My favorite musical instrument——Chinese zither (Guzheng)
Saturday, 9. December 2006, 12:49:21
From my childhood, I envy the musical instrument players very much. I think it is magical to make people absorbed by their performance. And I hope that one day I can play one kind of musical instruments too.
It was not until 2004——the year I entered the university that I came into contact with Chinese zither(Guzheng). At that time, I heard that a boy in our class was learning zither. It surprised me a lot, because I used to suppose that a girl was more suitable to play zither than a boy. Then I made up my mind to learn zither.
Before I learn zither, I thought it is very difficult for I knew a little about music theory. But after I began, I found it is not so difficult. It needs more and more practices. Maybe some people think that if you have practised more, you will play fair-sounding music. I must tell you that things are not always that simple. Every pieces of music has its own creative background and contains the composer's sentiment. Before you played it, you must know about it. Then you listen to it and try to understand and appreciate. At last, after you have caught its idea, you play it with your own emotion. At that time, I think you will play beautiful music.
My favourite zither music is "High Mountains, Flowing streams". It can be divided into two parts.:the former one is called "High Mountains", the latter one named "Flowing Streams". The most gimmicky point in this music is the flawless combination of these two parts. If you listening to it in a quiet environment, with your eyes closed, you may think that you are just sitting on the top of a high mountain, and streams are gurgling beside you. What a beautiful scene it is! Every time I palyed zither, I can heard the voice of peace from the cockles of my heart.
About this classical composition, there is an ancient story between Boya and Ziqi. Yu Boya was accomplished at playing zither while Zhong Ziqi had the best appreciating ability. When Yu Boya was playing a piece of music representing the broadening of the mind on top of a high mountain, Zhong Ziqi commented, “Grand! High and steep, lofty as Mt. Tai!” When Yu Boya was playing a piece of music displaying the artistic conception of the flowing rivers, Zhong Ziqi sighed, “Sublime, vast and mighty, just like the Yangtze river flowing to the sea day and night!” Noticing that Zhong Ziqi grasped his thoughts every time he played, Yu Boya couldn’t help sighing, “Your ability to appreciate qin music has peaked. What you realized was exactly what I wanted to express. I can not hide any of my emotions before you.” And when ziqi died, boya never played his zither any longer. So "High Mountains, Flowing streams" implies the meaning of "bosom friend" today.
Now it is nearly one year that I have not played zither, because of my study. If I have more free time in the future, I will play zither again. For my part, "Without music, life would be an error."
It was not until 2004——the year I entered the university that I came into contact with Chinese zither(Guzheng). At that time, I heard that a boy in our class was learning zither. It surprised me a lot, because I used to suppose that a girl was more suitable to play zither than a boy. Then I made up my mind to learn zither.
Before I learn zither, I thought it is very difficult for I knew a little about music theory. But after I began, I found it is not so difficult. It needs more and more practices. Maybe some people think that if you have practised more, you will play fair-sounding music. I must tell you that things are not always that simple. Every pieces of music has its own creative background and contains the composer's sentiment. Before you played it, you must know about it. Then you listen to it and try to understand and appreciate. At last, after you have caught its idea, you play it with your own emotion. At that time, I think you will play beautiful music.
My favourite zither music is "High Mountains, Flowing streams". It can be divided into two parts.:the former one is called "High Mountains", the latter one named "Flowing Streams". The most gimmicky point in this music is the flawless combination of these two parts. If you listening to it in a quiet environment, with your eyes closed, you may think that you are just sitting on the top of a high mountain, and streams are gurgling beside you. What a beautiful scene it is! Every time I palyed zither, I can heard the voice of peace from the cockles of my heart.
About this classical composition, there is an ancient story between Boya and Ziqi. Yu Boya was accomplished at playing zither while Zhong Ziqi had the best appreciating ability. When Yu Boya was playing a piece of music representing the broadening of the mind on top of a high mountain, Zhong Ziqi commented, “Grand! High and steep, lofty as Mt. Tai!” When Yu Boya was playing a piece of music displaying the artistic conception of the flowing rivers, Zhong Ziqi sighed, “Sublime, vast and mighty, just like the Yangtze river flowing to the sea day and night!” Noticing that Zhong Ziqi grasped his thoughts every time he played, Yu Boya couldn’t help sighing, “Your ability to appreciate qin music has peaked. What you realized was exactly what I wanted to express. I can not hide any of my emotions before you.” And when ziqi died, boya never played his zither any longer. So "High Mountains, Flowing streams" implies the meaning of "bosom friend" today.
Now it is nearly one year that I have not played zither, because of my study. If I have more free time in the future, I will play zither again. For my part, "Without music, life would be an error."
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