Research On Musical Thought Of Literati In The Mongol-Yuan Dynasties

The Mongol-Yuan Dynasties refers to the period when the Mongols established the Great Mongol State and the Yuan Dynasty unified the whole country.The unique social background has created a diverse culture in this period.Music,as an integral part of the national culture,is also an indispensable element of literature and art in the literati’s thoughts.It is bound to be influenced by the times,which also makes the literati’s music thoughts in this period show distinctive characteristics.This paper selects the most representative Yelu Chucai,Zhao Mengfu and Wu Cheng as the case study objects,with a view to presenting the music thoughts in this period.During the period of Great Mongolia,the literati represented by Yelu Chucai tried to integrate the Han ritual and music system with the old Mongolian system,while building the Mongolian court music,which laid the basic trend of the court music of the Yuan Dynasty.In the aesthetic aspect of Guqin,Yelu Chucai combines two different playing styles and regards "nature" as the highest level of music.After the unification of the Yuan Dynasty,the literati represented by Wu Cheng,proposed that music should be "appropriate to the times" and adapt to the innovative concept of the times.Wu Cheng explained music with Neo-Confucianism,attributed the origin of music to "Qi",and explained the influence of "Qi" on music from three aspects:the "Qi" of the times,the "Qi" of the place,and the "Qi" of the creative subject.When "Qi" changes,music should also change.However,the literati represented by Zhao Mengfu,have always carried out the music of "Restoration of Ancients" to the end.Zhao Mengfu believes that music making needs "laws" to maintain the music hierarchy established by Confucianism.Whether it is the Confucian ritual and music system promoted by Yelu Chucai,or the collision between the restoration and innovation of Wu Cheng and Zhao Mengfu,they are the epitome of the diversified development of Mongolian and Yuan music,from which we can see the overall development of the Mongol-Yuan Dynasties.Confucian literati actively explored the foothold of Confucian rites and music under he Mongol-Yuan Dynasties.Three different musical thoughts were parallel to the Mongolian and Yuan dynasties,thus breaking through the traditional musical thoughts that had been developed along a single line under the rule of the Han regime in the past.It is also their continuous efforts and explorations to rebuild Confucian rites and music that have promoted the survival and development of Confucian music thoughts under the minority regime.