Interpreting Narrative in Ping Hu School Pipa Repertoire: Analysis of Ping Sha Luo Yan

Interpreting Narrative in Ping Hu School Pipa Repertoire: Analysis of Ping Sha Luo Yan

*Colleen Wong Chiu Ming Ying, Du Jiazhen, Colleen Wong, Chiu Ming Ying

Faculty Of Music and Performing Arts, Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia; Baoji University of Arts and Sciences.

*Corresponding Author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.907000434

Received: 16 July 2025; Accepted: 22 July 2025; Published: 22 August 2025

ABSTRACT

In music performance, practice-led research emphasizes the generation of new knowledge through artistic practice. Since the latter half of the 20th century, music narrative has emerged as a significant analytical approach. Within this paradigm, the interpretation and performance of traditional Chinese pipa narrative works allow audiences to engage with their cultural and stylistic characteristics through representational narrative discourse. This deepens the understanding of Ping Hu School music and reshapes audience perceptions.

This article focuses on one representative piece of the Ping Hu School, Ping Sha Luo Yan (《平沙落雁》). Through a narrative lens, the study analyzes the work’s structure, emotional content, and expressive intent from both analytical and performative perspectives. The article further explores how performance techniques and interpretative strategies can effectively convey the literary and artistic essence of the music.

By positioning performance as both research and expression, this study offers a new perspective on understanding the storytelling and humanistic qualities of Ping Sha Luo Yan. Ultimately, it contributes to evolving performance-based research methods and enhances performer–audience engagement through informed interpretation.

Keywords: music narrative, Ping Hu School, pipa, interpretation, Ping Sha Luo Yan

INTRODUCTION

From the mid-19th to mid-20th century, five major traditional pipa schools emerged: Wuxi, Pudong, Ping Hu, Chongming, and Shanghai (Pei, 2008). Each developed distinctive stylistic features shaped by performance techniques, thematic focus, and regional culture. The Ping Hu School originated in Ping Hu City, Zhejiang Province. Though its founding date remains uncertain, the earliest documented milestone is Li Fangyuan’s 1895 publication of Thirteen Daqu Pipa Scores of the Northern and Southern Schools, which established the school’s stylistic identity (Chen & Gao, 2023). The included works, such as Yu Lun Pao, Huai Yin Ping Chu, and Sai Shang Qu, draw from historical narratives and reflect the school’s literary and philosophical character.

In the 20th century, pipa art underwent significant transformation. While early cross-regional exchange enriched the tradition (Qiao, 2014), post-1980s modernization and teacher mobility diluted distinct techniques (Pei, 2008). The Ping Hu School, though recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, has faced growing marginalization and preservation challenges (Chen & Gao, 2023). Scholars and exponents have made efforts to revive the school’s legacy, including Yang Shaoyi’s initiative at Xi’an Conservatory in 1958 (Shi, 2021). However, both students and audiences often overlook Ping Hu music. Rooted in literati aesthetics, its reserved expression contrasts with contemporary musical preferences (Shi, 2016). Furthermore, the dense ornamentation typical of the school—while technically sophisticated—can obscure melodic clarity and hinder audience engagement (Tang, 2024). The disconnect between the school’s stylistic identity and public perception weakens its presence in modern performance contexts and threatens its long-term vitality.

LITERATURE REVIEW

As one of the traditional Chinese pipa schools, Ping Hu School music not only possesses a unique musical style in terms of artistic expression but also exhibits profound literary qualities. Academic research on the literary nature of Ping Hu School Pipa works mainly focuses on the title and the storytelling nature of the works, exploring how these elements convey cultural and literary ideas through the titles and musical content.

Firstly, Ping Hu School Pipa works are defined as cultural works. Yang Shaoyi (2015) views Ping Hu School Pipa art as a cultural product of the Li family school from a historical materialist and dialectical perspective, asserting that its classic pieces possess deep cultural stylistic characteristicss and artistic value. Yang points out that Li’s works depict characters and express emotions through scenic descriptions, establish artistic imagery, and pursue spiritual communication between performers and listeners. This approach inherits the artistic expression techniques of traditional Chinese literary figures, such as Qu Yuan (Yang, 2015). This theory provides a foundation for academic research on Ping Hu School, emphasizing its intellectual and cultural significance and showing that Ping Hu School works are not merely musical compositions but are also artistic expressions carrying rich cultural meanings.

