The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-23
CHINESE MUSIC AND DRAMA.
The Melodies of the Best Are Not
Altogether Bad.

r-bosA who remember the wild blast of
.~rcn4ts. accompanied by the monotonous
heat OF the drum and the spasmodic ring
i,e NJ bells. that chara cterized the music
il, the Chinese Pavilion in the Midway
patsance. or have ever seen a Chinese
funeral profession on its melancholy
march 10 the graveyard. may have formed
some idea of Chinese melody.
The American, however who has NOT
trave.od in the Orient and forms his opin-
ion from the performances he has heard
i, TINS country, and more particularly IN
rbi-sgo will not do justice TO the Chinese
ortist-musician. The music furnished bv
ne Celestials of Chicago's Chinatown is
rtue better than rude orgy, and would
he considered almost d parody by the cui-
,ured Of China; even that of the more tai
sried artists of the Son Francisco settle
,nsnt or even of Pell or Mott street in New
york is mediocre; but the melodies heard
in the Celestial Empire itself are, in the
word Of an Englishman. Not half bad
chinese music like many of the sci
encss. is said to have been invented by me
celebrated Emperor Fuh-he, who lived B.
4. eS52-g737. To his genius is attributed
the first She" a sort of lutte, made after
the fashion of the later Instruments with
which Nero is supposed to have
accompanied the cracking flames
Of burning Rome. The first Fun
he Lutte had twenty-five strings,
but a legend tells that damsel one Cay
paved Oh one such instrument before the
Emperor Hwang-te a tune so direful that
the monarch became affected To melau-
choly and ordered that the number of
silngs should thereafter be reduced by
half.
traditions without number are associat-
cd with the origin of nearly every musical
instrument in use in China a the present
day. Stnng and reed instruments, such
as we're used by the aboriginal tribes. were
the first known. Next came the drums,
which were first used to inlite warriors
on the battlefield to deeds Of valor There
are many kinds of drums, distinguished
by names indicating their size and use.
Stone preceded metal as a musical sub
stance In the earliest classics musical
stones are mentioned. Sixteen in number
were hung by a cord. and the performer
pounded out the strains with small NAL
let Tie stones used by emperors were
made of Jade.
Though with most peoples the trumpet
has been given first place among metal
Instruments, in China the bell takes pre-
cedence. The sound is made by striking
the rim with a stick. The use of the
bell as a musical instrument is, however,
largely confined to religious services ana
procession. Not unusually it Is concert
ed with other instruments. The poet
writes of the expedition of King YeW to
the Hwai:
Kin kin peal the bells. peal on.
And the lutes in the concert we hear.
Deep breathes the organ tone;
Soundng-stones join their notes, rich
and clear
The while through the vessel there ring
The va and the Nan which they sing.
And the dancers with flutes now appear.
The gong is even more popular than the
bell. The Chinese gongs are of three kinds
the temple gong. the Soochow gong.
which is shaped like a boiler" and the
watch gong, which is used to strike the
watches or divisions of time. The gong
is probably the most conspicuous at
theatrical performance of any of the vari-
Gus instruments. 1t is supposed also TO
strike terror into evil spirits.
Flutes, flies, conch shells, clarinets and
the reed organ are the commonest wind
Instruments. The latter is made by in
serting nineteen reed tubes into the upper
surface of a gourd. The reeds are pierced
near the base to prevent the emission of
sound until stopped by the fingers of the
performer. The ,mouthpiecS resembles
the spout of kettle. and is inserted in
the side of the gourd. The favorite instrrl-
ment among the more cultured Chinese
are stringed. These include the she, the
kin, which is said to restrain and check
evil passions and correct the human
heart" the p'i-pn, a four-stringed guitar;
the yueh kin. or moon kim" named
from its moon-shaped soundboard, which
has four strings standing in pairs, tuned
as t1fths to each other, and the Su-chun,
o. STANDARD lutte" which has twelve
strings, yielding exactly the notes of the
twelve Luh, or tubes, invented by Ling
I'm.
From the beginning of the recorded his
tory of China until the present day music
has at all times had an important place
In the political system of the Chinese. Its
Influence on the people and the forming
or their character. either for good or evil,
has never been underestimate. Confu-
Gus said: TT gives finish to a character
INST established by the rules of proprie-
~. Since Confucus time has done moth
in~ to lessen the Chinese belief in the in
estmable value of music. Al the present
Gay there exists an imperial board of mu-
sic, appointed for the purpose of keeping
awe the music of the ancients and of
exercising a strict censorship over all
compositions
The influence of the drama upon the
reggie is nominal compared with the in
nuence of music. It's tendency is demon
ahzlnF, rather than eevating. Granted
mat the chief aim of the Chinese play
wright is 10 exalt virtue, he appeals to
contrast as his best means So. in his
pfaiseworthy effort to procla m the
triumph of morality and truth the char
ter Of the villain is revealed in the
oroadest colors. No softening lines miti-
gate his villainy. He is so sordid, so base,
so wretched that the after-taste of the
portrayal of his temperament contami-
rates the recollection of the good and its
hhal achievement.
Both the hero and the villain are paint
81 in extremes. Their characters are a
study in black and white. The one is just
as Incapable of bad as the other is of
good The hero in every case is marvel
ously accomplished. In him are combined
the strength of Hercules. he bravery of
Hector of Troy, the wisdom of Nestor and
the piety of Aeacus.
lie is Invariably simple of manner and
modest. His closing role scarcely with
out exception is to defend the oppressed,
s'raiRhten the crooked paths of the cor
ript officials and redress every wrong. AS
crowning reward of his merit and chas-
tty he IS given a supreme position in the
state. and imperial favors are lavished
upon him.
The orama IS of comparatively late de-
'elopment in China. Its origin is traced
= the later end of the Tiang dynasty,