Keywords: Chen Liu Ruan's Family Music in Wei and Jin Dynasties
During the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, due to the establishment of the gate valve system, many noble families appeared, which had a great influence on politics, society and economy at that time. Among these families, Chen Liu Ruan, represented by Ruan Ji, had a special social status in Wei and Jin Dynasties. This is a family of celebrities, and there are more than 2 people named Chen Liuruan in Shi Shuo Xin Yu alone. Their contribution to history lies not in their political achievements, but in their natural birthday behavior in Ren Zhen, their lofty metaphysical spirit, their individual pursuit of resisting the ethical code and affirming themselves, and their literary achievements, which are of great value in the cultural history of China. At the same time, this family is also a musical family, which has also added a glorious stroke in the history of ancient music in China.
The so-called musical family means that there is a family origin in music. In Wei and Jin Dynasties, Chen Liu Ruan's family was centered on Ruan Ji, and even his father Ruan Yu, his nephew Ruan Xian, Ruan Xian's son Ruanzhan, and four generations of grandparents and uncles were either good at playing the piano, playing the pipa, or singing and whistling at the same time, which can be described as a musical family.
Ruan Yu was one of the famous "seven sons of Jian 'an" at that time, and the rise of Ruan's family also started from Ruan Yu's generation. Ruan Yu, because of his achievements in literature and art, created a good political and social reputation and a strong cultural atmosphere for the future rise of his family, so he can be said to be the founder of the rise of Ruan's family. Ruan Yu pioneered Ruan's literature, and his family's love for music art began with him.
Ruan's musical accomplishment is very traditional. Ruan Yu's teacher Cai Yong is a musician, and Ruan Yu's musical attainments should come from Cai Yong. Ruan Yu is famous for its piano. For his deeds, see the Biography of the Three Kingdoms, Wei Shu, Wang Weier and Liu Fu. Pei Songzhi's Note: Cao Cao heard his reputation, so he called him up, but he didn't apply. "Even when he saw it, he fled into the mountains." Cao Cao told people to burn the mountain, caught him and sent him to Chang 'an. At that time, Cao Cao was conquering Chang 'an, giving a big banquet in the camp. "If you are angry and don't talk, you will make the performers list" and put him in the musicians to humiliate him. "Being good at explaining the sound, you can drum it, and then you can sing the strings, so you can make a song saying,' Yi Yi Tian Men opens, and Da Wei should be shipped. Qinggai toured Kyushu, and people complained in the west and east. Scholars know that they are dead, and women have played for joy. Just as you think, how can others be chaotic!' Because the song is agile, the timbre is wonderful, and it was crowned at that time. "This story shows that Ruan Yu can play and sing well, and he can improvise quickly. It can be seen that his playing skills are superb, which is beyond the reach of musicians sitting there.
Ruan Yu's son Ruan Ji greatly surpassed his predecessors in literary achievements and social prestige, and he made the Ruan family reach its peak in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. He and Ji Kang are known as the "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest". In terms of music, he is also different from the common people. He not only has unique musical opinions, but also is a great pianist, which has had a certain influence on the music scene in Wei and Jin Dynasties and even the whole ancient music history. Ruan Ji, a historian, was "addicted to alcohol and good at playing the piano". Wei's Spring and Autumn Annals once recorded an anecdote about Ruan Ji and Mr. Su Men's theory of Taoism by whistling. Born in troubled times, Ruan Ji expressed his aloof temperament with Xiao and Qin. At Si Mazhao's banquet, a man held his breath "Jin Yan", "Only Ruan Ji was sitting, singing on his desk, and he was as cool as a cucumber". From the Book of Jin, it is recorded that "Xi Di Kang heard about it, but it was the wine that made the piano, and it was a great joy to see it." We can see that Ruan Ji likes to make friends with the piano. There are also many chants about him playing the piano in his Poems about Huai: "I can't sleep at night, I sit up and play the piano", "When I was a teenager all my life, I was thin and good at string songs", "The blue clouds covered my vestibule, and the plain piano grieved my heart", "How can I play the piano and swear with Peng Hu", and so on. According to legend, the guqin song "Drunken" was written by Ruan Ji. Among thousands of guqin songs, this is the most unique one. It takes drunkenness as the theme and tries its best to show the madness after drunkenness. The meaning of drunkenness is not in the wine, but it goes without saying. It reflects Ruan Ji's cynicism and shows disdain for the high-handed means of those in power. This piece of music, like his literary work "Poems on the Huai River", expresses his noble character by metaphor, uses the past as a metaphor for the present, and exposes the dissoluteness and corruption of the rulers.
Ruan Ji is not only "good at playing the piano", but also "an intimate friend", and has made great achievements in music theory. Ruan Ji's views on music are reflected in his Theory of Music. This article on music with Liu Ling mainly expounds the generation and function of music. Its tone is consistent with Confucian music theory, and at the same time, it refers to Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi's theory of nature and inaction. He believes that "the man who is happy is the body of heaven and earth, and the nature of all things is also." It is harmonious to be in line with its body, and it is good to be out of line with its body. " It is precisely because music is related to everything in the world, so the ancient sages "will follow the world and become the nature of everything." This is different from Ji Kang's view that music is a natural thing. He thinks that music is a reflection of social customs and a manifestation of people's emotions. He advocates the voice of elegance and integrity, and despises the voice of modesty and pleasure. However, Ruan Ji's music theory also pays attention to the word "harmony", and he especially praises the music that "makes people feel peaceful, fails to enter, makes heaven and earth meet each other, and sets things far away", and thinks that this kind of music is the real music. Ruan Ji's musical opinion coincides with Ji Kang's emphasis on the characteristics of "harmony" in music.
