VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES PHAM HONG LINH MUSIC IN THE BUDDHIST CEREMONY OF GIVING ALMS TO THE DEAD OF THE VIET PEOPLE COMPARISON OF CASES OF HUE AND HO CHI MINH CITY MAJOR : FOLK CULTURE MAJOR CODE : 62 22 01 30 SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS IN CULTURAL STUDIES HANOI - 2016 The work is completed in: Department of Cultural Studies Graduate Academy of Social Sciences Scientific Supervisor Associate Prof Dr Nguyen Thuy Loan Reviewer 1: Associate Prof Dr Bui Huyen Nga Reviewer 2: Associate Prof Dr Pham Trong Toan Reviewer 3: Associate Prof Dr Nguyen Quang Hung The thesis will be uphold under the criticism of Graduate Academy’s Thesis Censor Council at Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, No 477 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan District, Ha Noi at date .month year 2016 The thesis is available at: - Library of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences - Vietnam National Library INTRODUCTION Reason of choosing the thesis topic Buddhism is a kind of religious culture that has extensive influence in the spiritual life of some ethnic groups in Vietnam Buddhist music is an indispensable component in the rituals of Buddhism That is one of the objects of cultural studies in general and of Buddhist culture in particular In my process of researching into Hue Buddhist music, I noticed that there had been a mutual relation between Buddhism in Hue and that in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) through exchange monks and practice documents to give alms to the death in two regions That relationship suggested me some questions related to Buddhism in general and Buddhist music in particular in two regions that were far from each other They urged me to learn about the similarities and differences in Buddhist music between these two regions This was one of aspects performing regional culture- an area that had been attracting the attention of some researchers We just focused on researching the music played in the Buddhish ceremony of giving alms to the dead (TDCT) in Hue and HCMC for some reasons: Firstly, in the ritual system of Mahayana Buddhism, TDCT was one of ceremonies that had the largest scale, frequent usage and extensive influence on cultural and spiritual life of the Viet community throughout the country Secondly, in comparison to other types of ceremonial music of Mahayana Buddhism, the music in TDCT ceremony could make the most use of Buddhist musical elements and was considered as a typical musical phenomenon of Vietnamese Buddhism Thirdly, Hue and HCMC were the cultural centers of both the Central and the South, where demonstrated the most cultural characteristics of each region Therefore, “Music in the Buddhist Ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people - Comparison of cases of Hue and Ho Chi Minh city” was chosen to the thesis topic Purposes and tasks of the thesis 2.1 Reseach purposes - In-depth research on concrete expressions of the similarities, differences and characteristics of the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC - Research contribution to clarify some aspects related to domestic cultural regions through a specific phenomenon, that was the music played in TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in the two cities - Research and conclusion on some theoretical issues of culture and religious culture that were related to the similarities, differences and characteristics of the music played in TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC 2.2 Research tasks Comprehensive surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted on people who had profound knowledge about TDCT ceremony of the Viet people and its cultural aspects, especially its music, in Hue and HCMC Collected data from the field, including audio materials, photographs, interviews and written documents related to the research subject, was handled and analyzed The characteristics of the natural environment, society and history, as well as interior factors in each region were analyzed, compared and considered their impacts on the music played in TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in two places Objects and scopes of the study 3.1 Research objects Reseach object of the thesis is the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people and its cultural aspects 3.2 Research scopes - In space: The thesis focuses on the study of the Vietnamese TDCT ceremony held in Hue and HCMC On both places, we conducted survey on TDCT ceremony at various locations and performed by the different groups of monks and artists The survey conducted in different locations and groups would give the thesis author an overview of the actual musical performance in a TDCT ceremony and thereby the author would collect a source of more diverse, completed and accurate information - In time: We based on the fieldwork resources collected from actual musical performances of the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC from 1990 to 2014 Research methods - Method of field research and data collection from the field: We paid special