乐之初为器，器由人来，便带着独一无二的味道。古镇七宝，大上海腹部的静谧，时间在此似乎不曾溜走。11月14日的传统音乐研习所便带领我们走进其中的上海民族乐器一厂，从声音之初，感悟传统。Instruments at the incipience of music bear a unique quality of humanity. Time never seems to have elapsed here in the historical town of Qibao at the tranquil hinterland of Shanghai. The Chinese Traditional Music Institute brought us to the Shanghai No.1 National Musical Instruments Factory there on 14th November to perceive the tradition at the incipience of sounds.
上海民族乐器一厂是中国民族乐器规模最大的生产基地。1958年始建，几经易址，今落户于古镇七宝。民族乐器与文化古镇交融，可谓珠联璧合。五十余载，尘世几变，乐器厂也与时俱进，多了些巨型、微型等收藏性乐器，但高级技师与工艺师们仍在用他们的双手展现着经典。文化的复兴、传承与交流始终是乐器厂的追求，不仅仅生产制作民族乐器，乐器厂还尝试进行对古籍的修复、整理，建立民族乐器博物馆，举办民族乐器大赛，建立“敦煌新语”女子乐队，创办敦煌艺术学校，设立“敦煌音乐教室”等，参与各类社会文化活动，将民族乐器渗透到文史馆展、文化、社会公益、演艺、教育等各种领域。2010年，乐器厂生产的“敦煌”牌乐器制作技艺被列入国家非物质文化遗产保护名录。
Shanghai No.1 National Musical Instruments Factory is the largest-scale production base of Chinese ethnic instruments, founded in 1958 and moved several times before settling down at Qibao, a perfect mingling of ethnic instruments and the cultural and historical town. Through the vicissitude of over fifty years, this factory keeps up with time by the introduction of collectible giant and miniature instruments, yet the classics are always being represented by the hands of senior artificers and technicians. Pursuing the revival, the inheritance and the interflow of culture, the factory, in addition to the manufacture of ethnic instruments, tries to restore and systematize historical codices, organises performance competitions of ethnic instrument, founded an Exhibition Hall of Ethnic Instruments, a women’s ensemble named New Languages of Dunhuang, a school of arts and classrooms for music named Dunhuang. To help ethnic instruments permeate to fields such as exhibitions of museums, public welfare, performing arts, and cultural education, the factory is engaged in a variety of social activities. The Dunhuang brand of instruments and its producing techniques were listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
陈列Exhibition
如果说上海音乐学院的东方乐器博物馆是古代与现代，民族与世界的融合，那么民族乐器一厂的乐器陈列馆则展现了中国传统乐器的过去与现在。While the Museum of Oriental Instruments of Shanghai Conservatory of Music represents the fusion of antiquity and modernity as well as of ethnicity and globalization, the Exhibition Hall of Ethnic Instruments of Shanghai No.1 National Instruments Factory showcases the past and present of Chinese ethnic instruments.
200余平的陈列馆，为我们展现了古筝、胡琴、琵琶、笙等传统民族乐器千年的传承与发展。而这种变迁，也深深地与中国传统手艺，如雕刻、绘画、漆艺等相融合。馆内还特别地展出了众多仿古乐器，将遥远的敦煌壁画、大唐遗韵生动呈现。
The heritage and development of traditional ethnic instruments like Zheng, Huqin, Pipa, and Sheng, abundantly infused with traditional Chinese handicraft arts including carving, painting, and lacquer, are showcased in the exhibition hall of over 200 square metres. Remote wall paintings from Dunhuang and relics from Tang Dynasty are vivified by many replicas of ancient instruments.
生产Manufacture
未走进生产车间，满满的木料便吸引了学员们的目光。上等的乌木、老红木原料，静静地躺在那里，等待着有一天，交由手艺人，成为一台古筝，一把二胡……
A massive batch of lumber drew everybody’s attention before entering the manufactory. First-class ebony and mahogany were lying quietly waiting to be transformed into a Zheng or Huqin by a craftsman.
在如今，随着科技的发展，乐器制作的一些工序，如琴板、琴杆等的制作已交由机器。但机器终究只是个机器，永远达不到人的精细，手工技艺无法真正被替代。一张木桌、一把高椅、一盏电灯、一叶电扇，还有一个塑料热水瓶。这里没有繁杂的纷扰，没有时间的追赶，技师们就这样静静地坐在高椅上，对着灯，专注地做着手里的活。如同新生儿的孕育，连一个小小的二胡弦轴都要仔仔细细、小心翼翼地打磨、雕刻、装配。而这些技师们，不仅仅是制作大师，更是演奏大师。
Nowadays, with development of science and techiques, some processes including the procedure of panels and necks are assigned to machines. However, a machine is no more than a device and can never reach the fineness of human handicraft. With a wooden table, a tall stool, a desk lamp, an electronic fan, and a thermos flask: craftsmen sit there placidly under the lamp, focusing on their work, without being chased by time or restless turmoil. Not unlike the gestation of a baby, even smallest parts like the tuning pegs of Huqin needs scrupulously carving, burnishing, and trimming by the handicraft masters who are also senior performers.
