Taoist music (Mount Tai Taoist Music)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Taoist music (Mount Tai Taoist Music)

Applicant: Tai'an City, Shandong Province

Item No.: 638

Project No.: Ⅱ - 139

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Shandong Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Tai'an City, Shandong Province

Protection unit: Tai'an Taoist Association

Introduction to Taoist music (Mount Tai Taoist Music)

Applicant: Tai'an City, Shandong Province

Taoist music, also known as "Daochang music", is the music used in Taoist religious activities. Like Taoism, it originated from the sacrificial songs and dances of ancient witches. Taoist music consists of two parts: instrumental music and vocal music. Instrumental music is mainly composed of bell, chime, drum, wooden fish, cloud Gong and other instruments, with wind, plucking, string pulling and other instruments. Vocal music is mainly composed of chanting, which is composed of Gaogong master's recitation of vows, praise of God, chanting of the table, the confession of all preachers and the chorus of all Taoists.

Taishan Taoist music spread in Tai'an City of Shandong Province, began in the Northern Wei Dynasty, has a history of more than 1500 years. In the process of long-term development, the essence of folk beliefs, court sacrifices and local music has been widely absorbed and enriched. Due to the worship of Mount Tai by the Chinese people in the past dynasties, the Taoist music of Mount Tai entered the ceremony and became an important part of the ceremony.

Taishan Taoist music repertoire is very rich, in the hall of singing mainly uses the Quanzhen school unified "ten rhymes". In addition, it also widely absorbed folk music elements, and gradually accumulated a large number of repertoire, only "yuyinxianfan" collected more than 100 pieces. According to the survey, there are more than 500 pieces of Taoist music in Mount Tai, which can be sung, collected in Dai Temple and scattered among the people. In particular, no one has been able to decipher the famous Taishan Taoist music "curve spectrum".

Taishan Taoist music can be divided into vocal music and instrumental music. Vocal music is mainly the chanting of Quanzhen school, including eulogy, Bu Xu, Ji and other forms. Chanting includes solo singing, chorus singing and scatterboard chanting. According to the different occasions, it can be divided into yin and Yang tones. The Yang tone is mainly used for sacrifice, and the Yin tone is mainly used in the outer field. Instrumental music mainly uses magic instruments as percussion instruments and orchestral instruments as instruments. His representative works include Bu Xu first, Da Xue Xian, Ying neinian, Qing Jiang Yin, etc.

Taishan Taoist music inherits the artistic characteristics of Taoist music, such as solemnity, simplicity, nobility and elegance. At the same time, it develops creatively and forms a unique style with great momentum. It is unique in Chinese Taoist music. Based on the ancient and profound Taishan culture, it vividly shows the broad and profound side of traditional culture, and has the research value of religion, culture, folklore, history, aesthetics, musicology and so on. At present, with the death of the inheritors of the old generation, there is no successor to Taishan Taoist music, and the Qupai repertoire has been partially lost, which is in urgent need of protection.