中國宮廷音樂“密碼”穿越百年歷史從荷蘭來到重慶紀實

□ 文/本刊記者 熊怡

中國宮廷音樂“密碼”穿越百年歷史從荷蘭來到重慶紀實

□ 文/本刊記者 熊怡

2016年3月10日上午，重慶演藝集團藝術總監趙建民剛打開辦公室電腦，就彈出一封來自荷蘭王國駐重慶總領事館的電子郵件：近兩百頁的《中國古今音樂考》影印資料。內容包括，寫著“上六尺工、上四合四……”像密碼一樣的中國古代樂譜—工尺譜，羅列出“梅花酒”“前風韻”“得勝令”“卦玉鉤”等50多個中國經典曲牌名的蠅頭小楷手抄記錄，落款為“錢德明”。

錢德明是誰，這些中國古代音樂資料何時傳到了歐洲，而今，又為什么從歐洲大陸那端的荷蘭來到重慶？

仔細讀完郵件，出于音樂工作者的職業敏感，趙建民意識到，這份名為《細十番》的樂譜，是極為珍貴的音樂文獻。它出自中國古代宮廷，但至少近百余年來，已經無人能夠演奏，更沒有人聽過這樣的音樂了。

幸運的是，接下來的大半年時間里，中荷兩國音樂家攜手，不但破譯了這份樂譜的“密碼”，并且于2016年12月7日，在重慶國泰藝術中心音樂廳，共同呈現了一場精彩絕倫的“中國·荷蘭古典音樂雅集”。讓歷史的音符跨越重洋，在中國大地上再次奏響。

珍貴樂譜手稿現藏于法國國家圖書館

《中國古今音樂考》這部書的作者錢德明，是法國傳教士Joseph-Marie Amiot（1718—1793）。他于1749年12月來華，1751年8月在北京覲見清乾隆皇帝。錢德明留京40余年，先后撰寫了《中國兵法》《孔子傳》《中國藥物》《滿文文典》《中國古今音樂考》等多部介紹中國文化和歷史的譯文及著作，熱心向歐洲傳播中國文化。

重慶民族樂團“風雅華樂組合”演奏《細樂十番》。

《中國古今音樂考》是錢德明的重要著作之一，他參考了康熙文淵閣大學士李光地的《古樂經傳》和明代律學家朱載堉的《律呂精義》，在一位中國文人朋友的協助下完成，于1779年在法國巴黎出版。書中對中國音樂進行了大量介紹，并對西方音樂體系與中國音樂體系進行了比較和研究。

錢德明在中國搜集整理的中國宮廷音樂《細十番》樂譜，正是這部著作的一部分，其珍貴的手稿現藏于法國國家圖書館。2016年年初，荷蘭籍魯特琴演奏家、教育家大衛·范·奧簡（David van Ooijen）幾經輾轉，收集并掌握了這份文獻資料。恰逢荷蘭駐華外交機構正在籌備一年一度的“荷蘭日”文化交流活動，資料內容契合了荷蘭駐重慶總領事館籌劃的“中國荷蘭古典音樂晚會”的主題。由此，這份樂譜被交到了重慶演藝集團音樂總監趙建民的手中。

中荷古典音樂把觀眾帶回幾個世紀前

“十番”音樂源于中國江浙一帶的民間器樂合奏形式，因演奏樂器的不同，分為“細十番”和“粗十番”，多用于迎親、壽宴、生日、金榜題名等喜事。1751年，乾隆皇帝巡視江南之后，將其帶入京城，并逐漸成為宮廷音樂的一部分。

荷蘭駐重慶總領事館所提供的《細十番》手稿，需要有一定音樂造詣的專家破譯，才能成為當代民族樂器演奏的樂譜。“手稿中大量的工尺譜和曲牌名，就好比一堆零散的積木，如何搭建一座高樓，就是功力所在。”趙建民想到了求助他的老師吳華先生。

觀眾沉浸在美妙的音樂中。

現藏于法國國家圖書館的《細十番》工尺譜手稿影印件。

吳華先生是中國著名作曲家、音樂教育家，退休后在故鄉重慶生活。早在10年前，他受中國故宮博物院邀請，主持了故宮博物院館藏的明代、清代宮廷樂譜的整理和編譯工作，歷時3年取得了重要的研究成果。2016年，吳華先生由于在民族音樂的作曲、教育和研究領域所取得成就和作出的貢獻，被中國民族管弦樂協會授予“終生成就獎”。

年逾古稀的吳華先生付出了很大的努力，對手稿原譜進行破譯和重新編曲。終于讓這首既具有音樂價值，更富有歷史和學術價值的《細樂十番》得以再現舞臺。

2016年12月7日晚，重慶國泰藝術中心音樂廳，來自荷蘭的魯特琴演奏家大衛、古小提琴演奏家安托瓦內特·洛曼（Antoinette Lohmann），以及重慶民族樂團的音樂演奏家，為觀眾呈現了一場獨特的“中國·荷蘭古典音樂雅集”。

二胡、琵琶、中阮、古琴、尺八等中國古典民族樂器，與魯特琴、古小提琴等歐洲古典樂器，演奏出的美妙音符，帶聽眾回到幾個世紀前的中國和荷蘭。由重慶民族樂團“風雅華樂組合”演奏的《細樂十番》，成為當晚的壓軸大戲。充滿邏輯、布局嚴謹的歐洲巴洛克音樂，與充滿意境、自由不拘的中國古典音樂形成了鮮明對比，兩國的音樂與歷史在這里碰撞交流，也讓人們對歷史產生遙遠的追思和遐想。

圖片由重慶演藝集團提供

On the morning of March 10, 2016, when Zhao Jianming, the Artistic Director of Chongqing Art Performance Group, opened the computer in his of fice, a E-mail leaping to his eyes from the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Chongqing read about the photocopies ofStudy on Chinese Ancient and Modern Musicfor nearly two hundred pages. It includes the Gong-Che Notation (GCN) ----the code-like Chinese ancient music score in which its complicated rules are told, listing more than f fty Chinese classic tune names, with Qian Deming inscribed, and written and recorded in f y-sized regular script like Plum Wine, Qian Feng Yun, Slow Song of Triumph and Song of Appreciating New Moon.

