Pipa Performance: Ambush from Ten Sides

Acknowledgment: all copyrights of the video and photos reserved to Central China Normal University (CCNU)

The pipa (Chinese: 琵琶，Pinyin: pí pá) music "Ambush from Ten Sides" (Chinese: 十面埋伏, Pinyin: shí miàn mái fú) tells the story of the Battle of Gaixia in ancient Chinese history. This is a classical masterpiece of pipa music that was produced in the Ming Dynasty (from 1368 to 1644 AD).

The Battle of Gaixia in 202 BC was a decisive battle between the Chu and Han States led by Xiang Yu and Liu Bang respectively. Xiang Yu (232 BC - 202 BC) was known as the “Hegemon-King of Western Chu”. Liu Bang (256 BC or 247 BC - June 1, 195 BC) founded the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD) and was the first grass-root emperor in Chinese history.

In the lead-up to the battle, 100,000 troops of Chu army were surrounded by 600,000 troops of Han army in Gaixia (in present-day Guzhen County, Anhui Province, China). Not only were the Chu soldiers outnumbered, but they were also exhausted and run out of food supplies. Despite their valiant efforts, the Chu army was defeated. Xiang Yu took his own life rather than facing capture.

A defeated hero, Xiang Yu was remembered for his utmost bravery. His story inspired many literary and musical works including "Ambush from Ten Sides". This piece depicts various stages of the battle from the ambush to Xiang Xu’s suicide that led to the eventual defeat.

The pipa, with its versatile sounds, is ideal for conveying both passionate and mournful melodies. When playing a pipa, the player would hold the instrument vertically to press the frets with the left hand whilst pluck the strings with the right hand. It was the right-hand playing techniques that gave the instrument its name: Pi (Chinese: 琵，Pinyin: pí) means plucking the strings forward and Pa (Chinese: 琶，Pinyin: pá) means plucking the strings backward.

The pipa has been among the oldest Chinese traditional musical instruments since its introduction from Central Asia in the fifth century. With a curved neck, a pear-shaped speaker, and four strings, it looks like the oud in the Middle East. The pipa was a key instrument in the Chinese emperors’ court bands and contributed to the music development in the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD).

The Performer

Zhang Kexin, a student at Central China Normal University (CCNU) majoring in Musicology, has dedicated over 15 years to mastering the pipa. She has performed with CCNU Folk Orchestra (Xinyue Troupe) and the Sunshine Philharmonic Orchestra, showcasing her skill and passion in pipa.