Ruan Xian is the son of Ruan Xi, the elder brother of Ruan Ji, whose name is Zhongrong, and he is one of the "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest", and he is also called "Big and Small Ruan" with his uncle Ruan Ji. Compared with his uncle, he never left a famous title, but Shi Shuo Xin Yu Shu Jie pian said that he knew how to play bosom friends. His attainments and achievements in music are more than his uncle's, and his life has an important influence on the development of China's ancient music history. Ruan Xian is good at playing the pipa. His performance was called the best in the world at that time, and his achievements in the reform of this instrument were outstanding. Not only did he stand out from the rest of the world, but his name was integrated with its instrumentality, which will last forever. Throughout all the Chinese national musical instruments, "Ruan Xian" is the only musical instrument named after ancient sages. In 196, there was a picture of Ruan Xian playing "Ruan" on the brick mural of "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest and the Period of Rongqi" found in the tomb of Xishanqiao in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. This musical instrument has been handed down to this day and is called Ruan. Now Ruan, including Xiao Ruan, zhongruan, Da Ruan and Xiao Ruan, has played a role in national bands. At the same time, he is also proficient in music theory. He once wrote the Law Discussion, and he is also proficient in composing music. The popular piano music "Three Gorges Liuquan" in the Tang Dynasty was written by Ruan Xian according to Yuefu Poetry Collection and Qinji. In the poem "Three Gorges Flowing Springs", Li Jilan has a poem "Recalling the past Ruan Gong as a song, which can make Zhong Rong not listen enough". More importantly, he is proficient in temperament and has a high ability to appreciate music. "Shi Shuo Xin Yu" records that "Xun Xu is good at understanding sounds, and the theory of time is called dark solution. Therefore, the rhythm is adjusted, and the music is elegant. Every orthodox church, the temple and the court have fun, and the palace merchants are self-adjusted, all of which are harmonious. Ruan Xian's wonderful reward is called God's solution. Every guild has fun, but the heart says it's not harmonious, and there is no straight word, meaning to avoid it, so Ruan is the beginning of Pingtaishou. Later, one father plowed in the wild, and when he got a jade ruler every week, he was the ruler of the world. Xun tried to cure the bells, drums, stones, silk and bamboo by school, and all of them felt a little short, so Fu Ruan was knowledgeable. " Due to the loss of the musical instruments in the Zhou Dynasty, there were many discordant melodies at that time, so Xun Xu was ordered by the emperor to formulate new melodies based on the old canon, and at the same time he was jealous of Ruan Xian's talent. Naturally, he did not listen to Ruan Xian's remarks that his melodies were not harmonious. But the ending of the story is intriguing; Later, when a farmer was farming in the field, he found a jade ruler of the week, which not only corrected the regular ruler of the world. The instruments used by Xun Xu to correct his own new laws were all as short as a millet grain, so he finally recognized Ruan Xian as "god knowledge". This shows Ruan Xian's mastery of temperament. Ruan Xian's requirements for music are "elegance" and "neutralization". He treats both so-called "elegant music" and "lewd music" equally. The "neutralization" he requires does not inhibit people's emotional expression, which proves that he is always willful and unrestrained when playing the pipa.
Biography of Ruan Ji says that Ruan Xian's "two sons: foresight and happiness". Looking at the word for thousands of miles, the nature is pure and empty, and he is complacent in his arms. "This means that he is at peace with the world. He also said that he was "good at playing the piano, and people heard his ability and asked for more." Don't ask whether you are young or old, you are all playing it. " It can be seen that he is not only superb in piano skill, but also excellent in piano virtue. It is a common practice for people who play the piano to be narcissistic and unwilling to play for "laity". It is rare that Ruan Zhan can do the opposite. It is said that his brother-in-law, Pan Yue, often asked him to play the piano "all day long and all night", and he didn't think it was enough. There is indeed a legacy of its ancestors.
Ruan's musical family is of typical significance. This musical family began in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and ended in the late Western Jin Dynasty, which lasted for about a century. At that time, they were in troubled times, and they only had their feelings in music. From music, they heard the agitation of their own hearts and saw the vicissitudes of the world and the coldness of the world. The bitter wind and rain in reality and the sunny weather there, the noise bursting here and the tranquility there, make them get carried away. In music, they have entrusted their own spirit and affection, and also found their ideal character and spiritual conversion!
The special historical conditions in Wei and Jin Dynasties created Ruan's special family. They had a special relationship with music. Music has become a part of their lives, and music is also one of the main carriers of their pursuit of spiritual independence. This family had a far-reaching influence in the history of ancient music in China.
references:
[1] Wang Jianguo's A Textual Research on Chen Liu Ruan's Family Style and Learning Style in Wei and Jin Dynasties, published in Tianzhong Journal, No.4, 24
[2] Luo Junyun's Contributions of the Other Five Sages to the Spirit of Bamboo Forest, published in Gansu Social Sciences, No.5, 1997
[3] Fan Ziye's "On Ruan Ji's Good Whispering" contains "On the North", No.2, 1999
[5] Zhang Huaying's "Guqin", the first edition of Zhejiang People's Publishing House in March 25.