Some confusions may hang on our mind: Who is Qian Zhongming? When did Chinese ancient music data spread to Europe? Why does it now travel to Chongqing from the Netherlands located in the northwest of European continent?

After reading this E-mail carefully, Mr. Zhao was aware out of his professional sensitivity as a music worker that this music score namedSoft Shifanis cherished as the important music document. It originates from the ancient court of China, but no one has been

able to play for at least nearly a hundred years, let alone heard.

Luckily, over more than next six months, musicians from China and the Netherlands would join hands to decipher the “code” of thismusic score and present a wonderful performance at the Concert Hall of Guotai Art Center in Chongqing on December 7, 2016, namelyChinese and Dutch Classical Music Collection. Their efforts serve as a bridge that makes it possible for the history-honored music notes to travel across the ocean to be played in China.

The precious manuscript is now preserved in the National Library of France

The book,Study on Chinese Ancient and Modern Music, was written by Qian Deming who was the French missionary called Joseph-Marie Amiot (1718 ～ 1793). He came to China in December 1749 and sought an audience with Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty in August 1751 in Beijing. Qian Deming had stayed in Beijing for more than 40 years and f nished many translations and works concerning China’s culture and history such asChina’s Art of War, The Biography of Confucius, China’s Medicine, Fuminori in Manchu and Study on Chinese Ancient and Modern Music.He had also been keen to spread Chinese culture to Europe.

Study on Chinese Ancient and Modern Music, as one of his important works, was f nished with the help of his Chinese literatus friend and reference ofGuyuejingzhuan(Interpretation of Ancient Chinese Music Classics) written by Li Guangdi who worked as the emperor’s adviser in the W enyuange (a political institution set by Kangxi Emperor) andThe Essence of Pitch Pipesby Zhu Zaiyu, the law scholar of Ming Dynasty. It was finally published in the Paris, France in 1779. A lot of writings in this work are for Chinese music, and study and comparison between western music system and Chinese music system are also found.

One part of this work isSoft Shi Fan, the China’s court music score collected by Qian Deming, whose valued manuscript is now preserved in the National Library of France. At the beginning of 2016, David van Ooijen, a Dutch luthan virtuoso and educator, collected and mastered this document through sincere ef forts. While Netherlands diplomatic agency was preparing for the annual“Dutch Day” cultural exchange activity, the document was rightly in line with the theme of “Dutch and Chinese classical music party”planned by Consulate General of Holland in Chongqing. Thus, this music score was handed over to Mr. Zhao.

Chinese and Dutch classic music brings listeners back to several centuries ago

“Shifan” music is originated from China’s Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas in the form of folk instrumental ensemble and can be divided into “Soft Shifan” and “Rough Shifan” which are often used for wedding, birthday banquet for the elderly, birthday party, enrollment to renowned schools and other happy events. When Qianlong Emperor in Qing Dynasty toured the Jiangnan areas in 1751, it was brought to the royal palace, gradually becoming the member of China’s court music.

Only when the manuscript ofSoft Shifanoffered by the Dutch Consulate General in Chongqing is deciphered by experts with some musical attainments, can it serve as the music score of contemporary folk instruments. “As a large number of musical scores and tune names in the manuscript seem to be scattered like a pile of building blocks, knowing how to build a high-rise building is where the ability and skills lie in.” To get rid of this trouble, Mr. Zhao considered to turn to his teacher, Mr. Wu Hua.

Mr. Wu, a famous composer and music educator in China, spends his retirement in his hometown, Chongqing. As early as 10 years ago, at the invitation of National Palace Museum, he presided over the collection and compiling of court music scores of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the museum, which lasted 3 years and then obtained important research fruits. In 2016, Mr. Wu was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Chinese National Orchestra Association for his achievements and contributions in the f elds of composition, education and research of ethnic music.

Mr. Wu, an elder over seventy years old, has made great efforts to decipher and re-arrange the original scores in manuscripts so that the Fine Music ofShifanwith musical value, rich historical and academic value was f nally represented on the stage.

On the evening of December 7, 2016, at the Concert Hall of Guotai Art Center in Chongqing, an unique and wonderful music feastChinese and Dutch Classical Music Collectionwas taken on for music lovers by David, a lute player from the Netherlands, Antoinette Lohmann, the ancient violin player, and players from Chongqing National Orchestra Group.

Listeners were brought back to the China and Netherlands of several centuries ago by the wonderful musical notes from the combination of China’s national classic instruments like Erhu, Chinese lute, Zhongruan, Guqin and shakuhachi and European classic instruments such as lute, violin and others.The Fine Music of Shifan, played by the Chongqing National Orchestra named“Elegant Chinese Music Group”, became the night finale drama. The European baroque music, full of logic and careful layout, is in the sharp contrast with Chinese classical music full of artistic conception and freedom. The communication of two countries’music and history makes people have a far-reaching remembrance and reverie to history.

Pictures offered by Chongqing Art Performance Group

The “Code” of Chinese Court Music Traveling Through the Centuries-long History River from the Netherlands to Document Chongqing

□ Article/Journalist Xiong Yi