虞舜乐文化零证

On the Music Culture of Yu Shun

中国上古乐文化源远流长。文献中存在较多关于帝舜与乐的记载,是探讨中国上古乐文化的重要资料。帝舜本人及其父、祖都精于乐律,种种材料表明,有虞氏在原始社会末期及文明社会早期应长期承担乐官一职。经过帝舜的改造,源自上古帝喾时期的古乐《韶》成为五帝乐舞中最重要的一部,历夏、商、西周,至春秋晚期仍然散发着迷人的艺术魅力。

Chinese music culture in the far ancient time had been of long standing according to lots of archaeological evidences. The records about Emperor Shun（舜） and the ancient music in the old books also provide very important materials to the study of Chinese far ancient music culture. Emperor Shun and his father as well as their ancestors were all very expert at music. The tribe named as Youyushi （有虞氏）, from which Emperor Shun came, had been the official musician from the end of the barbarism through the early stage of the civilization. Being improved by Emperor Shun, the ancient Music Shao（ 韶 ） ,which had been originally made by Emperor Ku （喾）, became one of the most important musical compositions in the period of Wudi （ five Emperors, 五帝）. Till the end of the period of the Spring and Autumn, the Music Shao could still affect and touch its listeners very much though after going through the Dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou.