Generally, the Wu Ballad has several forms such as the prologue song, the love song, the narrative song and the children's song. The special rhythm of the Wu Ballad is close to that of the poetry in the "I-Ching." The pattern is two words, two words and four words. Though the singers sung the ballad without any instrumental accompaniment, the plain intonation can be characterized as the theme of the Wu Ballad.
The Wu Ballad has a long history dating back to theWarring States period(770 - 221 BC). During theQing Dynasty(1644-1911 AD), the merchants and the literati took great pains to record the Ballads. The Qing Dynasty has been recognized as the prime time of the Wu Ballad.
The Wu Ballad is valuable in terms of art, the study of ancient society, history, folk culture and world views in Wu areas, and its dialectology.
Email to Friends
Print
Save