Songs for Remembrance: Along the River during the Qingming Festival
图片
The artwork "Along the River during the Qingming Festival" features a panoramic view of Bianjing, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty during the 10th and the 12th centuries, and the activities of people from all walks of life during the Qingming Festival. [Photo from CFP]
Anchor:
Music Talks in different ways. Hi there, I am Tony Reid.
The piece you are hearing now is titled Along the River during the Qingming Festival, played with the guzheng and the xiao, translated respectively as the 21-stringed zither and the vertical flute.
It portrays the landscape of Bianjing, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty during the 10th and the 12th centuries, and gives us a glimpse of the daily lives of the ancient people and how they celebrated the Qingming Festival.
For those that are wondering what the festival is about, it is a day when Chinese people visit and neaten their ancestral tombs in a bid to commemorate their deceased loved ones.
In this episode, our guests on the show are composer Liu Weiguang and flutist Tian Long. The composer will give us some insight about the creative process behind the music and the instrumentalist will share with us the experience from a performer’s perspective.
Moreover, we will also get a glimpse of the traditions of the festival.
But first, let’s continue with the song Along the River during the Qingming Festival. While its melody takes us back to the hustle and bustle of Bianjing during spring, 1000 years ago.

Anchor:
That was the first movement of the suite Along the River during the Qingming Festival, which highlights how the ancients paid visits to their ancestors’ graves, expressing respect and honor, while sharing recent family matters with the deceased.
The musical suite was composed in 1985 by Liu Weiguang, which drew inspiration from a well-known ancient hand scroll with the same name. This scroll apparently featured a panoramic view of Bianjing, and the activities of people from all walks of life during the Qingming Festival.
The scroll is divided into three sections, about 5 meters in length and just under a quarter of a meter in height.
On it, includes the suburb of the ancient city, daily practices of the people living near Bianhe River, and even displays the allure of the city center, such as shops, dining and entertainment.
The composer Liu Weiguang shares with us why he wrote a song inspired by such a stunning painting.
图片
(Act 1: Liu Weiguang)
“In the 1980s, I was invited to write music for a documentary series titled The Forbidden City, and I selected a couple of topics that I was interested in. The artwork Along the River during the Qingming Festival caught my attention. Although I wasn’t quite familiar with it, I felt it was able to trigger inspiration due to its huge amount of details. To spark my creativity, I got very close to the scroll to observe the intricate details of the authentic panoramas collected in the Palace Museum, wearing white protective clothes and gloves. I also read a lot of related historical documents. Then, I decided to write a suite consisting of five segments to reflect the masterpiece, including The Qingming Festival, Spring Outing I and II, A Difficult Voyage and The Era of Prosperity.”
Anchor:
Now, let’s move on to the second movement of the suite, titled Spring Outing I.
Anchor:
That was the second movement of the suite Along the River during the Qingming Festival, titled Spring Outing I.
The next segment of the suite is Spring Outing II.
Liu says both segments reflect the traditional customs of the Qingming Festival.

(Act 2: Liu Weiguang)
“The Qingming Festival is not only a time for people to pay tribute to their deceased loved ones, but also a pleasant time to go out and enjoy the weather, which is shown in the historical painting. For example, there’s imagery of several children flying kites, among other things. I wrote two segments about the spring outing, with the first one being more peaceful and classical, and the second relatively more energetic.”
Anchor:
That was the third movement of the suite Along the River during the Qingming Festival, titled Spring Outing II.
As we mentioned earlier, the suite was inspired by the ancient scroll. So the composer says he hopes that our listeners are able to feel the elegance, sophistication and the sentiment of dedication conveyed in the song as he incorporated musical elements from long ago.

свернуть