attention to this method because it was the main method to collect data for the thesis In the field, we carried out some tasks such as: attending, observing, taking notes, making interviews and retrospective interviews, filming, recording, doing photography - Method of doing researches and data processing: the methods such as analysis, synthesis, statistics, comparison, systematization and summarizing would be used in primary and secondary data processing in order to draw out some scientific assessments and assumptions to be used as the rationale in the thesis chapters - Method of interdisciplinary research: We use the method of interdisciplinary research between cultural studies and musicology to approach and solve the problems of musicology and cultural studies related to research objects, particularly those identified in chapter and chapter of the thesis Thesis contributions 5.1 In theory This is the first overall and in-depth research on the music played in the Buddhist Ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death (Trai đàn chẩn tế ceremony) in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City under the cutural and musical perspectives; Present the concrete expressions of the similarity and difference of the music played in the Buddhist Ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, thus indicate the diversity of Buddhist music of the Viet people in Vietnam; Clearify the prominent features of music in the Buddhist Ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City; Indicate the cultural elements that effect the similarity and difference of music in the Buddhist Ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people in the two regions; Contribute some aspects relating to the theory of regional culture and supplements the arguments for the diversity of regional cultural identity and the elements creating the difference of the cultural regions through a concrete cultural phenomenon, namely the music played in the Buddhist Ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City; Contribute more arguments for the theory of the interactive relations among court, folk and Buddhist cultures that are demonstrated not only in music but also in the other fields of culture 5.2 In practice Bringing about more profound understanding on a music culture which is still unpopular; Contributing to the sciences of musicology, cultural studies and religious studies the new documents and new research outputs on this topic; This thesis will be a source of reference to the research and teaching in musicology, cultural studies and religious studies Thesis layout In addition to Introduction, Conclusion, Reference Resouces and Appendices, the thesis content is divided into three chapters: Chapter 1: Overview of the aspects related to research objects of the thesis Chapter 2: Similarities, differences and characteristics of the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City Chapter 3: Some theoretical issues learnt from the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City CHAPTER OVERVIEW OF THE ASPECTS RELATED TO RESEARCH OBJECTS OF THE THESIS 1.1 The Buddhist ceremony of giving alms to the dead in Vietnam 1.1.1 Overview of the Buddhist ceremony of giving alms to the dead 1.1.1.1 The name TDCT is the name of one of the biggest ceremonies of giving alms in Mahayana Buddhism That name is widely popular in the spiritual life of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC Depending on each region, this ceremony has different names TDCT is the common name used by the monks and Buddhists in the South of Vietnam from Hue In Northern Vietnam, this ceremony is often called , someti 1.1.1.2 Purpose and meaning TDCT is a ceremony in which people make a large boat holding vegetarian food and water for thousands of hungry demons and ghosts which have neither support nor worship, both on land and underwater The humanistic meaning of the TDCT ceremony is to raise the kindness and to remind that people should have love to not only their family and relatives but also to the dead, the ghosts that have no place to rely on In TDCT ceremony, moral values of gratitude, piety toward parents, grandparents and ancestors are also reminded 1.1.1.3 Origin The TDCT ceremony was originated from India associated with the story of Amanda’s meeting with Diem Khau demon In Vietnam, although the original time of this ceremony is unknown, nowadays, in Mahayana Buddhism temples in Hue and HCMC, monks still maintain the ritual of “ (reciting mantras to convert human food and beverage into demon ones) in the afternoon rituals In China, this ceremony is known by sev is the most popular name to Vietnam Based on the name and some other aspects such as Buddhist tools, singing types, song names which are used in the ceremony, it can be concluded that the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Vietnam has an intimate relationship with that in China 1.1.1.4 The process of appearance, expansion and development Historically, the TDCT ceremony was originated from India, transmitted to China and then imported into Vietnam In Vietnam, as the arrival of the Viet