Secondly, the titles of Ping Hu School pieces reflect their literary significance. Qian Tiemin (1986) explored the historical development of titles in pipa works and argued that Li Fangyuan’s use of titles in Ping Hu School works innovated upon tradition reasonably (p.22). Han Shude further evaluated Li Fangyuan’s use of titles, acknowledging that although controversial in academic circles, this practice added positive literary value to the works (Han, 1994). Sun Liwei emphasized that the titles of Ping Hu School Pipa works are closely linked to their musical content and emotional expression, creating distinct titling features and highlighting the pieces’ literary and vivid musical imagery (Sun, 2002). These perspectives suggest that the titles of Ping Hu School pieces are not merely identifiers but also crucial means of conveying the music’s spirit and emotion.

Thirdly, the literary nature of Ping Hu School pieces is also evident in their storytelling aspect. The martial pieces often narrate historical stories or folk legends, demonstrating strong narrativity. Ge Meilin (2004) pointed out that Ping Hu School’s martial pieces enhance the literary narrative of the works by portraying historical stories or folk legends (Ge, 2004). Liu Yanyan further explained the composition methods of the martial pieces, suggesting that these works develop their storylines like chapter-based novels or dramatic scenes. They extract conflicts and emotions from historical stories, forming unique musical structures and expressions (Liu, 2008). This discussion demonstrates that Ping Hu School’s piece enriches its musical performance and carries strong literary elements in its narrative content, enabling it to tell complex social and historical stories through music.

The literary nature of Ping Hu School is profoundly reflected in its pieces’ titles and storytelling aspects. These studies reveal the cultural value and artistic features of Ping Hu School pieces and offer new perspectives on how traditional Chinese music integrates with literary ideas.

The earliest documentation of Ping Sha Luo Yan dates back to 1819, appearing in the Hua Qiu Ping Pipa Score. The version of Ping Sha Luo Yan discussed today refers to its adaptation by Li Fangyuan, which was included in the Li Family Score (李氏谱) a century later (Wang, 2013). While the core melody of the two pieces remains the same, they differ in length, with Li Fangyuan expanding the version compiled by Hua Qiuping into a seven-part medium-sized pipa composition.

The Ping Sha Luo Yan vividly depicts the freedom of flocks of geese flying thousands of miles, sketching vivid and lively scenes of nature’s beauty and imbuing them with profound and endless contemplation. Ping Sha Luo Yan’s richness lies in the portrayal of nature and the extensive use of left and right-hand techniques, a rarity in traditional ancient compositions. This piece includes techniques such as tui(推), la (拉), dai (带), rou (揉), and yin(吟) with the left hand, combined with tan (弹), tiao (挑), zhe (遮), fen (分), zhai (摘), ban lun (半轮), Chang lun (长轮), Xia chu lun (下出轮), sao (扫), and fo (拂) with the right hand, showcase the pipa’s versatile tonality and the varied fluctuations of sound (Li, 2015). Ping Sha Luo Yan includes seven parts, each named to depict the spectacle of geese migrating in formation, soaring through the sky, and traversing thousands of miles. Simultaneously, the piece extols the outstanding qualities and noble sentiments of geese who fear no hardships, adhere strictly to discipline, and are eager to contribute (Re, 2013).

METHODOLOGY

Practice-led research refers to original investigative research aimed at acquiring new knowledge through practical activities and their outcomes (Hefce, 2005). This article employs music performance practice within a practice-led research paradigm to explore the narrative and literature elements of six selected works from the Ping Hu School. It starts by using the perspective of music narrative to analyze these works, integrating the performance techniques of the Ping Hu School with the performer’s interpretation process to convey both the literary stylistic characteristics and performance language to the audience. The research is structured into two phases:

Phase one involves selecting the piece, establishing the theoretical perspective, interpreting the stylistic characteristics of Ping Hu School. In phase two, theory is applied to performance practice to address the second research question. This phase combines theoretical insights with performance, emphasizing the practical application of research results to enhance music performance. The performer is regarded as a researcher, and from the perspective of music narrative, the roles of composer, performer, and audience collectively shape the presentation of the musical work (Cone, 1974).

