By So Weiting

We talk about the "Yijing" 意境 of a Guqin song. What is it? It refers to the character or mood of the piece of music, which was the original intention of the composer or the composer to which the piece is attributed. Often, the composer is unknown and the work is attributed to a mythological or historical figure who is also the subject of the piece, and the Yijing of the music can be traced back to an event or story in this person's life. Whether the real author is known or unknown, by virtue of its association with the subjects and events of Chinese history, Guqin music is often very much a HISTORICAL music associated with specific persons and situations. When we play this music therefore, we must be aware of the historical context which determines the Yijing. If we simply interpret the music anyway we like, and play it as a mere reflection of our own moods, without reference to the original Yijing, then we have appropriated the music and edited out the historical content.

We can liken Guqin music to a play, and the Guqin musician to an actor. The Guqin play has a script, and the Guqin musician enacts the role and channels the character in the script. That is what we mean by getting the Yijing right. However, if we ignore the script, and rewrite the play around other characters including our own selves, then, the play is no longer the play it was meant to be, but something else. In this case, we cannot say that the Yijing is right. Even if the song is played well and reflects some lofty mood, if it is not correct in its interpretation of the original Yijing, we cannot say that the original Yijing of the piece was interpreted very well, in a historical sense.

For example, "Xiao Xiang Shui Yun" (Mists and Clouds over Rivers Xiao and Xiang) is about the composer's strong feelings of patriotism and frustration at the annexation of the territory of his motherland by invaders (in this case, we actually know the real composer's name and situation in life). If someone interprets it simply as beautiful scenery, rolling mists over green mountains in fine spring weather, and plays a cheerful tune all the way though because they do not feel indignant and patriotic but peaceful and happy as if out on a spring picnic with friends without a single care in the world, then there is complete dissonance between the original Yijing of the piece and its interpretation and execution. The piece loses historical context, the meaning is changed, and the Yijing is no longer accurate. I feel that as Guqin musicians we should be careful of the fact that we are not always just conveying our own moods, but also the mood of the composer and/or the characters in the music.

There are in general three kinds of Guqin music: 1) Those without human characters and historical context but reflective of natural scenery, 2) Those without a specific, historical human character but which depict a human setting or a certain human feeling, 3) Those with specific human characters in a historical context, and associated with events. When playing music of the first kind (e.g. 平沙落雁，鸥鹭忘机，碧涧流泉, 春晓吟) we can simply channel the spirit of nature or the mood of being at one with nature, in keeping with the Daoist-influenced nature of the piece. When playing the second kind of music, we must first make clear what the human emotion and setting is before playing the music so as to get the Yijing right. For e.g. 普庵咒 is about Buddhist chanting in a monastery and 忆故人 is about remembering old friends. Sometimes, a song can fall either within category one or two, depending on how you interpret it. E.g. 风雷引 and 良宵引. Is 风雷引 about thunder, wind and stormy weather, or is it about shamans, Daoist masters, or someone like Zhuge Liang for e.g. making rituals to bring down thunder, wind and rain? Is 良宵引 about the pleasant evening and a full moon, or is it about a pleasant evening with friends? The interpretation of these songs can be quite open.

But when we come to the third kind of music, those with a clear historical context associated with specific human characters (e.g. 潇湘水云，广陵散， 酒狂，归去来辞 etc) then we must first clarify the historical context, the setting, and the emotions of the characters involved before playing the music so as to reflect the Yijing correctly. To complicate matters, the history of the song is often not straightforward, and there are layers of meaning that have accrued over time. This is especially so for songs that have lyrics, because the song might have been composed earlier and the lyrics put into it later. Often, the lyrics attached to songs are the poems of famous poets, or based on the poems of famous poets. In this case, there is the song, and there is the poem, and there is the poet also. Sometimes, the correspondence between music and lyrics is good, but sometimes, there is dissonance. Which layer of meaning do we reflect? There is no one correct answer, but at least, we have to be aware of all these things and take them into consideration so that, instead of being ignorant of some important aspect, we are in a good position to interpret the Yijing of the piece to the best of our understanding and ability.
#####
Immediately one could consider baroque music. Contemporary interpretation vs traditional interpretation is identical to your post. The same can be found in Hindustani music: in approach to Khyal compositions, raag interpretation, tuning systems. One encounters he same in Japanese music, Ottoman court music, etc. Ultimately this question also expresses itself outside of music and the arts as well. What is the appropriate relationship between creativity and tradition, between the forward movement of time and our roots in the past, between inheritance and individuality...and where does identity find its place between these polarities?