History of Music of China's Minorities (Part 1)

Author: Yuan Bingchang et al
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-01-01
Features: Regarding the format of this book. At the beginning of the compilation work, to ensure a unified framework for all chapters, we provided the contributors with the "Format for Writing the History of Chinese Ethnic Music." Given the impossibility of concentrating a group of researchers for historical writing at that time, the book was decided to be organized by ethnic groups, with each ethnic group writing a chapter (article) on its music history, regardless of size. Regarding the length, considering the financial difficulties in publishing, the "Format" stipulated that "ethnic groups with a long history and a larger population could write up to 30,000 words, while those with a smaller population should aim for about 15,000 words. Those with particularly rich historical materials could exceed this limit, but the content should be substantial and not excessively long." Now, to enrich the book's content and leave more valuable historical materials for future generations, the music histories of ethnic groups with larger populations have exceeded 60,000 words, while those of smaller ethnic groups have an average of about 30,000 words per chapter.
In compiling the history of ethnic music, we lacked experience and were in the process of exploration, but one thing was clear: it was essential to start from the actual conditions of the ethnic groups and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. The formation of China's ethnic groups occurred at different times, and their social development was highly uneven. Therefore, when writing the history of ethnic music, it was necessary to break free from the framework of past dynasties and compile it according to the historical progress of each ethnic group and the laws of music's own development. Ethnic groups with a long history and extensive historical records, as well as those with only a few hundred years of history or those who migrated from neighboring countries, could adopt slightly different writing styles, using different periods and methods to write their music histories. Some ethnic groups could refer to the periods and writing methods of their literary histories, but without rigidly copying them. Ethnic groups that migrated from neighboring countries generally have shorter histories, and their music should primarily focus on its development after settling in China. Ethnic groups distributed across multiple provinces should strive to reflect the full picture of their music, avoiding generalizations based on limited perspectives.
Regarding the ancient and the modern. Due to limited historical records, the ancient music of ethnic groups can be briefly covered while focusing more on the modern period. The time frame for "history" should span from ancient times to 1990. Dates in this book, except for those citing ancient literature, should be written in the Common Era. Some ethnic groups have their own historical periods, which should be adopted.
The folk music of China's ethnic groups has been created and passed down by folk singers, skilled musicians, instrument makers, and dancers across generations. The history of ethnic music should honor them and establish their rightful place in the development of Chinese music. The reviews of renowned professional musicians and their representative works should also be included as part of the music history. To make this book a living history of music, we have selected over 100 representative musical examples, which may help readers more vividly understand the music of each ethnic group.