Narrative interpretation of Ping Sha Luo Yan

For pieces with titles, the specific textual inspiration often leads to the conscious or unconscious unfolding of meaningful scenes, scenarios, dramas, or narratives. Therefore, titled pieces, such as narrative or descriptive music, often carry a distinct narrative or storytelling nature (Scruton, 2001). The music with the title often relies on the title text’s plot structure or narrative mode, using the audience’s imagination and associations to convey the metaphorical qualities inherent in the title. Thus, it is logical to explore the narrative content of titled music that inherently conveys a specific narrative intention (p. 6). Ping Sha Luo Yan consists of seven sections (Table 4.3), each titled section depicting different musical images.

Table 1.1.  Analysis of the title content of the Ping Sha Luo Yan

The Yan Zhen Hong Kong (雁阵横空) section begins with a slow-fast-slow accessible introduction, using the sound variations between inner and outer strings to simulate the distant approach of a flock of geese. The subsequent rhythm primarily focuses on the landscape, depicting a clear and refreshing autumn sky (Yang, 2022). The tempo remains steady, with smooth and flowing melodies resembling the boundless sky. The section concludes with the faint sound of goose calls, setting the stage for the next segment.

Shuang Tian Yan Jiao, parallel fourth intervals, combined with the right hand’s jian tan and the left hand is an na, mimic the sound of geese. Technically, this section employs glissando on the inner strings and open string sounds on the outer strings to contrast the rising and falling, distant and near sounds of geese.

The sections ping sha pu chi and gao xiang qian ren feature richly embellished melodies, marking the densest note clusters in the piece (Ren, 1995). They depict geese flapping their wings on a cliff, ready to take flight, followed by the imagery of the flock soaring high and low, expressing the joy of freedom and symbolizing the determination to overcome difficulties.

Heng yang wan li, zhu dui fen fei, and yi hang dui ying portray the geese fearlessly crossing towering mountains and soaring across vast skies. The final image is of the flock disappearing into the distance, leaving a silent, expansive sky behind. This segment metaphorically represents upright and magnanimous qualities, the ability to embrace the vastness of life, and the appreciation of life’s beauty.

Each of the seven sections in Ping Sha Luo Yan relates to the migration of geese, making it a piece that combines poetic imagery with musical narrative (Liu, 2012). The piece vividly expresses the habits of migrating geese, immersing the listener in the experience and evoking a profound emotional and aesthetic response.

Performance analysis of Ping Sha Luo Yan

Ping Sha Luo Yan is a traditional Chinese piece that depicts scenes and expresses emotions. The piece utilizes synaesthesia to translate the sensory and emotional experiences of natural scenery into musical expressions through notes and musical ideas. The piece vividly portrays the scene of wild geese soaring across the vast sky using rich musical language and various expressive techniques to simulate the sounds of nature. Its unique melodic and technical elements convey the music’s narrative and thematic content.

The pipa, known for its strong melodic and lyrical qualities, is well-suited for lyrical expression and performance storytelling. Timbre, referring to the quality and color of sound, is another factor that influences the tonal variations in music (Lan, 2023). Auer stated the artistic level of the appeal of timbre in music parallels the visual appeal of color in art. Therefore, contrasting timbres can be achieved through various playing techniques (Auer, 1982).

The distinguishing feature of this piece lies in its sound effect simulation. By skillfully employing various pipa techniques, the dynamic imagery of the wild geese is vividly brought to life, allowing the performer to articulate the intended atmosphere of the entire composition. Through these techniques, the piece brings to life the imagery and emotions associated with the migrating geese, encapsulating the beauty and depth of the natural world within its melodic and rhythmic structures.

The Yan Zhen Heng Kong section.

In the Yan Zhen Heng Kong segment, the first measure depicts the scene of wild geese taking flight, employing several groups of ban lun (半轮) followed by thumb plucking (Figure 1.1). The right arm should remain still after completing the ban lun to convey the imagery of geese gradually taking off. This stillness does not signify a pause in the music but extends the preceding phrase. The subsequent ban lun should be executed with light breath and minimal arm movement to maintain a natural and fluid musical flow. The ban lun begins slowly and accelerates progressively with each beat, narrating a scene where, on a sunny afternoon, numerous geese frolic by the water, and suddenly, a leading goose takes off, followed by the rest, creating ripples on the water’s surface.

