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Arts & Communication Hybrid music and ethnicity in Quangang Beiguan

4. A newly hybrid version of Taiwanese that they are Beiguan and, further, shisanyin originates
Shisanyin (Thirteen Tones) from Beiguan. However, some Taiwanese scholars believe
that shisanyin derives from their local ancient folk
Beiguan is also performed in Taiwan. Evidenced by cross- music. The question of the origin of Beiguan remains
strait academic exchanges, Taiwanese Beiguan has become a unanswered, but it is certain that Beiguan arrived in
newly hybrid music with new characteristics. For example, it Taiwan, prior to shisanyin. This can also be supported by
highlights the elements of xipi, erhuang, Kunqiang, and xiqu Hsu Tsang-Houei’s statement that scholars “only attend
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(sizhu) and tends to choose regional instruments . Perhaps to ancient music genres such as Nanguan and Beiguan,”
the “yezi system” and the “Kunqiang-xiqu system” can be ignoring shisanyin, which can be found in “Taiwanese
considered different genres. Folk Music “Shisanqiang”” Hsu wrote for Yayue Shisanyin:
At the Quangang Beiguan Symposium, I heard a speech The First Album (2000). Therefore, shisanyin is not as old
on the relationship between the Taiwanese Shisanyin as Beiguan. As a result, it is argued that many songs of
(“13 tunes”) and Taiwanese Beiguan by Tu Chieh-Ming shisanyin were borrowed from the xianpu repertoire
from the Chinese Music Department of Tainan National of Beiguan, which is shown clearly in the following
University of the Arts. He is also the director of the Music discussion.
Bureau of Yi Cheng Classical Learning Academy, Tainan Second, quite a few shisanyin songs are from Beiguan.
Confucius Temple. I also read his paper “A Preliminary
Study on the Musical Relations between Shisanyin and A number of shisanyin scores, including miscellaneous
Beiguan Xianpu” in the Proceedings of the Second Cross- notations, are from Beiguan. There are also some using
Strait Symposium of Beiguan in the Traditional Culture. After names identical with their Beiguan counterparts but with
the conference, Tu gave me a copy of Tongsheng Ji as a gift. It different notations. These are listed in Table 2. In some
is a gongche notation of Shisanyin, published by Yi Cheng cases, the difference in the number of beats is roughly
Classical Learning Academy in 1933. He also gave me a set multiplicative, but in fact, it is the meters that differ. For
of CDs, Yayue Shisanyin (the 13 tunes of ancient court ritual example, speaking of Zuonichang 左霓裳, shisanyin has 26
music of China): The Third Album, which was published by beats, a beat followed by a liao (rhythmic unit), whereas
Yi Cheng Classical Learning Academy in 2010. The former the xianpu of Beiguan has 36 beats, a beat followed by three
is with some notes, the latter with related academic papers. liaos. In terms of Younichang 右霓裳, shisanyin has 25
From these sources, some aspects of Taiwanese Shisanyin beats and Beiguan has 36 beats, respectively, which is also
and Taiwanese Beiguan can be deduced. due to different liaopai (rhythms and beats).
First, Shisanyin came into being after Beiguan. There are other pieces with the same name yet different
Shisanyin is the music form used for the Confucian scores, as listed in Table 3.
rituals. Historical records tell that there was an official Third, some instruments used in shisanyin and Beiguan
bureau of ritual and music in Taiwan during the Qing are the same while some are not. According to Yayue
Dynasty, and classical learning academies were attached Shisanyin, instruments for shisanyin are carefully chosen.
to every Confucian temple all over Taiwan. Based on In 1891 (the 17 year of the Guangxu period of the Qing
th
the generally acknowledge Tongsheng Ji, Shisanyin dates Dynasty), concerned with the ominous loss of the sacred
from 1835 (the 15 year of the Daoguang period of rites and music in the Temple of Confucius, the Ministry
th
the Qing dynasty). At that time, the Taiwan Confucian of Works launched a revitalization campaign. Therefore,
Temple Music Bureau (outside the then bureaucratic eight pieces of instruments were selected based on the
system) recruited musicians from Fujian and Zhejiang to Eight Tones (八音), an ancient classification system for
“teach Taiwanese musicians the rituals of the memorial Chinese instruments. They were metal, stone, clay, hide,
ceremonies,” so that “wrong musical temperament could silk, wood, gourd, and bamboo, with another five
be remedied and reused,” thus enabling the circulation of percussion instruments — binggu, sanyin, jiaoluo, eduo,
genuine yayue. In 1933, the Yi Cheng Classical Learning and shuangyin. An ensemble comprised of the thirteen
Academy compiled a collection of existing yayue in the instruments could play yayue, which gave birth to its
form of 13 musical instruments. Named Tongsheng Ji, it name, shisanyin, even after other instruments were added
contains 217 pieces of yayue including 91 miscellaneous later (Table 4).
scores. Given that these yayue pieces were taught by
musicians from Fujian and Zhejiang, it can be inferred Scholars such as Hsu Tsang-Houei have argued that
shisanyin is a different type of music in contrast to Beiguan
61. For more information, please check http://baike.baidu.com/ and Nanguan, due to different instruments, media of
view/550123.htm. vocalization, melodies used in the three kinds of music.

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2023) 12 https://doi.org/10.36922/ac.419