A Comparison And Study Of Yue Shu Eight Sounds And Wen Xian Tong Kao Eight Sounds

As an outstanding collection of materials of instruments, Yue Shu was completed by Chenyang at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty which has not only attached over two hundred illustrations, but also generalized the course of instrument development from primitively ancient time to his era, providing an important reference for the research of the ancient Chinese instruments. In comparison, Wen Xian Tong Kao finished at the outset of Yuan Dynasty involving of the record numerous aspects of ancient social development, also has an immeasurable significance in the above-mentioned study. Nevertheless, the identity of two masterpieces is still not fully recognized among the relevant professionals, so is the trivial differences beyond the similarity. In reality, however, the chapter The Eight Sounds in Wen Xian Tong Kao is just the very derivation of the Yue Shu· Yue Tu Lun.The Eight Sounds which was later undergone the historical material addition and content omission conducted by its author Ma Duanlin and eventually evolved into a new collection with the different example settings and specific contents from its original. Such an adjustment resonates the different writing purpose as well as the diverged research methodology between the authors. For this reason, Yue Shu· The Eight Sounds and The chapter The Eight Sounds in Wen Xian Tong Kao are studied in this thesis by a comparative research methodology, followed is the discussion on the significance and the fallacies included in Yue Shu· The Eight Sounds based on the perusal of its contents with an aim to appraising the Musicianship of its editor Chen Yang.This thesis is composed of five sections with the introduction part summarizing the professional studies on this topic as well as other necessary expositions. Ensuing is the first chapter of the comparative study on the overall structure of the two masterpieces, based on which, the differences of the two are accurately located in terms of the gradation and item setting. Followed is the second chapter with the introduction of the addition and omission that is made in Wen Xian Tong Kao. The Eight Sounds for compensating the flaws in Yue Shu. The Eight Sounds, together with the reasons for the very revision presenting here. The rest three sections is analysis on the specific contents record in Yue Shu.The third chapter has this masterpiece’s editing characteristic and significance elaborated, as well as the discussion on the values of the its “recording” and “music theory presenting” from its distinctive composing features. What comes next is the fourth chapter of empirical study on instruments bytargeting on several instruments for the purpose of exploring the fundamental rules of instrument development and the composing features of the instrument sections in Tang and Song Dynasties. Ultimately comes the fifth chapter of the music theory analysis. Chen Yang’s outlook on Yayue and temperament as well as its mistakes scattered in different items are categorized and concluded in this chapter for the discussion his musicianship and the objective comment on his masterpiece’s literature value.