Quick Answer: What Is Moon over the Mountain Pass?
Moon over the Mountain Pass (Guan Shan Yue, 关山月, Guānshān Yuè) is the title of a short piece for guqin (古琴, gǔqín) in the 1931 Mei’an Qin Handbook. It also names a Tang poem by Li Bai (李白, Lǐ Bái).[1][2]
- Score: Hong Kong’s Music Office displays the traditional tablature alongside a modern score with numbered notes.[1]
- Poem: Li Bai brings together moonlit mountains, frontier duty and longing for home.[2]
- Performance: Programs credit solo, ensemble and sung settings.[4][5][6]
Check whether the recording features solo qin, other instruments or a singer.
The moon in the title can be heard in several ways. A qin player can let a phrase fade into silence before beginning another. A singer can make the words about the frontier and homecoming explicit. Both approaches give the listener something concrete to follow.
Read the Mei’an Score Credit
The Hong Kong Music Office dates the Mei’an Qin Handbook to 1931 and displays a sample of the compressed finger tablature. It explains how parts of the sign tell each hand what to do and shows a later score with numbers printed alongside the tablature.[1]
Ethnomusicologist Fredric Lieberman describes the score as unattributed and reports a scholarly association with Wang Yanqing as a possible composer or arranger. For a comparison of what a score credit can establish, see Memories of an Old Friend.[3]
The Moon and the Frontier in Li Bai
In the poem, moonlight opens out over mountains and clouds. The view shifts to a frontier where soldiers think about returning home. The poem closes by imagining the sighs of those waiting far away. The title also connects listeners with the work of Li Bai および Tang poetry.[2]
A Renmin University concert note explains that musicians fitted the Tang poem to the melody in later times. Its program lists Wang Wenbo on qin and Fan Jiaming singing.[4]
Three Ways to Hear Guan Shan Yue
| 場面 | Recording or program | Credit to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Solo qin | Chinese Music Archive | Li Kongyuan, Mei’an, A1003-00623 |
| Qin and bamboo flute | Hong Kong Music Office | Wong Chun-fung, Ken Wu Yun-kan |
| Ensemble | Smithsonian’s Han Tang Ensemble concert | Opening track, 00:00 to 03:24 |
Use the ensemble names and track credits when searching for one of these recordings. The Smithsonian concert also includes separate tracks for Moon Reflected on Erquan, White Snow in Early Spring および Step by Step Higher.[1][5][6]
Follow a Phrase Across the Versions
Start with the guqin alone. Notice whether the notes in one phrase ring openly or move after the pluck. Then try the qin-and-flute recording and hear what the flute sustains after a plucked note begins to fade. With a sung version, listen to how the cadence of the words shapes the timing.[1][4]
FAQs About Moon over the Mountain Pass
Did Li Bai compose the guqin melody?
Li Bai wrote the Tang poem. The Mei’an qin score lacks a named composer, and later performances pair the poem with the tune.[2][3][4]
Is there a sung version of Guan Shan Yue?
Yes. Renmin University documents a performance for guqin and voice using Li Bai’s poem.[4]
Where does the Han Tang Ensemble version begin?
It starts at 0:00 in the Smithsonian’s concert recording and ends at 3:24.[5]
出典
[1] Hong Kong Music Office. A Rendezvous with the Guqin
[2] Chinese Text Project. Complete Tang Poems: Guan Shan Yue by Li Bai
[3] Cítara China. Moon over the Mountain Pass
[4] School of Arts, Renmin University of China. Classical Chinese Music Concert: New Sounds from Ancient Music
[5] Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Traditional Chinese Music: The Han Tang Ensemble
[6] Chinese Music Archive. Guqin Audio Music Archive