Yú Qíwěi 余其伟 - Traditional Quintet of Guangdong Music (1990 cassette)

Zhōngguó Mínzú Qìyuè Xìliè 中国民族器乐系列
"A Series of Chinese Traditional Instrumental Music"

Chuántǒng Guǎngdōng Yīnyùe Wǔjiàtóu 传统广东音乐五家头
"Traditional Quintes [sic] of Guangdong Music"

Yú Qíwěi Guǎngdōng Yīnyuè Wǔ Rén Xiǎozǔ Yǎnzòu 余其伟广东音乐五人小组演奏
(Yu Qiwei Guangdong Music Quintet)
Bái tiān é yīnxiàng chūbǎnshè 百天鹅音像出版社
(Bái tiān é [white swan] audio and video publishing house)
W-S-8869 (1990)

Format: cassette tape
Transferred from cassette tape, Sony Walkman Pro>Edirol R09 wav>FLAC>LAME mp3

Track list:
A1. è mǎ yáo líng 饿马摇铃 Jinglebells of the Hungry Horse
A2. shuāng fèng cháo yáng 双凤朝阳 Two Phoenixes Dancing to the Sun
A3. yú lè shēng píng 娱乐升平 Amusing in the Peaceful World
A4. jiāo shí míng qín 蕉石鸣琴 Music Coming from the Rock Amongst the Banana Trees
A5. yǔ dǎ bā jiāo 雨打芭蕉 Rains Beating the Banana Trees
A6. yín hé huì 银河会 The Cowherd and Girl Weaver Meeting on the Milky Way
B1. niǎo tóu lín 鸟投林 Nestward Bound
B2. yú gē wǎn chàng 渔歌晚唱 The Fisherman's Song at Dusk
B3. zǒu mǎ 走马 Trotting Along on Horseback
B4. qí shān fèng 岐山凤 The Phoenixes Flying to Qishan Mountain
B5. shuāng shēng hèn 双声恨 The Grievance of the Cowherd and Girl Weaver
B6. lián huán kòu 连环扣 Interlocking

Performers:
Yú Qíwěi 余其伟 (gāohú, èrhú, èrxián)
Zhào Lìlí 赵莉梨 (yángqín)
Wǔ Guózhōng 伍国忠 (dòngxiāo, dízi)
Hú Xiǎo 胡晓 (qínqín, zhōngruǎn, pípá)
Wén Chuányíng 文传盈 (yèhú)

Track 2 / A2, 双凤朝阳 can be:
(shuāngfèngzhāoyáng) two phoenixes in the morning sun, or
(shuāngfèngcháoyáng) two phoenixes facing the sun

Download link: 52MB 130 vbr mp3 in zip folder inc covers

This is one of my favourite recordings of Guangdong Music. My preference is for small ensembles, without a heavy low bass sound, one zhonghu or yehu is enough.

Jiangnan Sizhu - Yang2 Chun1 (sunny spring) (1984, Art-Tune cassette)

Jiangnan Sizhu - Yang2 Chun1 (sunny spring) (1984, Art-Tune cassette):





Performers: uncredited / unknown
Title: Jiangnan Sizhu - Yang2 Chun1 (sunny spring)
Publisher: Art-Tune Records Co.
Format: cassette tape
Year: 1984
All titles on cassette are in traditional Chinese characters only.

Track list:

A1. huān lè gē 欢乐歌 (song of joy)
A2. yáng chūn bái xuě 阳春白雪 (sunny spring & white snow) (as yáng chūn 阳春 sunny spring on cassette)
A3. sān liù 三六 (three six)
A4. lǎo bā bǎn 老八板 (old eight beats)
A5. sī xián cāo 思贤操
A6. sān wǔ qī 三五七 (three five seven)
B1. zhègū fēi 鹧鸪飞 (flying partridge)
B2. lóng hǔ xiāng dòu 龙虎相斗 (dragon and lion fighting each other)
B3. màn sān liù 慢三六 (2 erhu solo, slow three six) (as màn liù bǎn 慢六板 slow six beats)
B4. jīng diào 京调 Jingju tune (as liú shuǐ 流水 flowing water)
B5. gū sū xíng 姑苏行 going to Suzhou (as gū sū 姑苏 Suzhou)

Title as on cassette:
jiāngnán sīzhú, yáng chūn 江南丝竹, 阳春 (Jiangnan silk & bamboo music, sunny spring).
Art-Tune Records Co. Hong Kong, AC-1376 (1984)
香港艺声唱片公司 xiānggǎng yìshēng chàngpiàn gōngsī


The sound quality of this cassette is atrocious! I guess the recordings were originally on a LP record and it sounds like it was probably transferred off the speakers of a record player with a low quality mic. Apart from the titles, there is no other information on the cassette.

