Minhe Mangghuer Wedding Songs Musical Characteristics.

QI HUIMIN [CHINESE CHARACTERS ARE NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

ZHU YONGZHONG [CHINESE CHARACTERS ARE NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

Abstract

The musical characteristics of the noninstrumental Minhe Mangghuer wedding songs performed in the homes of the bride and groom in Minhe Hui and Mangghuer (Tu) Autonomous County, Qinghai Province, are examined. In terms of musical characteristics, there is no great leap from one note to another. Although there are many lines in some songs, there are only one or two key lines in terms of musical characteristics. Other lines are similar with limited variation. A context for each song is also provided in an appendix.

Key words: Mangghuer (Monguor, Tu)--China minorities-Qinghai--folk music-weddings-marriage--Mongolian

This study specifically addresses the musical characteristics of songs that are an inseparable part of Minhe Mangghuer weddings. Minhe Hui and Mangghuer Autonomous County is located in the eastern portion of China's northwestern Qinghai Province and is home to approximately 39,000 of China's Monguor population,[1] which exceeded 190,000 in 1990. The Monguor reside primarily in Huzhu Mongghul Autonomous County, Minhe Hui and Mangghuer Autonomous County, Datong Hui and Monguor Autonomous County, and Huangnan Prefecture, all in eastern Qinghai. Monguor also live in Tianzhu County in Gansu Province.

Various elements of the Minhe and Huzhu Monguor cultures have been introduced in a variety of recent publications, e.g., ZHU, UJIYEDIIN CHULUU, and STUART (1994/95) and QI, LIMUSSISHIDEN, and STUART (1997). Additionally, SCHRAM (1954, 1957, 1961) and SCHRODER (1952, 1953, 1959, 1970) provide information about Monguor stemming from research before 1949.

This article adds to these studies by providing musical elements of this endangered culture and by furnishing students of the Monguor with detailed information, thus permitting comparative research with other, related, nationalities, as well as different groups of Monguor. A recent study (QI et al. 1997 and 1998), published in five parts in Chinese Music, of the Huzhu Mongghul wedding songs suggests, for example, that at least the wedding songs of the Huzhu and Minhe Monguor are very different. We know almost nothing about Monguor wedding songs in Datong Hui and Monguor Autonomous County and Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (in Qinghai) and Gansu Province.

PREVIOUS MINHE MANGGHUER WEDDING SONG STUDIES

In terms of the Minhe Mangghuer wedding, a lengthy collection of wedding song texts, sans musical notation, written in Chinese characters appeared in ZHAO (1982). WANG and STUART (1995a and 1995b) and WANG, ZHU, and STUART (1995) presented texts of various wedding songs in the original and with accompanying English translation. They did not, however, provide musical notation or comments about the music. English translations of other weddings songs appeared in HU and STUART (1992) and in MA (1990). The present study is, thus, the first study presenting the music of these songs.

For this article Zhu Yongzhong collected songs from Mangghuer living in Zhongchuan Township and in Gangou Hui Autonomous Township, both in Minhe County. The songs were recorded on cassette tape, which the first author used to write the music. Furthermore, cassette tapes of songs presented in WANG, ZHU, and STUART (1995) were also used. End notes provide additional information about collection, and the appendix briefly sketches the context of the songs. Readers may wish to consult the appendix before finishing the article.

MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Minhe Mangghuer wedding songs are discussed in terms of their musical characteristics and are divided into three categories. The first category discusses songs that have a similar theme, the second discusses songs that are thematically unrelated, and the third category contains songs characterized by free measure.

SONGS WITH A SIMILAR THEME

There is one theme

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and one motif in these songs: [MUSICAL NOTES NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

The motif is not developed. After the motif, the theme is repeated, except in bar 1, in most of the following songs. In the first fourteen songs presented below, this theme and this motif, or development from this theme and this motif, appear. In terms of the theme and the motif, certain songs share greater similarity than others. Consequently, the songs are divided into two parts: those that are very similar and those that represent a development of the theme.

SIMILAR THEMATIC CONTENT

SONG ONE

There are three lines in Song One. The main parts are lines 2 and 3. Line 3 is very similar to line 2, which repeats the theme. The difference between lines 1 and 2 is in the rhythm of bar 1. Line 1 is sung only once.

Ma Mao (TAKING OFF THE CAP) [2]

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Nails from the city of Xining,

Cap from the city of Lanzhou.

Take off the cap, take off the cap, take off the cap,

Take off the cap, take off the cap, take off the matchmaker's cap.

SONG TWO

There are four lines in this song. In terms of the theme and the motif lines 1 and 2 are complete. Lines 3 and 4 are similar to line 1. The first beat of bar 11 in line 3 changes depending on the lyrics.

Mugha Jinla I (Serving Meat) [3]

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Go up to Ganzhou, [4]

Come down to Liangzhou. [5]

There are two birches in Liangzhou City,

There are two turtledoves in birch tops.

The first arrow is shot too high,

The second arrow is shot too low,

The third arrow is shot at the turtledoves' necks.

In a variation of Mugha Jinla, line 1 develops from the theme and motif. Lines 2 and 3 are similar to the theme and there is a slight change in the first beat in line 3 that alters the tune.

Mugha Jinla II (Serving Meat) [6]

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Go up to Ganzhou,

Come down to Lanzhou.

There are two birches in Lanzhou City,

There are two turtledoves in birch tops.

SONG THREE

In the four lines of Song Three, lines 1 and 2 are nearly the same. If the first and the second beats of bar 4 of line 1 are removed, the following tune is the same as the theme. The motif appears in line 3. Line 4 is similar to line 1. Furthermore, in a variation, bars 10 and 11 are sung:

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Jin Cha (Serving Tea) [7]

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Fucha tea in the city of Xining,

Zhuancha [8] tea in the city of Lanzhou,

Chosen from among twenty-four.

Boiled in the pot, it is very black,

Spooned up into bowls, it is very red,

Two suguan come drink tea.

SONG FOUR

This song condenses the theme into four bars. Line 2 is similar to line 1. A difference is made by changes in measure.

Jin Guazer (Serving Watermelon Seeds) [9]

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Round watermelons, round watermelons,

Watermelons planted in a sandy beach.

If you don't know how to eat them,

Use your money to hire someone to eat.

SONG FIVE

Lines 1 and 2 are similar to the theme. Bar 9 is the motif. The bars that follow are the same as line 1.

Qie Zhenbin (Cutting Bread) [10]

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We chose this day from lunar months and the lunar months from years,

Searched repeatedly and chose the coldest days of winter, the third nine-day period after the winter solstice,

It is a cleaver 3.5 chi long with a pine handle,

The steamed cakes are so frozen that they look very white,

Our palms are so painful that we cannot cut the bread.

In a variation of "Qie Zhenbin," line 1 is similar to the theme. In line 2, bar 1 is the motif and the remainder of the line is the same as line 1. The two lines are repeated three times. Line 4 is a variation of line 2. Line 5 is similar to line 2.

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We chose this day from lunar months and chose the lunar month from years, [11]

Searched repeatedly and chose the coldest days of winter, the third nine-day period after the winter solstice,

The two loaves of steamed bread are so frozen that they look very white,

Our palms are so painful that we cannot cut the bread.

You two suguan come slice the steamed bread,

If you can, slice them into four parts with one cleaver-stroke,

Slice them into eight parts in two cleaver-strokes,

If you cannot, slice them …