Ambush from Ten Sides (Chinese: 十面埋伏; pinyin: shí miàn mái fú) is a classical piece written for the pipa. Ambush is written in the "Wu" or martial style, and is about the circumstances of which General Xiang Yu in 202 BC was defeated by Liu Bang. This is the same subject matter as "The King Doffs His Armor", but is written from an opposite perspective.
Ambush from Ten Sides is considered a masterpiece in Chinese classical music. The difficulty of the piece ensures that it can be played almost exclusively by virtuosos.
Contents |
This is a famous Chinese classical lute music whose composition describes the decisive battle in 202 B.C. at Gaixia (southeast of today's Linbi County, Anhui Province) between the two armies of Chu and Han. This piece was written from the perspective of the victor, while "The King Doffs His Armor" focused on the defeat of Xiang Yu. Ambush from Ten Sides provides a vivid depiction, in the form of musical narrative, of the fierce, desolate, solemn and stirring scenes of the battle. The unique techniques of lute performance have been brought into full play in this music. The whole music is majestic and passionate, sharp in artistic image, exalting in melody, and extremely thrilling.
An early treatment of this theme was a piece called "Chu Han" (楚漢) from the late Ming/early Qing period, described in a work by Wang Quanding, the Sizhao Tangji (四照堂集).[1] It is possible that this piece is an early version of "Ambush from Ten Sides".
The actual piece of music with the the title "Ambush from Ten Sides" first appeared in 1818 in the 13-section Lute Music Score composed by Hua Qiuping in Wuxi. Later there were a variety of different versions in circulation, varying in section divisions but consistent basically in musical content.
Ambush from All Sides adopts the form of large-scale traditional Chinese formula-based music. The currently popular music piece consists of a number of short sections, each with a generalized title. Different versions exist, and they may not all share the same sections.
The beginning sections of the music focus on the description of the mighty and grand battle array of the Han Army. The music in these sections is high-spirited and powerful, accompanied by the sounds of drums and horns. The beat of drums quickened gradually to create a tense explosive atmosphere before the breakout of the full-scale battles. Then comes the main body of the music, which is changeable and rapid. The techniques of flipping, sweeping, circular fingering, wringing, rolling, and halting are employed to represent the furious battle between the armies of Chu and Han. The last sections of the music depict Xiang Yu's suicide at Wujiang River after his defeat. The low and deep music contrasts sharply with the preceding climax. The melodies are mournful, solemn and stirring, bring out a strong and vehement artistic image of Xiang Yu.
Today Ambush from All Sides still remains one of the most popular lute music pieces in all kinds of concerts in China.