The Chinese zither tends to create a tranquil air. The composition Wild Geese Landing on the Shallow Shore is such an example. With a relaxed rhythm, the first part of the piece depicts a calm Yangtze River under a clear autumn sky.The second part progresses into livelier rhythms to imitate the chirping of many birds.

The third part presents a thematic scene of wild geese leisurely landing on the shallow shores of the Yangtze, as a gentle breeze makes the water ripple.To Chinese musicians and music lovers, the contentment of the wild geese represents the human heart.The zither was also instrumental in communication between ancient scholars and artists. The famous zither composition, Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms, was based on an Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) story of the poetWang Ziyou(c.338-386) and the flute player Huan Yi (?-383). One day the poet was taking a boat trip when he overheard someone on the riverbank say Huan Yi was passing by. Although the two had never met before, they admired each other as poet and flute player. Despite his lower rank of office, Ziyou sent a family member to request Huan Yi to play the flute. Without hesitation, Huan Yi dismounted from his carriage and played Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms, while Ziyou listened from his boat.

After finishing, Huan Yi mounted his carriage and drove on. Ziyou, too, continued with his boat journey. The two of them exchanged not a single word, yet both were content with the communication of their hearts through the music. The flute’s three stanzas were later converted into a composition for the Chinese zither, which has become one of the best-known musical works-as an expression of otherworldly feelings through its eulogy of the plum flowers’ purity, fragrance and resistance to the cold.