Quick Answer: What Is Fisherman’s Song at Dusk?
Fisherman’s Song at Dusk (Yuzhou Changwan, 渔舟唱晚, Yúzhōu Chàngwǎn) is a familiar piece for guzheng (古筝, gǔzhēng), a plucked Chinese zither. The title evokes fishing boats returning in the evening.[1][3]
- Title: It draws on a line in Wang Bo’s preface about the Pavilion of Prince Teng.[1]
- Credit: Concert notes often name Lou Shuhua (娄树华, Lóu Shùhuá), while another account identifies Jin Zhuonan (金灼南, Jīn Zhuónán).[2][4]
- Recording: Bing Xia’s rendition begins at 4:30 in the Smithsonian program.[3]
Search for the Chinese title and instrument when you want to find the zheng piece.
The title suggests singing on the water, and a zheng player can make the melody feel like a voice. Listen to the rise and fall of the phrases before following the quicker notes around them.
The Title in Wang Bo’s Writing
Tsinghua University’s concert notes trace the title to Wang Bo’s Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng, a work of the Tang dynasty. The image is of evening songs carrying across water. That is the literary source of the title. The zheng piece has its own later history.[1]
Sound moving across a landscape is a recurring image in Chinese poetry. An instrumental performance can evoke distance by changing the weight and spacing of notes.
Why the Composer Credit Varies
UCLA’s concert program credits Lou Shuhua. Beijing Language and Culture University’s cultural entry reports two accounts. One connects Lou’s version to material called Gui Qu Lai. The other connects Jin Zhuonan’s work to a traditional zheng tune called Shuang Ban.[2][4]
These are accounts of how the twentieth-century zheng piece took shape. When citing a recording, use the credit it gives and name the player or arranger separately.
Hear the Guzheng’s Phrases Change
On the guzheng, each pluck has a clear start and a ring that fades. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s note describes a rising and falling figure in the later music. Listen for that recurring contour against the more open phrasing at the start.[3][5]
Bing Xia’s Smithsonian recital places the track at 4:30–5:43. The same concert has versions of Autumn Moon over the Han Palace and High Mountains and Flowing Water for Guzheng, which let you compare phrasing on the same instrument.[3]
Choose a Recording or Arrangement
A Singapore Chinese Orchestra program names Liu Bin as arranger and marks the performance as an excerpt. UCLA’s program uses the piece for a fan dance with zheng. Check whether the listing describes a solo track, an ensemble excerpt or a dance.[4][6]
The Evening Song of the Drunken Fisherman has similar English wording. It is a separate work heard on guqin in Bell Yung’s Smithsonian program.[7]
FAQs About Fisherman’s Song at Dusk
Who composed Fisherman’s Song at Dusk?
Many programs credit Lou Shuhua. A separate origin account names Jin Zhuonan, so check the edition or recording credit.[2][4]
Is the piece sung in the Smithsonian recording?
Bing Xia plays it as an instrumental piece on zheng.[3]
Is it the same as Evening Song of the Drunken Fisherman?
They are different works. The Smithsonian programs list the dusk piece for zheng and the drunken fisherman piece for guqin.[3][7]
Fuentes
[1] Tsinghua University Arts Education Center. Zheng Ensemble Program: Fisherman’s Song at Dusk
[2] Beijing Language and Culture University. Chinese Cultural Keywords: Yuzhou Changwan
[3] Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Chinese Music of the Seasons: Bing Xia, Zheng
[4] UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Music of China Spring Concert Programme
[5] Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. A Musical Treasure Hunt of Pretty Pearls
[6] Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Riddles in the Raindrops Program Announcement
[7] Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Painting with Music: Bell Yung, Qin