Figure 1.1.  Measure 1-2 depicts the scene of geese taking off

In the second measure, the speed of the preceding rolls increases, transitioning into continuous long rolls. This section narrates the geese flying further into the sky, circling above the water. The final left-hand note gradually slows down, concluding with a plucked note. Both hands should remain still during this performance, symbolizing the geese fully ascending into the sky. The performer should then relax their body and take a deep breath, allowing the music to transition to a new atmosphere naturally.

The Shuang Tian Yan Jiao section

The left-hand employs the tui la technique to imitate the calls of wild geese. At the same time, the right hand uses the lun zhi technique, accompanied by open string resonances, to capture the intermittent nature of these calls (Zhang, 2021). The variation in fingertip pressure during performance simulates the different calls of the geese. The right hand’s lun technique, combined with small left-hand vibratos on each beat, is performed relatively quickly. The right hand’s fingertips should be upright at a nighty-degree angle to the soundboard, with the string entry angle being shallow and less than half the nail area. The sound produced should be short and crisp, with precise control over dynamics and tempo variations to ensure smooth and even execution. The wrist should assist the fingers in minimizing movement to maintain stable speed.

Variations in the piece express the different calls of the geese. When the left hand presses lower on the fingerboard, the right hand’s fingertip pressure increases, depicting the louder calls of nearby geese. Conversely, as the left hand moves higher on the fingerboard, the right hand’s fingertip pressure decreases, representing the softer calls of distant geese. This segment features fixed combinations (Figure 1.2) of sixteenth and eighth notes, marking the most emotionally intense part of the piece.

Figure 1.2 Combination of sixteenth and eighth notes with the left hand’s tui la technique, mimicking the geese’s calls.

The Shuang Tian Yan Jiao section skillfully combines the left hand’s tui la technique with the right hand’s lun technique. Through precise control of pressure and tempo, the section vividly recreates the geese’s calls, reflecting changes in distance and emotion. This intricate blend of technique and expression is crucial for fully conveying the narrative and emotional content of Shuang Tian Yan Jiao.

The Ping Sha Pu Chi section

The Ping Sha Pu Chi section vividly depicts the playful and agile movements of geese flapping their wings using clean and clear ban lun notes. The tui la technique illustrates a lively scene of a flock of geese frolicking by the water in the afternoon. Some geese are seen splashing in the water while others chase each other playfully, causing ripples and splashes on the shimmering water surface, with measure sixty-seven being particularly representative (Figure 1.3).

Figure 1.3 Zhai techniques followed by ban lun notes to portray the geese’s agile and lively wing flapping.

The playing technique involves zhai notes followed by ban lun notes. The performer must articulate this clearly to convey a playful and sprightly character. Subsequent phrases follow this pattern as well. The zhai technique and rests are half-beats long, creating a tightly connected melody. Despite the pauses in zhai and resting, the music does not come to a halt. Instead, these pauses are executed with a quick, light breath, giving an impression of agility and playfulness that enhances the overall liveliness of the piece.

The Gao Xiang Qian Ren section

The Gao Xiang Qian Ren section employs contrasting virtual and solid sounds (Figure 1.4). The left hand employs a tapping technique to produce virtual sounds, which are softer and less defined, while the right hand produces solid sounds, which are more precise and more pronounced (Ren, 2013). This dynamic contrast between strong and weak sounds effectively portrays the agile wing flapping of the geese and adds a playful touch to the music. The interplay between virtual and solid sounds, combining motion and stillness, makes the music more engaging and expressive.

Figure 1. 4.  The combination of virtual sound and solid sound in the technique

The Heng Yang Wan Li section

The Heng Yang Wan Li section includes two parts: the first spans one to eleven, and the second spans twelve to twenty-two. Both sections share the same basic melodic patterns for the first eight measures, with variations only appearing in the final three measures (Wang, 2013). In the first part, the right hand employs the zhe fen technique, while the second part, from measure twelve to measure twenty-two, uses the man lun technique, one of the representative techniques of the Ping Hu school (Figure 1.5). The melodic progression follows a traditional stepwise approach.

