Chinese instrumental music is a significant historical and cultural component of Chinese culture. One form of Chinese instrumental music is known as Jiangnan Sizhu. Jiangnan is the traditional name of the southern region of the lower Yangtze river, and Sizhu translates literally as "silk and bamboo" (Jiangnan, 2010, p. 1). One might maintain Jiangnan Sizhu is a regional form of music, since it is a traditional urban ensemble music that was practiced in Southern China, "above all in Shanghai" (Hunter, 1998, p. 924). Despite its specific instruments and performance features, Jiangnan Sizhu arose largely as a movement by amateur musicians for their own pleasure.
Jiangnan Sizhu embodies a small repertory, focusing on Eight Great Pieces, a 1940s composition that continues to be cultivate in the People's Republic of China (PRC) in small clubs by amateurs (Hunter, 1998). Yet few compositions since then have been accepted, and Jiangnan Sizhu retains aspects of older art forms that have drained it of its vitality to some degree. As such, it is practiced today much like other traditional Chinese arts like calligraphy and landscape painting (Hunter, 1998). This analysis will discuss a number of features of Jiangnan Sizhu, including the nature of the music and instruments of the form as well as its history, transmission and performance. A conclusion will address the status of Jiangnan Sizhu in contemporary China.
Originating in Shanghai, Jiangnan Sizhu has always been associated with urban settings. The first significant performance of a Jiangnan Sizhu ensemble occurred at the Shanghai teahouse in 1911, making Jiangnan Sizhu a music form about to celebrate its centennial (Hunter, 1998). More folk art than classical music, Jiangnan Sizhu consists of a repertory of folk songs and became popular among amateur musicians playing mainly for their own entertainment. Most popular in tea houses, Jiangnan Sizhu was...