古代礼仪乐舞的“阶步乐”

Commentary on "Step-order Music" in Ancient China

阶步乐是我国古代礼乐仪式中的一种音乐活动形式,是用于舞蹈表演前后舞队出入表演场地时的行步节奏之乐,是礼乐的人格修养及行为规范功能的体现。阶步乐名称见于南北朝时期,但这种形式的音乐实践却源于西周、汉魏的礼制。本文考察分析了阶步乐的性质、功用以及历史源流,并辨正了古今的若干相关误解。

Step-order music was a music form of ritual-music system in Ancient China, and used for Step-by-step rhythm of lines when dance teams were passing into and out the venues before or after the dance performances. Steporder music reflected the function of music on the cultivation of personality and provisions of human behavior. The name of Step-order music emerged in the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, but in practice this form of music was from Western Zhou, Han, and Wei Dynasty. This paper analyzes the property and function of Step-order music as well as the historical origins of it, and corrects a number of related misunderstandings in the past and now.