Retro and Reconstruction:On the Historical Significance of the Twelve Elegant Poems Score and Zhu Xi's Theory of Ceremonial Music
The Twelve Elegant Poems Score recorded in the General Interpretation of Ceremonial Etiquette has been controversial regarding its creation date and the nature of the music score.It is challenging to accurately assess the historical value of the music score based on the limited information provided by the Twelve Elegant Poems Score.Zhu Xi's music writings,as reflected in works such as the Collection of Master Zhu Xi,Sequel of the Collection of Master Zhu Xi,Zhuzi Yulei,Preface to the Lv New Book,and the General Interpretation of Ceremonial Etiquette,aim to reconstruct the ceremonial music system of the Southern Song Dynasty under the concept of retro.The integration of law,tune,and spectrum is the core feature of Zhu Xi's theory of ceremonial music.Under the influence of Zhu Xi's theory,the Twelve Elegant Poems Score became a model for later generations in creating ceremonial music.The inclusion of the Twelve Elegant Poems Score in the General Interpretation of Ceremonial Etiquette objectively contributed to the reconstruction of the ceremonial music system in later generations.