器乐合奏和用器乐伴奏声乐，在中国很早就有，而且曾长期继续，直到现在，若将更古的传说除外不计，则西元前五世纪以前，我们已确有相当盛大的合奏，也有用器乐伴奏的声乐，也有声乐与器乐相间而作的一种表达形式①，在西元前五世纪孔子所编的诗经中曾描写到「哥哥吹埙，弟弟吹篪」②。 「琴和瑟合奏」③等事，孔子自己也曾一面弹瑟，一面唱歌④。关于独奏，我们知道，在西元前六世纪时，曾有一位卫国的乐师，在古琴上奏出一个他所新学到的古代曲调⑤；春秋时期（前七七○至前四○三）伯牙曾在古琴上奏出描写「高山」和「流水」的曲调；在西元前三至十世纪一段期间，出现了不少笛、琵琶、羯鼓、筝、箜篌、古琴以及其他乐器的独奏家及独奏曲调，在此以后，仍继续有所发展。对乐器，对演奏者，对演奏情况，对曲调内容，在我们的历史记载里面，诗歌及其他文学作品里面，都有着无数杰出的特写篇章。对器乐的合奏、独奏、伴舞、伴唱，在我们很多的石刻和绘画中间，有着不少生动的画面。这些文献，从器乐方面，也足以唤起我们对继承和发扬民族优秀传统的自信心和责任感。
我们的器乐，并不是孤立产生的；各种器乐形式相互之间，和它们与器乐以外的音乐形式之间，都有着相当密切的关系。大部分器乐曲调之与声乐曲调有着联系，已是一个明显的事实。除了有些专门的器乐的创作之外，有些器乐曲调本身就是民歌的器乐加工，有些器乐曲调，则是从戏曲或其他音乐的母体上所引伸出来的器乐的发展。我们目前有些已成为独立形式的敲击乐器的曲牌是由过去敲击乐器对于声乐的伴奏中产生出来；反之，我们也有些管弦乐的乐段则是由于过去管弦乐器对敲击声乐器部分的衬托穿插面产生出来的。在欠丰富多样的器乐中，非但可以看出声乐与器乐的关系，而且也可以看出多种器乐乐种间相互的关系。
经济环境与生产情况不同，也影响了器乐演奏形式和乐队所用乐器的种类。辽阔的地区，人口较分散的农村中，在户外演奏的器乐所用乐器，如唢呐、管以及敲击乐等，其所发往往是偏于高亢、响亮，很多人从远处都能听到的声音；人口较集中的都市中，在户内演奏的器乐，较多用絃樂器，其所奏曲调，常偏于柔和优美。我国各地无数都市和农村的劳动人民，结合了他们长期的生活，为我们创造并流传下了非常多样的难以数计的曲调，以及各色各种乐器的各色各种高妙的表达方法。这是我们器乐的取之不竭的源泉，也就是我们今天继承和发扬的物件。
但这些丰富的遗产，在过去长期封建王朝时代中，曾长期被轻视，它们的发展被阻碍，它们之间交流的关系也部分被隔绝。它们没有被人收集、录音，也没有被人记写、整理，它们仍旧保存在艺人们的口头中、乐器上，还并没有可听的唱片、书面的乐谱可借以作普遍公开的介绍。在几千年历史中，它们第一次得到应有的注意，可以说，只是在今天人民政权建立之后。当然，面临着无边的大海，对于各个乐种及各个乐种中的各个曲调，即使选择了重点，也不能不从所选择的一点一滴做起；在人民政权建立之后，虽然经不少的同志们尽过极大的努力，但把所已掌握的部分来与实际存在的器乐的全部遗产相比，则仍不过「九牛一毛」而已。但是这与过去已成显著的对比。劳动人民所长期创造、保存和发展的器乐，过去被轻视，今天被重视了。在政府号召之下，空前的、大范围的综合性的会演，把各地优秀艺人所奏的优秀节目，屡次的向着广大的听众推荐；精通音乐业务的干部，经常成批地下乡采访，向艺人们学习，得到艺人的合作，然后进行整理。虽然不够全面，也不够深入，但已足以说明优秀的社会制度确立后的短短期间，在民族器乐方面已经获得的初步收获。我们相信，我们的遗产是丰富的，我们集体的力量是无限的。我们继续的努力，将一天一天地引向更高的成绩，我们将逐渐能了解更多的乐种，选出更好、更多的曲调来和群众见面。
① 周代典礼音乐中的「间歌」，是一曲唱，一曲用笙奏，相间进行的。
② 「伯氏吹埙，仲氏吹篪」。
③ 「琴瑟友之」。
④ 论语孔子「取瑟而歌」。
⑤ 见韩非子《十过》篇。
作者单位：
中国音乐史家、民族音乐学家
前中央音乐学院研究部教授
前中国音乐研究所所长
前中国音乐家协会常务理事
前中国艺术研究院顾问
前中国文学艺术界联合会全国委员会委员
Development of Chinese Instrumental Music
Yang Yinliu
The instrumental music ensemble and with as accompaniment of vocal music, very already has in China, moreover once for a long time continued, until now, if a more ancient fable will be an exception does not count, then before B.C.E.5 centuries, we really had the quite grand instrumental ensemble, also useful instrumental music accompaniment vocal music, also had one kind of expression form which the vocal music and the instrumental music alternated with does (1), arranged in B.C.E. 5 centuries Kong Zi in poetry once described “two friends play the instrument together” (2). “The qin and the Chinese zither instrumental ensemble” (3) and so on the matter, Kong Zi also once at the same time played the Chinese zither, at the same time sang (4).About the solo, we knew, when B.C.E. 6 centuries, once some Wei Guo’s musicians, reported the ancient times melody in the guqin which a his institute newly learned (5); The Spring and Autumn Period time (first770 – first 403) Yu Boya once reported the description in the guqin “the mountain” and “the running water” the melody; In B.C.E. 3 to 10centuries section of period, appeared many flutes, the pipa, the jie drum, the zheng, the harp, the guqin and all that musical instruments solos and the solo melody, after this, still continued to have the development. To the musical instrument, to the performer, to plays the situation, to the melody content, inside ours historical record, inside the poetry and other literary works, all has the innumerable outstanding feature articles chapter. For the instrumental music instrumental ensemble, the solo, the dancing partner, the vocal accompaniment, these pictures are mentioned among our many carved stone and the drawing. The literature, from instrumental music aspect, also sufficiently arouses us to inherit and to carry forward the national outstanding tradition self-confidence and the sense of responsibility.
