Title: A dialogue between the fisherman and the woodcutter

Arranger:Tong Leung-tak

Year: [19--]

Genre:

• Small ensemble
• Arrangement

Call No.: SC444

Description: Yuqiao wenda is a classic qin piece. Its earliest extant notation is included in the anthology Xingzhuang taiyin xupu compiled by Xiao Luan in 1560. Among the many existing versions, the most well-known and widely performed one is Wu Jinglüe's "interpretation" (dapu) of the tablatures notated in the anthology Qinxue rumen (1864). The piece, according to annotations found in most anthologies, depicts a scene where a fisherman and a lumberjack engage in a dialogue, addressing the grandest of topics like the rise and decline of nations and the illusion of power and wealth facing human existence. It portrays the dialogue sonically with pairs of ascending and descending melodies, mimicking question-and-answer sequences. The piece consists of ten sections and lasts around seven or eight minutes in a typical performance. Judging from the parts available in the Music Office's archive, Tong Leung-tak's arrangement of Yuqiao wenda (i.e., "A Dialogue between the Fisherman and the Woodcutter") is intended for a small ensemble of xiao, sheng, pipa, and erhu, though the number of players for each instrument is not specified on the scores. It is an abridged version of Wu's "interpretation," with sections six and seven as well as some passages in sections three, four, and nine omitted. It otherwise preserves the original melody and narrative structure, featuring heterophonic playing among the four instrumental parts with occasional segments of homophony.

Note:

• Arrangement of the guqin piece of the same title

Instrumentation: xiao (1), sheng (1), pipa (1), erhu (1)