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Music of Vietnam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Traditional Vietnamese music is highly diverse and syncretistic, combining native and foreign influences. Throughout the country's history the largest influence on traditional music was from the music of China, but later on there was a smaller influence from the music of Champa, which the Vietnamese court found intriguing. Some claim that classical Vietnamese music more closely resembles that of Mongolia and Japan.
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Nhã nhạc is the most popular form of imperial court music, specifically referring to the court music played from the Trần Dynasty to the very last Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam, being synthesized and most highly developed by the Nguyễn emperors. It is based on earlier Vietnamese imperial court music, its primary influences coming from Ming Dynasty's imperial court and later the music of Champa. Along with nhã nhạc, the imperial court of Vietnam in the 19th century also had many royal dances which still exist until nowadays. The theme of most of these dances is to wish the kings longevity and the country wealth.
Vietnamese folk music is extremely diverse and includes quan họ, hát chầu văn, ca trù, and hò, among other forms.
Quan họ (alternate singing) is popular in Hà Bắc (divided into nowadays Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang Provinces) and across Vietnam; numerous variations exist, especially in the Northern provinces. Sung acappella, quan họ is improvised and is used in courtship rituals.
Hát chầu văn or hát văn is a spiritual form of music used to invoke spirits during ceremonies. It is highly rhythmic and trance-oriented. Before 1986, the Vietnamese government repressed hát chầu văn and other forms of religious expression. It has since been revived by musicians like Phạm Văn Tỵ.
Nhạc dân tộc cải biên is a modern form of Vietnamese folk music which arose in the 1950s after the founding of the Hanoi Conservatory of Music in 1956. This development involved writing traditional music using Western musical notation, while Western elements of harmony and instrumentation were added. Nhạc tộc cải biên is often criticized by purists for its watered-down approach to traditional sounds.
Ca trù (also hát ả đào) is a popular folk music which is said to have begun with Ả Đào, a female singer who charmed the enemy with her voice. Most singers remain female, and the genre has been revived since the Communist government loosened its repression in the 1980s, when it was associated with prostitution.
Ca trù, which itself has many forms, is thought to have originated in the imperial palace, eventually moving into performances at communal houses for predominantly scholars and other members of the elite (this is the type of Ca trù most widely known). It can be referred to as a geisha-type of entertainment where women trained in music and poetry entertained rich and powerful men.
"Hò" can be thought of as the southern style of Quan họ. It is improvisational and is typically sung as dialogues between a guy and girl. Common themes include love, courtship, the countryside, etc. "Hò" is popular in Cần Thơ - Vietnam.
- Đàn bầu (monochord zither)
- Đàn gáo (2-stringed fiddle with coconut body)
- Đàn nguyệt (2-stringed fretted moon lute)
- Đàn nhị (2-stringed fiddle with hardwood body)
- Đàn sến (two-string fretted lute)
- Đàn tam (fretless lute with snakeskin-covered body and three strings)
- Đàn tam thập lục (hammered dulcimer)
- Đàn tranh (long zither)
- Đàn tỳ bà (pear-shaped four-stringed fretted lute)
- Kèn bầu (oboe)
- T'rưng (bamboo xylophone)
- Culture of Vietnam
- History of Vietnam
- Nhạc tài tử
- Traditional Vietnamese dance
- Traditional Vietnamese musical instruments
- Vietnamese theatre
- Traditional music of Vietnam from Vietnam-Culture.com
- International Institute For Vietnamese Performing Art (IIVPA)
- Encyclopedia of Vietnamese music
- Encyclopedia of Vietnamese music
- Vietnam's live music for the dead by Ho Binh Minh, Sunday April 18, 04:22 AM
- VietnamTourism.com: Traditional Theatre
- Vietnamese Institute of Musicology
- England based Vietnamese music community site
- Vietnam traditional theatre: Cheo (popular opera), Tuong (classical opera) and more
- Việt Nam Cultural Profile - detailed overview of different music genres plus directory of key contacts
- Young Vietnamese pop culture music Da Nhat Yen