Our instrumental music, certainly is not the isolation produces; Each kind of instrumental music form mutually between, with them with between the instrumental music outside music form, all has quite close relationship. The majority of instrumental music melody has the relation with the vocal music melody, already was an obvious fact. Besides some special instrumental music creation, some instrumental music melody itself is the folk song instrumental music processing, some instrumental music melody, then is the instrumental music development which extends from the drama or on other music parent substances. We some have at present become the independent form therapy musical instrument names of the tunes to which descant are composed are rap the musical instrument by the past to produce regarding in the vocal music accompaniment; Otherwise, our also some orchestral music period is because the past wind and stringed musical instruments musical instrument to partially rapped the sound musical instrument to serve as contrast the alternation surface to produce. In owes in the bountiful instrumental music, not only may see the vocal music and the instrumental music relations, moreover also may see the many kinds of instrumental music happy inter-species mutual relations.
The economic environment and the production situation is different, also has affected the instrumental music performance form and the orchestra uses musical instrument the type. The vast area, in a population more dispersible countryside, uses the musical instrumental the outdoors performance instrumental music, like the Suona, the tube as well as rap and so on happy, its sends out toward is tore sounding, is resounding, very many people the sound which all can hear from the distant place; In a population more centralized metropolis, at the indoors performance instrumental music, multipurpose stringed musical instrument, its plays the melody gently, Chang Pianyu 1s exquisite. The our country each place innumerable metropolises and the countryside working people, unified their long-term life, created for us and spreads has gotten down the melody which was extremely diverse calculates with difficulty, as well as assorted each musical instrument assorted each clever expression method. This is a fountainhead which our instrumental music takes doesn’t use up, also is the object which we inherits today and develops.
But these rich inheritances, in the past long-term feudalism dynasty time, for a long time are once despised, their development is hindered, between them exchanges the relations partially are also isolated. They have not been collected by the person, the sound recording, also has not been recorded by the person writes, there organization, they still preserved in the entertainers oral center, on musical instrument, but also certainly has not been possible to listen the phonograph record, the written music might in order to make the universal public introduction. In several millennitums history, they first time obtain the attention which should have, may say, is only after today people regime establishment. Certainly, faced with boundless sea, regarding each Le Zhong and each Le Zhongzhong each melody, even if has chosen the key point, also has no alternative but from to choose starts bit by bit; After people’s regime establishment, although crosses the enormous endeavor after many comrades, but the part which grasps has come with the actual existence instrumental music complete inheritance to compare, then still only “a drop in the bucket”. But this has had the remarkable contrast with the past. The working people long-term creation, preserved and the development instrumental music, is despised in the past, today is taken. Summon sunder the government, is unprecedented, the wide range comprehensive joint performance, plays each place outstanding entertainer the outstanding program, repeatedly 1s approaching the general audience recommendation; Is skilled in the music service the cadre, frequently in groups goes to the country the interview, studies to the entertainers, obtains entertainer’s cooperation, then carries on there organization. Although insufficiently comprehensive, also insufficiently is thorough, after but the foot explained outstanding social system establishment short period, already obtained the preliminary harvest in the national instrumental music aspect. We believed that, our inheritance 1s rich, our collective strength is infinite. We continue to endeavor, day by day will course a higher result, we gradually will be able to understand more happy kinds, will select better, more melody come and the populace meet.