Track A4. lǎo bā bǎn 老八板 (old eight beats) is a recording of the piece from which many pieces of the Jiangnan sizhu repertory are derived. I haven't heard any other recordings of it, although it is sometimes included in the last section of Xing Jie (procession).

A5. sī xián cāo 思贤操 seems to be a guqin piece of the Zhejiang school. On the recording here it's played by a xiao and the guqin. I'm not sure how the title should be translated. A search on the web came up with "Missing a Virtuous Person" and "Thinking of Yan Hui". The three characters themselves is literally something like "thinking and virtuous exercise/melody".

B3. màn sān liù 慢三六 (2 erhu solo, slow three six) (as màn liù bǎn 慢六板 slow six beats on the cassette) sounds the same as a recording by Shěn Fèngquán 沈凤泉 & Shěn Duōmǐ 沈多米 on the CD "A Collection of Music Played on the Erhu Vol 10" (1992,China Record), see http://huqinblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/artist-va-album-collection-of-music.html

Download link: 40MB 130 variable bitrate mp3, inc covers

Jiangnan Sizhu - Shanghai Film Orchestra (1985, China Travel & Tourism cassette)

Jiangnan Sizhu - Shanghai Film Orchestra (1985, China Travel & Tourism cassette):






"Eight Famous Folk Melodies of Southern Yangtse Regions"

Performed by Shanghai film orchestra traditional ensemble.

Track list:
A1. zhōng huā liù bǎn 中花六板 (medium ornamented six beats)
A2. huān lè gē 欢乐歌 (song of joy)
A3. yún qìng 云庆 (cloud celebration)
A4. sì hé rú yì 四合如意 (four together as you please)
B1. sān liù 三六 (three six)
B2. màn liù bǎn 慢六板 (slow six beats)
B3. huā sān liù 花三六 (ornamented three six)
B4. xíng jiē 行街 (walking in street)

from cassette tape:
Title: jiāngnán sīzhú bādàqǔ 江南丝竹八大曲
"Eight Famous Folk Melodies of Southern Yangtse Regions" (Jiangnan sizhu eight great pieces).

performed by:
shànghǎi diànyǐng yuètuán mínzú yuèduì 上海电影乐团民族乐队 (Shanghai film orchestra traditional ensemble)

Published by:
"China Travel & Tourism Press CTTP AV-0090"

Year: 1985

Download link: 53MB 130 variable bitrate mp3, inc covers

This is a recording of the Jiangnan sizhu eight great pieces. However the performances on this cassette sound very different from both the amateur tradition heard in Shanghai teahouses and the performances of the Shanghai traditional ensemble (Shanghai Minzu Yuetuan).

Jiangnan Sizhu LP (1981): Shanghai traditional ensemble (Shanghai Minzu Yuetuan) 1981 LP

Post updated Dec 2009 with a better image of the cover.




Jiangnan sizhu (Jiangnan silk and bamboo music):

Shanghai traditional ensemble - Moon and Lanterns, Jiangnan Sizhu, Bailey Record Co, NRS-33 (1981)

Album title, English: Moon and Lanterns, Jiangnan Sizhu (Silk and Bamboo Music of East China)
Chinese: dēng yuè jiāo huī, jiāngnán sīzhú 灯月交辉 江南丝竹
Performer: Shanghai traditional ensemble Silk and Bamboo Music group
shànghǎi mínzú yuètuán 上海民族乐团 (Shanghai traditional ensemble)

Bailey Record Co NRS-33 (1981) vinyl 12inch LP

A1. chūn jiāng huā yuè yè 春江花月夜 (Spring on a Moonlit River)
A2. yún qìng 云庆 (Celebrating the Cloud) (2.9 pc slow)
A2. yún qìng 云庆 (Celebrating the Cloud)
A3. xíng jiē 行街 (Wedding Procession) (2.9 pc slow)
A3. xíng jiē 行街 (Wedding Procession)
A4. dēng yuè jiāo huī 灯月交辉 (Moon and Lanterns)
B1. ní cháng qǔ 霓裳曲 (Rainbow Skirts)
B2. zhōng huā liù bǎn 中花六板 medium ornamented six beats
B3. huān lè gē 欢乐歌 (Song of Good Cheer)
B4. sān liù 三六 three six

shànghǎi mínzú yuètuán 上海民族乐团 (Shanghai traditional ensemble)
dízi 笛子, xiāo 箫: Zhèng Zhènghuá 郑正华
èrhú 二胡: Zhōu Hào 周皓
pípá 琵琶: Mǎ Shènglóng 马圣龙
yángqín 揚琴: Zhōu Huì 周惠

There are extra versions of A2. Yun Qing and A3. Xing Jie with the speed and pitch very slightly adjusted so that A=440hz, so 10 tracks in total.

