String-and-Wind Music from South of the Yangtze River is popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang
provinces in East China. The style is refined, smooth and indirect.
The instruments used for the
String-and-Wind Music are the combination of both string instruments and
percussion instruments.
Musical organizations of the
String-and-Wind Music from South of the Yangtze River were established in
the region centered by Shanghai in 1911. Though originating from the ceremonial
music of weddings or funerals and the folk music played in the temple fair, the
String-and-Wind Music from South of the Yangtze formed its unique
characteristics of two styles.
One of the styles is popularized in urban
area, which is elegant and gorgeous, performed by the literary; the other is
plain and simple, popularized in rural area.
The chief instruments used for
String-and-Wind Music, are Erhu (two-stringed Chinese fiddle),
Pipa (lute), Yangqin, Sanxian (a three-string instrument), and
wind instruments such as Dizi (bamboo flute), Sheng (a reed
pipe wind instrument) and Xiao (a vertical bamboo flute). Percussion
instruments like drums and clappers are also sometimes included. During
performances, each instrument contributes its individuality to the harmony of
the whole, and embellishment and variations are
common.