Vol 15. Vernacular Literature in China: Music
"Moonlight on the Ching Yang River"
This classical Chinese song is attributed to Yo Su-Nan of the T'ang Dynasty. At the time of its composition, orchestras of 500 to 1000 musicians were often employed for ceremonies of state. Because of the type of musical notation used in ancient China, there is no way to be certain of the style in which a work was performed. However, it is believed that a nasal tone was highly valued. Modern musicians add a more Western tone to the music, reducing the nasal quality. The instruments played in this recording are the di-p'a (a plucked string instrument), an ehr-hu (a bowed instrument with two strings), and a hsaio (a flutelike instrument).