Research on the Aesthetics of the Guqin

Author: Miao Jianhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: "The Series of Doctoral Dissertations in Music" is a collection of premium books published by our press. All dissertations included in this series have been rigorously reviewed and approved by a renowned expert committee. The publication of these works will have a profoundly far-reaching impact on both Chinese music academia and music education. They will serve as exemplary models for music thesis writing. Moreover, this endeavor holds significant meaning for the Chinese music publishing industry, marking the dawn of an era of premium music academic publishing, spearheaded by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Press. The series will be published in batches, with approximately 10–15 titles released each year. This book, A Study on the Aesthetic Thought of Guqin, is one such volume. Based on literature and historical facts, this paper conducts a diachronic examination of the aesthetic thought and fate of the guqin. By reviewing traditional guqin aesthetic literature, the paper summarizes the developmental trajectory of guqin aesthetic thought from the pre-Qin to the Ming and Qing dynasties, elucidates its relationship with Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist thought, explores the connection between guqin aesthetic theory and musical practice, and examines the relationship between the guqin and scholars. Furthermore, it prospects the future of the guqin in light of the universal principle of music culture evolving with the times.
The paper argues that the development of guqin aesthetic thought from the pre-Qin to the Ming and Qing dynasties exhibits two prominent characteristics: a shift in research focus from external relationships to the exploration of internal laws, and a transformation of aesthetic thought from relative freedom in the early stages to absolute constraint in the later stages. Guqin aesthetic theory is closely linked to Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist thought. Among these, Confucian ritual-music thought forms the core of guqin aesthetic thought, while Daoist and Buddhist ideas are reflected in its specific aspects. Conversely, in guqin practice, Daoist thought holds dominance. This creates a relationship between guqin aesthetic thought and its musical practice—one that is both unified and contradictory.
As history progresses, the guqin gradually becomes a (exclusive instrument) for scholars, and its rise and fall are inseparable from the fortunes of the scholarly class. The paper further contends that the future of the guqin is intimately tied to the innovation of its aesthetic thought. Guqin aesthetic thought must undergo a process of "transcending and discarding" traditional aesthetics, absorbing modern ideas, abandoning its reliance on ritual in favor of a human-centered approach, discarding the unreasonable elements in scholar guqin, and fostering the development of artistic guqin. Only by restoring artistry to the guqin and returning it to the people can its fate undergo a fundamental transformation.