Guqin - Guguan Yu Shen 《孤舘遇神》 [Meeting Ghosts in a House]

[sngtk88]

有嵇康者，师黄老，尚玄学，精于笛，妙于琴，善音律，好仙神。是­年尝游天台，观东海日出，赏仙山胜景，访太公故地，瞻仙祖遗踪，­见安期先生石屋尚在，河上公坐痕犹存。至女巫之墓，墓与屋相连，­人与鬼同居，乃叹曰：“阴阳两界，实一墙之隔耳”。遂夜宿仙台，­见月光泻泻，清风徐徐，碧波荡荡，仙岛渺渺，天台巍巍，星汉迢迢­。赞曰：大美不言，真人间仙境也！忽闻谷中琴声幽幽，玄乐绵绵。­寻声觅去，至一茅舍。屏息静听，恐乱仙音也。曲终，一清丽女子开­门曰：“先生光临寒舍，不胜荣幸。请入内稍坐”。康喜遇知音，欣­然入室。备茶对坐，方知是谷中女巫。虽人鬼殊途，竟一见如故，彻­夜长谈。或论天地自然生死轮回之法，或证诗词音律琴棋书画之妙。­谈至兴浓，康曰“敢问神女所弹何曲？”神巫曰：“情之所至，信手­而弹耳，无名之曲”。康请教再三，始授之，今《孤馆遇神》是也。



[tjentung]

what a sad story of the ghosts. I can hear

1.) the ghosts appearing (3.43-3.47);

2.) Xi Kang shout in fright (3.48 - 3.50),

3.) and the ghosts explaining to him and requesting his help to bury their bodies. (4.15 - 4.57)

[YANHAP1]

TAOIST SONG Xi K'ang I will cast out Wisdom and reject learning; My thoughts shall wander in the silent Void. Always repenting of wrongs done Will never bring my heart to rest. I cast my hook in the single stream; But my joy is though i possesed a Kingdom. I loose my hair and go singing; To the four frontiers men join my refrain. This is the purport of my song: "My thoughts shall wander in the Silent Void."

[pinethen]

not bad!

thanks for posting,

i recently discovered

the guqin and am

in awe and wonder of it,

cheers!

[CharlieHuang]

Oh god, now that I have reviewed it after two years after I recorded it... *cringe*

[jts1702a]

Hey Charlie, at this rate, we'll be filling in what the last generation couldn't do - fill in videos for all common and not-so-commonly played pieces!

Alex (my student/afterburner) and I are slowly conquering XLT...with your help, we may be able to cover half the repertoire on video soon enough...

[ekmesnz]

This sounds lovely. What tuning is a guqin usually in?

[CharlieHuang]

It is in Wumei Diao. That is slacken third and sixth strings down a semi-tone.

[ekmesnz]

Okay, I give up! My ear isn't good enough to learn this song by just watching the video. What book did you get the song in? Do you know where I might find it?

[CharlieHuang]

I used the original source, i.e. Xilu Tang Qintong, which can be obtained via Chinese Amazon (Joyo) or at certain places in China. Another source is either through a qin teacher or through WJL/WWG's Yushan Wu-shi Qinpu book which is difficult to find, save through NAGA.

[ekmesnz]

Thanks! Do you have the characters for the book's title? I don't think Joyo is appreciating my pinyin.

[CharlieHuang]

【西麓堂琹統】

[dim1210]

I really love this piece

[jimblob102]

kinda sounds like a slide guitar, gr8 instrument

[gabrielzhu]

wow ....powerful smooth good dame good gotta get myself one of this instrument

[RealChinese]

i have a question ive been listening to alot of these things but almost all of them are slow why is it that people play it slow?

[CharlieHuang]

Slow doesn't necessary mean bad, expecially for this piece in order to create the feeling of being alone in an empty house. Qin music is the complete opposite to what people 'think' music should sound like, i.e. quick tempo, every second filled with notes, complex harmonies, et cetera. The qin is about 'clear, subtle, pure and distant' sounds.

[SanguoYiZhi]

This is correct, slow does not necessarily mean music is of poor quality. For a piece to have atmosphere is usually a plus.

[deleriousexile]

very nice

but if you record, make sure all fans are off, and sometimes a tissue over the mic can reduce static white noise

[CharlieHuang]

I think I did use tissue over the mic! Also, it was near the computer, but that can't be helped.

[ilovexiu]

Beautiful! Keep it up!