Figure 1.5.  Representative technique man lun

In the performance process, transitioning from the zhe fen (遮分) technique to the man lun (满轮) technique is characteristic of the Ping Hu School’s complex fingering style in terms of performance technique. Maintaining a rhythmic flow in the melody is crucial; the wrist should rotate slightly, and the fingers should move flexibly with consistent pressure. This ensures a uniform sound quality across all four strings, resulting in a rich tone that vividly portrays the image of a vast flock of geese soaring through the sky.

The Zhu Dui Fen Fei section

The Zhu Dui Fen Fei section, spanning eighteen measures, employs identical right-hand techniques throughout, utilizing a combination of techniques (Figure 1.6). Each measure comprises two beats, with the first beat employing a combination technique involving tan tan tiao tan tiao, demanding quick string crossings with a grainy sound quality (Zhang, 2021). The second beat employs a combination of fo (佛) and sao lun (扫轮), emphasizing rapid brushing followed by slower sweeping, fluctuating between fast and loose movements. During the performance, the wrist’s rotational force and the fingers’ strength should be controlled, with the forearm providing support to the fingers, resulting in a sweeping motion that combines the techniques seamlessly.

Figure 1.6.  The combination technique’s depiction of changes in flock formation.

The Yi Hang Gui Ying section

The Yi Hang Gui Ying section serves as the final part of the piece and includes three parts based on technique. The first part spans from the first measure to the tenth measure, the second part from the eleventh measure to the twenty-first measure, and the final part from the twenty-second measure to the thirtieth measure. Each part employs different combination finger techniques, all starting with a zhe (遮) as the initial beat, creating a progressive relationship.

The first part of the score indicates the use of sao (扫) technique (Figure 1.7), though it is more fitting to employ hua in this section according to the style of the Ping Hu School, hua refers not to a brush stroke but to a swift string crossing. Despite the speed of the string crossing, the performer should execute with a slower pace, using the tip of the index finger without unnecessary movement and maintaining a perpendicular angle with each string touched. The force should be directed forward with the forearm assisting, ensuring a natural movement in coordination with the zhe (遮).

Figure 1.7.  Zhe and sao technique

The second part starts with sao, continuing from the previous part’s hua. Although the sao here involves quick string crossings, the sound should be lighter than in the first part, requiring only the use of the tip of the index fingernail for the sao.

The final part of this segment builds on the preceding parts, hua and sao, intensifying the emotion to its peak. The right hand employs zhe and da sao techniques, while the left hand uses da and dai to simulate the geese appearing closer and then farther away (Figure 1.8). Da sao involves the simultaneous downward motion of the index, middle, ring, and little fingers without pressing the strings excessively. Da sao technique produces solid sound, while the left hand’s da and da produce virtual sound. The combination of solid sound and virtual sound demands that the performer apply excessive force to the four fingers during sao, which risks producing noise and disrupting the preceding parts’ groundwork.

Figure 1.8. Combining techniques simulate the scene of geese appearing and disappearing in the distance

In the final phase, the combination and variation of these three techniques depict geese flying away as the sun sets, forming a neat line in the sky and slowly flapping their wings.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

From a narrative perspective, this study interprets Ping Sha Luo Yan from the Ping Hu School, revealing the piece’s unique narrative content and emotional expression in performance. The research finds that Ping Hu School pipa performances emphasize technical proficiency and the storytelling and literary aspects of the music, aligning with the study’s hypotheses and expectations.

Firstly, through analysis of the selected pieces, it is evident that many traditional pipa compositions are closely associated with historical events, figures, or literary themes. The titles of these compositions directly correlate with their musical imagery.

Secondly, the study reveals a close relationship between narrative compositions and technique. Specifically, Ping Hu School pipa employs refined performance techniques to achieve its musical narrative effects. These techniques serve not only as means of musical expression but also as vehicles for narrative content. Widely used in Ping Hu School pipa performances, these techniques help to narrate stories through subtle tonal variations and rhythmic intricacies.

Thirdly, the article demonstrates that the narrative performance capability of Ping Hu School pipa music depends on performers’ profound emotional understanding and meticulous expressive abilities. While techniques form the foundation, the key to endowing Ping Hu School pipa with narrative ability lies in performers’ deep emotional experience of the works. Musical compositions contain complex emotions and intentions, and performers must understand these emotions deeply to convey them accurately.

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