Vinyl rip:

Link: 70MB, mp3, inc cover and notes (in English and Chinese)

Jiangnan sizhu, (Chinese Melody 3), 1986 cassette tape, Shanghai Traditional Ensemble

Jiangnan sizhu:

Shanghai traditional ensemble (Shanghai Minzu Yuetuan)

"Chinese Melody 3, Music of Southern Yangtze"

1986 cassette tape


Performer: Shanghai Traditional Orchestra (shànghǎi mínzú yuètuán 上海民族乐团)

Cassette title: Chinese Melody 3, Music of Southern Yangtze (1986)
zhōngguó xuán lǜ 3, jiāngnán sīzhú 中国旋律 (三) 江南丝竹

A1. huān lè gē 欢乐歌 song of joy
A2. xíng jiē 行街 walking in street
A3. zhōng huā liù bǎn 中花六板 medium ornamented six beats
A4. dēng yuè jiāo huī 灯月交辉 lanterns and moon both shine
B1. sān liù 三六 three six
B2. yún qìng 云庆 cloud celebration
B3. chūn huī qǔ 春晖曲 spring sun
B4. hán jiāng cán xuě 寒江残雪 Lingering of Snow on Frozen River

From cassette tape: Chinese Melody 3, Music of Southern Yangtze
zhōngguó xuán lǜ 3, jiāngnán sīzhú 中国旋律 (三) 江南丝竹
China Records HL-466 (1986)


Link: 45MB, 130 variable bitrate mp3, inc cover and notes (in Chinese)
NOTE: there is a pinyin mistake in the track list text file and the mp3 tags: "Zhong1 Guo2 Lv3 Lv4 (3)" should be "Zhong1 Guo2 Xuan2 Lv4" (Zhōng guó xuán lǜ 中国旋律)

Jiangnan Sizhu - "Sihe Ruyi (Bridge) " 1982 cassette tape

Jiangnan Sizhu "Silk and Bamboo Music of East China" - "Sihe Ruyi (Bridge) "
1982 cassette tape, China Records

A1. Si4 He2 Ru2 Yi4 (Qiao2), four together as you please, "bridge" is another name for this piece)
B1. Hua1 San1 Liu4 , decorated "three six"
B2. Man4 Liu4 Ban3, slow "six beats"

Dizi/xiao: Lu Chunling (陆春龄 lu4 chun1 ling2)
Erhu: Zhou Hao (周皓 zhou1 hao4)
Pipa: Ma Shenglong 马圣龙 (ma3 sheng4 long2)
Yangqin: Zhou Hui (周惠 zhou1 hui4)

Transferred rom cassette tape: Si4 He2 Ru2 Yi4 (Qiao2), Jiang1 Nan2 Si1 Zhu2, China Records HL-103 (1982)

These three are the longest and the least often performed pieces from the "eight great pieces" of Jiangnan sizhu. The first piece takes up the whole of side A of the casssette!

Link: 59MB, 130 variable bitrate mp3, inc cover and notes (in Chinese)

Jiangnan Sizhu: "eight great pieces"

江南丝竹八大曲 Jiangnan Sizhu: "eight great pieces" (in pinyin alphabetical order):

Format: pinyin, characters, (English translation)

huā sān liù 花三六 (ornamented three six)

huān lè gē 欢乐歌 (song of joy)

màn liù bǎn 慢六板 (slow six beats)

sān liù 三六 (three six), also called méi huā sān nòng 梅花三弄 (three variations of plum flower)

sì hé rú yì 四合如意 (four combine as you wish or four together as you please)

xíng jiē 行街 (walking in the street, procession or wedding procession)

yún qìng 云庆 (cloud celebration)

zhōng huā liù bǎn 中花六板 (medium ornamented six beats), also called xūn fēng qǔ 薰风曲 (Warm Southerly Breeze)