二胡制作中最有难度也最考验技艺的一道工序便是鞔(mán)皮。在琴杆、琴头与琴筒制作完成后，便是鞔皮这项工序。每位制作师傅处理蟒皮的手艺几乎都难以言传，所以拥有高超的鞔皮技艺，通常要靠制作师傅自身的悟性和经验。对蟒皮的处理需经数十道繁复的工序，正式鞔皮之前，还要历经选皮、浸皮、铲皮、套皮等工序。
To stretch the python skin on the box of Huqin is a biggest challenge of skill, following the procedure of its neck, scroll and box. Every craftsman has his unique skill that is beyond words, therefore to master this high skill relies on the savvy and experience of his own. The python skin is to be processed with dozens of complicated procedure including selection, soaking, and shovelling followed by stretching.
我们有幸请到乐器厂的高级技师，上海民族乐器一厂二胡质量总监，二胡制作大师章龙祥的关门弟子，非物质文化遗产二胡制作闵行区代表性传承人龚耀宗师傅为学员们展示鞔皮的过程。
GONG Yaozong, quality director and senior technician of Shanghai No.1 National Musical Instruments Factory, the close disciple of the master Huqin maker ZHANG Longxiang, and Representative of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Minhang District of Huqin making, was our honoured guest for the demonstration of the process of stretching.
师傅在琴筒边缘涂上胶水，将处理过的蟒皮套在琴筒之上，开始鞔皮。鞔皮时，蟒皮六边须拉力均匀，制作师傅通过调节鞔皮架上的小木棒与粗麻绳的绞合程度来控制六边蟒皮的受力。琴筒与蟒皮的搭配十分重要，琴筒材质较疏松，则鞔得紧些，否则声音迟钝；琴筒材质较紧实，则鞔得松些，否则音色单薄易出噪音。师傅“弹皮听音”，利用蟒皮与琴筒的韧性，不断微调，待到声音清亮、饱满、流畅，才算鞔皮结束。对松紧与音色的把控，便考验了技师们的技术与经验。
He glued the python skin to the rim of the hexagonal box of Huqin, balancing the pulling forces on the six sides by stranding the thick ropes tied on the brakets with wooden sticks. The collocation of the skin and the box plays a crucial part: the skin should be stretched harder on a relatively looser box, otherwise it would sound dumb, and vice versa: looser skin on a harder box, or the sound would be thin and noisy. The final adjustment is judged by tapping the skin until a clear and sonorous sound is obtained. The control of tightening and timber is a challenge to the craftsmen’s technique and experience.
车间里还放置着一件特殊的打击乐器——马林巴。这件美洲乐器由上海民族乐器一厂首先引进中国，所以在这民族乐器厂中占有了一席之地。学员们兴致勃勃地上前尝试演奏，在民族器乐厂的车间，用美洲乐器敲打出中国的《茉莉花》，却是别有一番韵味。
A special instrument, the marimba, is also placed in the workshop. This Latin American instrument was firstly introduced to China by Shanghai No.1 National Musical Instruments Factory, hence the position here. The students tried playing the Tune of Jasmine on it interestedly: a quite unexpected sound from this Latin American instrument in this workshop of Chinese ethnic instruments.
演奏Performance
参观完乐器制作的过程，再零距离欣赏上海音乐学院的青年民乐演奏家们的演奏，体悟似乎已有不同。八种乐器，琵琶、中阮、古筝、二胡、笛、箫、古琴、唢呐；个性化的音色，清亮、低沉、悠扬、高昂……十几种风格，文武、南北、古今、悲喜……
After the tour of manufacture of instruments, a zero-distance appreciation of the performance given by young ethnic instrument performers from Shanghai Conservatory of Music brought us some different cognition. Eight instuments, Pipa, Alto Ruan, Zheng, Huqin, Flutes, Xiao, Guqin, and Suona, each has very characteristic timbre from profound to clear, gentle to intense, representing over ten styles from literary to martial, Southern to Northern, ancient to modern, mournful to hilarious…
从《月儿高》到《关山月》，从《云南回忆》到《牧民新歌》，从《一枝花》到《百鸟朝凤》、从《河南小曲》到《高山流水》……地方的曲韵、文人的情怀、武士的勇力、自然的清新、琴人的感怀，琴声中似乎还有些许微妙，恍然，是手的味道。手艺人赋予了琴性格、脾气，仿佛活物，与人贴合。若没有了手艺人，再好的演奏家恐怕也无法弹拉出动人的旋律。
From Moon High Above to Moon over Mountain Fortresses, from Souvenir of Yunnan to New Songs of Nomads, from A Flower to Birds Paying Hommage to Phoenix, from Tune from Henan to High Mountains and Flowing Water... Local theatres, spirits of literati, valour of warriors, purity of the nature, emotions of Guqin performers are combined with some subtle and faint charm of the hands themselves. Craftsmen has shaped the disposition and temper of instruments as living creatures intimate to human beings. Were they extinct, no more touching melody would ever be played even with the best performers.
回程时夜幕已落，霓虹闪耀，在这繁华的大上海，仍有一处，坚守着传统，传播着民族文化，真好。
Night had already fallen before the time of our return. Shanghai, though boisterous with all glistering neons, still holds on to the tradition and diffuses Chinese ethnicity at least in a serene corner. That’s fine.