Peiyou reconstructed this guqin piece from the western notation ( based on the 3rd and 4th line for Zither and Lute) which was found in the book [Music From the Tang Court] Volume 4. This book published by Cambridge University, England 1987. This book contains a primary study of the original, unpublished, Sino-Japanese manuscripts, together with a survey of relevant historical sources, both Chinese and Japanese, This book was edited by Dr. Laurence Picken along with his students Rembrandt Wolpert, Elizabeth Markham, Allan Marett, and Jonathan Condit
Pieces in the "Muisc from the Tang Court" were collected from Japanese Togaku music. And the Togaku music are the Japanese Court borrowed a large amount of folk entertainment music from China, mainly music of the Sui and Tang Courts 隋唐燕樂. This music, known as "Tang Music" is preserved in manuscripts written between the 8th and 9th centuries and to be seen today in the library of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and in other Japanese libraries.
According to this book, [River Water] seems likely connected with the piece which formed the first item in Tang Banquet Music devised by Zhang Wenshou 張文收 (协 律 郎 the Euphony-Officer) in the time of Tang Tai Zong唐太宗 (Emperpr Taozong 559-649).
Year 640, 唐太宗時期 2 auspicious phenomena happened,
Colorful clouds and yellow river cleared. Yellow river was said that only clean once a thousand years. In order to show the divine blessing for the King Tai zong, the Euphony officer Zhang wheshou combined two music, "auspicious clouds" and "river waters clear"and made Jinyun Heqin Ge, (Auspicious Clouds River Clear Song) and called them Yan Yue, and put them as the 1st suite of the sitting division. This piece "River Water" might be the "River Water Clear"but in abbreviate name. 景雲樂 (Jing Yun Yue) also might be the abbreviate name for 景雲河清歌 (Jin Yun He Qin Ge).
杜祐的通典(a Chinese institutional history and encyclopedia text, The book was written by Du You from 766 to 801. and is at times regarded as the most representative contemporary texts of the Tang Dynasty.) says: In the Zhenguan [period], auspicious clouds were seen and the waters of the [yellow] River cleared. The Euphony-Officer, Zhang Wenshou, making use of the idea of the old Vermilion Goose and Heavenly Horses, made the song: Auspicious Clouds & River Clear. It was called 'The Banquet-Music' and was played by winds and strings. It served as first piece among all musical items [to be presented]. Nowadays it is the first item to be played at the First Month Assembly.
However, only the Jin Yun wu music survived at Du You's time period and the rest of the Yan Yue suite were disappear.—according to Du You.
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Imperial Court Music of Chinaby friend4china11,920 views
Very fascinating video, piece, and story.
Do you know if any of the scholars you mention correspond with the public? I have written to some of them regarding ancient East Asian musical scores, but they have not written back after years' time.
dbadagna 6 months ago