They had several forms of horns in China & still have several of them in use with certain minority groups in Yuennan province (SW China). Dr.Doug Hill will probably not be able to answer your questions. He has been in China, yes, but how far has he been ? I was in China about thirtytimes to teach on many universities since 1984: Xian, Kunming, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing (I will be there again next month), Wuhan, Beijing, Shenyang, Tienjian, Changchun, several places twice or threetimes.
Two years ago, I have seen the "over-the-mountain-horn", a streight horn with a hornsize bell, played in larger groups (I have filmed that & played on them also) plus two larger pieces in the group, but not like the Tibetan temple horns, which still exist today & which are also played in China. There is also a half-moon-like horn, used by another minority. This horn is made from a large water-buffalo-horn & used for solemn ceremonies while the forementioned horns of brass are used for celebrations & welcome greetings. When we were welcomed at Xiuxong (the site of the Yuennan dinosaur) by a 24+ group of players, we were really overwhelmed. The larger horns a collapsibles. They use a different sized horn, consisting of a multi-coiled brass tube inside a brass pot, mouthpiece & a little bell protruding on opposite sides, not unlike the Buchswinder-horn of Ellwangen in Swabia province of Bavaria from the 17th/18th century. This horn comes in different sizes & is also blown in Xiuxong. The temple horns of Tibetan style are played in the "Shangri-la County" near Zhongdian on the upper part of Jangtse river not far from Tibetan border at an altitude of over 4000 meters. I found the Chinese Horn, as described in old books on musical instruments. It looks like a super cigar of nearly two meters or more length. The only exemplar I have seen was in the Gugong museum in Shenyang, the imperial palace museum. Yes, they Chinese got known our Western style musical instruments during the late 18th century by Russian emigrants & settlers in Harbin. They used to have an orchestra there & a theatre. As Czar Peter the Great imported many artists (incl. musicians) from Western Europe, the origin of the musicians gon to China then is unknown. Westerners settling thee might have used brass instruments for a last farewell ceremony or last salut, who knows, but it was not the Chinese way of making music. Pictures of the above mentioned instruments will be on my site soon, also two short video clips. But be patient, as I am overfilld with musical duties at the moment (the RING twice & Flying Dutchman & all the rehearsals but other ballet & operas too), so it might still be a while, even all is prepared. Greetings from Munich Hans PS: I will also inquire at the Shanghai Conservatory (masterclass March 29th) & Nanjing Arts Institute (April 2nd), but I will be there just on vacations. ============================================================ =========================================== -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joshua Cheuvront Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 10:49 PM To: The Horn List Subject: [Hornlist] Horn/Brass in China Okay, here's a question for you scholars out there, especially those of you who know a lot about Chinese history during the last century. I'm currently attempting to find some sources which address the introduction of brass instruments, especially horn, into China. Unfortunately, I've come up empty-handed so far. There just doesn't seem to be any research out there, at least not in English. I sent an email to Doug Hill last night, figuring he'd be able to point me in the right direction, but I know that many of you on the list have experience/knowledge as well. In case anyone is interested, this all came about as a result of a discussion I had with my instructor for a class on contemporary Chinese music. I used to have a Bruce Lee film on VHS that began with a scene in which a small ensemble is playing during a funeral ritual ceremony. As I remember, there was a Tuba, trombone, and maybe even a horn in the group. When I mentioned this to my instructor, who is originally from China, she said she had never heard of brass instruments being used in ritual music. I'd like to do a research paper on the introduction of brass instruments into China, and hopefully focus on their use in ritual ensembles. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Josh_______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hans%40pizka. de _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
