Relics of sacred sound : ritual music in early Chinese texts = 早期中國文獻所見儀式音樂研究

Abstract

The concept of “ritual and music” (liyue 禮樂) in Chinese culture originated from ancient sacrificial ceremonies and was first seen in the excavated Confucian literature during the Warring States period. This dissertation concentrates on the early Chinese texts of ritual music and dance, scrutinizing how the combination of ritual and music shaped the political tradition in ancient China, and how the texts were formed, disseminated, and interpreted in the absence of live ritual musical performance. After introducing fundamental texts on ritual music in early China and basic ritual theories in Chapter One, Chapter Two examines the concept of sheng聲, yin音, yue樂 and liyue禮樂 from the semantics perspective. It also compares the traditional Chinese music system with European music theory, arguing that the “music” (yue樂) was considered a manifestation of the natural order rather than merely an art form. Chapter Three moves to the categorization of music in ancient texts and forms of music expression reflected in archaeological findings, uncovering the trend of ritual musical practice shifting from a religious to a secular focus and the co-existing literary emphasis on ideological and moral significance of music from the Confucians. Chapter Four begins with an inference of the form and content of the Yuejing 樂經 and discusses the interaction between live music performance in ritual and its corresponding written records. By analyzing titles and lyrics of some musical compositions, this chapter indicates that the music texts evolved from the original linguistic information recontextualized and might refer to separate meaning due to the influence of writing and reading practices. Lastly, a case study of sacrificial music texts is conducted in Chapter Five, which suggests that the notion of “six pieces of musical performance for sacrifice”(liuyue 六樂) is likely the outcome of processing historical materials grounded in the ancient ritual tradition of emperors composing music upon receiving the Mandate of Heaven. This was aimed at providing a rationalized explanation for the transition of royal authority. Additionally, this chapter also argues that the titles of sacrificial musical compositions transformed into an alternative medium for value expression by the ruling authorities and were interpreted and constructed by the scholar-officials as the religiosity of music gradually diminished in the Han dynasty. By examining the notion and evolution of ancient ritual music and relevant texts through interdisciplinary research methods, this dissertation endeavors to explain how the sacred essence of music operated and endured in ancient China.