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| Ensemble performance of Thap Thu Lien Hoan at the experimental performance program |
This activity is part of the project “Digitizing Hue traditional music notation – Phase 1: Experimental teaching of the interpretation method on the Zither and Moon-shaped Lute,” led by Hue Monuments Conservation Center with funding from the Vingroup Innovation Fund (VINIF).
The program was organized to verify training outcomes in reading, writing, and practicing Hue music notation, while also assessing students’ ability to apply the interpretation method on the zither (sixteen-stringed instrument) and moon-shaped lute (two-stringed instrument) through performances combined with commentary and visual demonstrations.
According to the organizers, the event also served as an opportunity to broadly introduce Hue music notation and the project’s initial results to specialists, media agencies, and the public interested in preserving traditional musical heritage.
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| Artisan Tran Thao shares insights on Hue music notation |
Speaking at the program, Mr. Hoang Trong Cuong, Director of Hue Royal Arts Theater, noted that this activity is part of the project’s implementation process, aimed at presenting students’ practical results after their training period and verifying the effectiveness of applying Hue music notation and the interpretation method in actual performance.
Director Hoang Trong Cuong explained that Hue music notation consists of the tones Ho – Xu – Xang – Xe – Cong. However, this notation does not fully record every performance technique. It captures only the core melodic framework, while the specific manner of expression depends on the characteristics of each instrument and the performer’s practical experience.
“Through the sections of vocal solfège, solo, duet, and ensemble, the program helps introduce Hue traditional music notation to specialists and the public. It also serves as an important source of material for developing teaching resources and the project’s digital library in the coming time,” continued Mr. Cương.
During the program, students of the Hue Royal Arts Theater, alongside artisans, performed many representative pieces of Hue traditional music. Performances included Kim Tien and Pham Tuyet solos, the Lien Hoan duet, and ensemble pieces for the zither and the moon-shaped lute of Binh Ban – Tay Mai and Nguyen Tieu – Ho Quang.
Most notably, the ensemble performance of Thap Thu Lien Hoan recreated ten consecutive classical pieces: Pham Tuyet, Nguyen Tieu, Ho Quang, Lien Hoan, Binh Ban, Tay Mai, Kim Tien, Xuan Phong, Long Ho, and Tau Ma — all representative works from Hue’s traditional musical repertoire, showcasing both performance technique and the students’ ability to apply Hue music notation after their training.
Through this experimental program, the values of Hue music notation — a distinctive intellectual heritage of traditional music — continue to be researched, taught, and progressively digitized, helping lay the groundwork for preserving and promoting this heritage in today’s era of digital transformation.