Chinese Konghou & Xiao music : Along the River 箜篌與簫：清明上河圖

[ojutan]

hi, that is a very nice piece, very pleasant to listen. A question - the instrument on the picture, what is that? Looks like a harp, but I have never seen a similar instrument yet. Greetings....

[RebeccaGarfield]

@ojutan Konghou is a type of ancient Chinese instrument. There were three kinds of konghou, and the vertical version - the one depicted int he picture - is believed to have originated from the West, which the Chinese then adapted. It had been extremely popular but then faded into obscurity. The konghou people play now is a modern recreation of the instrument from records and paintings.

[ojutan]

@RebeccaGarfield thank you very much for this information. In the title is mentioned Xiao - and that was one of the 7 kingdoms existing (and conquered) by the first emperor of China. Was the Konghou a typical instrument of the Xiao people? It is interesting that most of the Konghou clips show a harp similar to the celtic harp or the european concert harp so the reconstruction is more about the music and less about the instruments.

[cz8276]

@ojutan Xiao is another musical instrument that is used in the piece. it's a vertical end-blown flute which is generally made of dark brown bamboo...

[lovesea1437]

意境幽遠

[soniahsia]

這首真是極品！！

[mikomarotakechiyo]

箜篌は日本にはありません。こんな上品で優雅な音色の楽器と共に­過ごせる台湾の皆様が羨ましいです。それにしても、なんて綺麗な­音色と旋律でしょう。コンサートがあれば、是非台湾に行ってみた­いです。

[ronaldbutt]

@mikomarotakechiyo you dont have to go to taiwan to see Konghou.....just saying....