Konghou
Encyclopedia
The konghou is an ancient Chinese
harp
. The konghou, also known as kanhou, went extinct sometime in the Ming Dynasty
, but was revived in the 20th century. The shape of the modern version of the instrument does not resemble the ancient one.
The main feature that distinguishes the contemporary konghou from the Western concert harp
is that the modern konghous strings are folded over to make two rows, which enables players to use advanced playing techniques such as vibrato
and bending tones
. Paired strings on opposite sides of the instrument, tuned to the same note, are fixed on the far end to a freely movable lever so that depressing one of the pairs raises the pitch of the other. The two rows of strings also make it suitable for playing swift rhythms and overtones.
The konghou was used to play yayue
(court music) in the Kingdom of Chu. During the Han Dynasty
(206 BC–220 AD) the konghou was used in qingshangyue (a music genre). Beginning in the Sui Dynasty
(581-618), the konghou was also used in yanyue (banquet music). Konghou playing was most prevalent in the Sui and Tang
dynasties. It was generally played in rites and ceremonies and gradually prevailed among the ordinary people.
Similarly, the kudaragoto (also called kugo, 箜篌) of Japan
was in use in some Togaku
(Tang music) performances during the Nara period, but seems to have died out by the 10th century. It has recently been revived in Japan, and the Japanese composer Mamoru Fujieda
has composed for it.http://www.japan-music.com/ivs/artist/tempyogafu/
Tomoko Sugawara
commissioned a playable kugo harp from builder Bill Campbell and earned an Independent Music Awards nomination for her 2010 album, Along the Silk Road, playing traditional and newly written works for the instrument.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
. The konghou, also known as kanhou, went extinct sometime in the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, but was revived in the 20th century. The shape of the modern version of the instrument does not resemble the ancient one.
The main feature that distinguishes the contemporary konghou from the Western concert harp
Pedal harp
The pedal harp is a large and technically modern harp, designed primarily for classical music and played either solo, as part of chamber ensembles, as soloist with or as a section or member in an orchestra...
is that the modern konghous strings are folded over to make two rows, which enables players to use advanced playing techniques such as vibrato
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
and bending tones
Finger vibrato
Finger vibrato is vibrato produced on a string instrument by cyclic hand movements. Despite the name, normally the entire hand moves, and sometimes the entire upper arm. It can also refer to vibrato on some woodwind instruments, achieved by lowering one or more fingers over one of the uncovered...
. Paired strings on opposite sides of the instrument, tuned to the same note, are fixed on the far end to a freely movable lever so that depressing one of the pairs raises the pitch of the other. The two rows of strings also make it suitable for playing swift rhythms and overtones.
History
The wo-konghou, or horizontal konghou, was first mentioned in written texts in the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). The su-konghou, or vertical konghou first appeared in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220AD). The phoenix-headed konghou was introduced from India in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 AD).The konghou was used to play yayue
Yayue
Yayue , Wade-Giles ya-yüeh; ; ; ) was originally a form of Chinese classical music that was performed at imperial courts. The basic conventions of yayue were established in the Western Zhou. Together with law and rites, it formed the formal representation of aristocratic political power...
(court music) in the Kingdom of Chu. During the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
(206 BC–220 AD) the konghou was used in qingshangyue (a music genre). Beginning in the Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
(581-618), the konghou was also used in yanyue (banquet music). Konghou playing was most prevalent in the Sui and Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
dynasties. It was generally played in rites and ceremonies and gradually prevailed among the ordinary people.
The konghou in other places
The instrument was adopted in the ancient times in Korea, where it was called gonghu (hangul: 공후; hanja: 箜篌), but it is no longer used there. There were three subtypes according to shape:- Sogonghu (hangul: 소공후; hanja: 小箜篌; literally "small harp")photo
- Sugonghu (hangul: 수공후; hanja: 豎箜篌; literally "vertical harp")photo
- Wagonghu (hangul: 와공후; hanja: 臥箜篌; literally "lying down harp")photo
Similarly, the kudaragoto (also called kugo, 箜篌) of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
was in use in some Togaku
Togaku
Tōgaku is the Japanese pronunciation of an early style of music and dance from the Tang Dynasty in China...
(Tang music) performances during the Nara period, but seems to have died out by the 10th century. It has recently been revived in Japan, and the Japanese composer Mamoru Fujieda
Mamoru Fujieda
is a Japanese composer associated with the postminimalist movement of contemporary classical music.He received a Ph.D. in music from the University of California, San Diego in 1988...
has composed for it.http://www.japan-music.com/ivs/artist/tempyogafu/
Tomoko Sugawara
Tomoko Sugawara
Tomoko Sugawara is a harpist from Nara, Japan who grew up playing classical and Irish harp before learning to play the kugo or angular harp. With Swedish professor Bo Lawergren, she engineered a fully working model of a kugo and hired American harp builder Bill Campbell to construct it...
commissioned a playable kugo harp from builder Bill Campbell and earned an Independent Music Awards nomination for her 2010 album, Along the Silk Road, playing traditional and newly written works for the instrument.
Notable konghou players
- Cui Junzhi http://manray.csuhayward.edu/chinanet/broadcasting/cuijunzhi.html
- Joy Yu Hoffman
- Yue Pingqiu
- Wu Lin
External links
- Konghou from About China site
- "Reflection upon Chinese Recently Unearthed Konghous in Xin Jiang Autonomous Region" by Xie Jin
- Ancient Chinese painting of a konghou (see top left)
- Konghou photo
Video
- Konghou video from The Musical Instruments E-book
Audio
- Konghou audio (click headphones to listen to individual tracks)