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Chinese Literature
Yueshu 樂書 "The Book of Music"
The Yueshu 樂書 "Book of music" is a musicological encyclopedia written by the Song period 宋 (960-1279) scholar Chen Yang 陳暘, who served as vice-minister in the ministry of rites. The book was finished in 1101, after 40 years of compilation. It is 220 juan "scrolls" long and has a special index of 20 juan length. The first part covers the Confucian theories on music and is based on the Confucian classics as sources. The second part deals with the pitchpipes (lülü 律呂), the musical keys (gongdiao 宮調), musical shapes and forms (yuezhang 樂章) through the ages, dance, play, music instruments, and the music of the barbarian peoples.
The Yueshu is the oldest comprehensive treatise on Chinese music and is therefore of high value for musicologists.

Source: Zhao Hankun 趙含坤 (2005). Zhongguo leishu 中國類書, p. 92. Shijiazhuang: Hebei renmin chubanshe.
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December 15, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald · Mail