Zenghou Yi was a prince of Zeng State (today’s Suixian County and Zaoyang area of ??Hubei Province in central China) during the Warring States Period (475 BC - 221 BC). His surname was Yi, so he was called Zenghou by later generations. B, died in the fifty-sixth year of King Hui of Chu. The reason why Zeng Houyi was known to later generations and caused archaeologists to continue to verify his identity was the discovery of the tomb of Zenghou Yi in 1978 and the emergence of the large national treasure chime that had been buried in the tomb for more than 2,400 years. Destroyed the world, overturned the world.
Because they were unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi, these chimes are also called Zeng Hou Yi Chime Bells. The chimes, chimes and other musical instruments in the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng are the largest orchestra arrangement of bells and drums ever seen.
The "numerous cultural relics, exquisite craftsmanship, rarity, and perfect preservation" unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi are the only Warring States tombs excavated in Hubei Province over the years. It is not only large in scale, but also And it is completely preserved. A large number of exquisite bronze ritual vessels, musical instruments, weapons, gold vessels, jades, chariots and horses, lacquered wood and bamboo vessels, and bamboo slips were unearthed in the tomb, totaling 15,404 pieces, many of which have never been seen before. of treasures, eight of which are designated as national treasures.
The tomb of Zeng Houyi is divided into four chambers. The one in the middle is related to the orchestra and the second largest chamber in the east. The middle chamber imitates the "palace" and the east chamber is the "bedroom". ". The "Bedroom" contains a coffin (guǒ) for the tomb owner and eight coffins for the buried women. There is also a "Jun" (also known as "Jun Zhong" today) for tuning other musical instruments, and a ten-stringed musical instrument. There are five pieces of twenty-five-stringed zither, two pieces of yu, and one piece of hanging drum. These are obviously light bands used to play "Music in the Room" in the "bedroom". They are the so-called "Music of Yu and Se", a relatively elegant sound composed mainly of Yu and Se.
The furnishings in the "palace" of Zenghou Yi Chime Bell imitate banquet scenes in real life. On the south side are some ritual utensils and eating utensils, and in front of them is a row of three-story chimes (Zeng Houyi Chime Bells). A large "architectural drum" is placed at the east end of the bell frame, with a surface diameter of 90 cm. A long pole is erected vertically on the drum stand, and the drum frame passes through the pole from the middle so that the drum faces people (the drum placed in this way is called "jiangu" and is generally larger). The west end of the bell frame turns north to form a right angle. It is still a three-story chime, occupying the three floors on the west side. On the north side of the "palace" is a row of double-layered chimes with thirty-two chimes. The drum, chime and chime frame form three sides of a rectangle (one of the long sides). There are two other flutes in the "Palace", three flutes (thirteen-tube panpipes with different diameters), two flutes (chí) with closed pipes, blowing horizontally, with the blow hole opening upward, but the five finger holes open not upward but toward The front date is relative to the player. Played with such openings, it shows that this instrument is more closely related to Xun), with seven twenty-five-stringed zither and a small drum with a handle.
When actually playing, these musical instruments should be arranged on the east side of the "Palace" to form a rectangular band with all four sides. This is the "Gongxuan" that only the emperor can use according to the Western Zhou ritual and music system. Judging from the arrangement of the team, the high and low sounds are separated and the main melody is highlighted.
The bell body of Zeng Houyi's chime is a copper-wood structure, consisting of two rows of three-layer lacquered wooden beams connected to form a curved ruler. Both ends of the beams are decorated with bronze sleeves with reliefs and openwork dragon patterns or petal-shaped patterns. . The middle and lower beams are each supported by three bronze figures holding swords with their heads and hands, and are firmly connected through the square holes of the beams and the mortise and tenon. In the middle, there is also a copper support to support the beam for reinforcement. The bronze figure wearing a sword wears a long robe, is belted around the waist, and has a solemn face. It stands on a round carved bronze tarsus. It is a rare masterpiece among bronze figures, and it also strengthens the grand status of the whole set of chimes.
Zeng Hou Yi Chime Bell (Warring States Period), the bell frame is 7.48 meters long, 3.35 meters wide, and 2.73 meters high. The complete bell frame is composed of 245 components and can be disassembled. It has exquisite design and stable structure. . The complete set of sixty-five chimes is made of bronze. Each bell is engraved with a gold seal inscription, and the front is engraved with "Zeng Hou Yi Zha Shi" (composed by Zeng Hou Yi). "The inscription on the chime bell records that King Xiong Zhang of Chu was cast as Zong Yi by Zeng Marquis Yi. The phonetic notation clearly indicates the hanging position or striking part of the bell and the name of the pronunciation. They constitute the twelve semitone appellation system. Rhythm theory description The corresponding relationship between the laws and names of Zeng State and Chu, Jin, Qi, Shen, Zhou and other countries was explained.
Zhong Ming saw twenty-eight rhythm names and sixty-six step names, most of which were new and unknown materials. This set of chime inscriptions is an important treatise on ancient Chinese music theory. The complete set of chimes has a wide range of sounds, rich sound sequences, and beautiful timbres. Each bell has two tones with an interval of three degrees, which can be fired separately without interfering with each other. It can also be fired at the same time to form a pleasant harmony, which confirms the double-tone rule of each bell in ancient Chinese chimes. The complete set of chimes has a deep and rich bass, a round and honest midrange and a crisp and bright treble. Its range is from C2 to D7, with twelve semitones in the center range. It can be transposed to play a variety of music in the heptatonic scale. The copper components of the bell and bell frame are copper, tin, and lead alloys, and the alloy proportions vary depending on the use. It is made by casting, split casting, soldering, brazing, inlaying, gold-stitching and grinding, with exquisite craftsmanship. The assembly and layout of the chimes are very reasonable in terms of mechanics, aesthetics, and practical operation. The whole set of clocks is decorated with human, animal, dragon, flower and geometric patterns, using various techniques such as round carving, relief carving, incising, and painting. The red, black, and yellow colors contrast with the original color of bronze, making it appear solemn, solemn, exquisite, and spectacular. . There are six T-shaped painted wooden poles and two painted wooden bell-ringing sticks that come out with the bell. ”
The total sound range of Zeng Houyi’s chimes is five octaves, second only to the modern piano. It can play music of five tones, six tones or seven tones. Modern scholars infer that this set of chimes not only It can play melody and harmony.
According to the research and speculation of modern scholars, this set of chimes should be played by three musicians holding T-shaped mallets to strike the three sets of chimes in the middle. The main melody of the music is played, and two other musicians hold large wooden sticks and hit the bass bell on the lower floor as a harmony.
The appearance of Zeng Hou Yi’s chime reminds people of ancient China two thousand years ago. The degree of musical development is full of reverie. Such an exquisite instrument and such a magnificent orchestra are extremely rare in the history of world culture. It also represents the achievements of my country's ancient bronze industry. Zeng Houyi's chimes are called one of the eight wonders of the world.