Chinese Music Bibliography

Author: Fang Baozhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: As early as two thousand years ago, China had already produced representative works of musicology such as the Yue Ji (Record of Music) and the Lü Shi Chunqiu (Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals). In the Yue Ji, traditionally attributed to Gongsun Ni, discussions are found on the origin of music, the aesthetics of music, the social role of music, and the relationship between music and ritual. This work is considered a seminal text in music philosophy. The Lü Shi Chunqiu, compiled by Lü Buwei, the Qin minister in the late Warring States period, with contributions from his scholars, preserves records on ancient music, the relationship between music and the natural, social, and political world, particularly in the realm of musical tuning. Since the 1980s, along with the pace of reform and opening-up, middle-aged and young music scholars have seized the rare opportunities provided by the era and immersed themselves in the grand project of integrating folk music. They have delved into the grassroots and the realities of life, building upon the research achievements of their predecessors, and made new contributions. This series of books showcases the works and accomplishments of these authors, a product of that era. They have been nurtured by the winds of reform and opening-up, nourished by the rich traditions of Chinese music, and sustained by the academic nourishment of their predecessors and peers. They attempt to organize and integrate certain aspects of traditional Chinese music theory. This serves not only as a reference for young scholars aspiring to study traditional Chinese music but also contributes to the academic development of traditional Chinese musicology.