people in each region was different, the formation and development of the TDCT ceremony in each region were different too In Northern part, the TDCT ceremony was popular in Thang Long Citadel from the Tran Dynasty In Middle part - Hue, along with the historical process of moving to the South of the Viet people, the TDCT ceremony had appeared in these areas It was not until Gia Long dynasty (1802 - 1820), the TDCT ceremony in Hue had become a complete ritual, taken place in large scale and officially become a national ceremony organized by the court in some national temples In HCMC, according to many sources, Buddhism and Buddhist rituals of the Viet appeared early in the Southern part Today, in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in HCMC, the “ ” of Hue is the most frequently used material 1.1.1.5 Process of implementation In the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and H (providing alms to the dead) and a system of compulsory rituals perf , “nghi ceremony, “ ,p ,“ ” ceremony, “ ceremony 1.1.1.6 General features a) In scale: Depending on the environments and circumstances, the ceremony of giving alms to the dead is held in a (small ceremony), “Trung khoa” (normal cere (big ceremony) b) In time: The TDCT ceremony can be organized at any time of the year depending on the circumstances of each temple and the need of Buddhist families c) In location: The TDCT ceremony can be held at home, church, cemetery, temple yard or a large airy and clean space d) In ceremony participants: When implementing the TDCT ceremony, participants are included: one to three senior monks to witness the boat of vegetarian food and beverage, a monk giving mantras; a monk committee including six to eight monks; Buddhists; a music ceremonial team and a monk to arrange and hosting the ceremony đ) In venue decoration: means the ve of TDCT ceremony is designed in largest scale in comparison to other application rituals of Mahayana Buddhism “ is the place to worshi is the surrounding space of the Buddhist shrine so its scale is installed in the model of Mandala Buddhist Tantric 1.1.2 Overview of the music played in the Buddhist ceremony of giving alms to the dead Wherever the TDCT ceremony takes place in Vietnam, there are the same basic musical features such as Buddhist tools, musical instruments, singing types and song melodies, instrumental tunes In Buddhist tools: In the musical performance of the TDCT ceremony, Buddhist tools have musical characteristics - musical instruments used by Buddhist monks The compulsory tools include: “ ( (flapper), In musical instruments: Depending on different areas, the main instruments include binary, trumpet, drum and each region may have different musical instruments In singing types: In TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC, there are 12 singing types: “bạch”, “đọc” (reading), “hô” (shouting), “ngâm”, “niệm”, “nói” (speaking), “tán”, “thán”, “thỉnh”, “tụng” (chanting), “vịnh xướng” In instrumental melodies and tunes: In the ceremony, in addition to singing types performed by the monks, there are also other supports of instrumental melodies and tunes performed by artists At each location, the application methods of instrumental melodies and tunes in the ceremony are very different 1.2 Research process of the music played in the Buddisht ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City 1.2.1 Phasing of the research period 1.2.1.1 Period of 1965 - 1981 In this period, there was no works about the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people There were only two articles on Buddhist music in general of author Nguyen Huu Ba and author Thich Nhat Hanh In general, the references in this period did not have in-depth analysis of specific aspects in Buddhist music of Vietnam 1.2.1.2 Period of 1982 - 1999 In this period, the number of articles and works on Buddhist ceremonial music, music history containing some elements related to the music played in TDCT ceremony of the Viet people had increased in comparison to the previous period In particular, there were two first monographs written about the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Gia Dinh - Saigon, which had mentioned some musical aspects used in this ceremony The materials on Buddhism, music history and Buddhist music history contained some elements related to the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people The monograph on the TDCT ceremony was “Trai đ Gia Dinh – Saigon” published by Huynh Ngoc Trang and Nguyen Van Sanh, mentioning about musical instruments, musical tools and singing types in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in HCMC However, the above mentioned aspects just covered in description 1.2.1.3 Period of 2000 - 2014 This period saw the appearance of several long-term projects, including three works on theTDCT ceremony in Hue and the South, two works on Buddhist music in Hue Overall, this period began to attract the attention of researchers not only in the rituals and ceremonial music of the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people but also in the Buddhist music in general The authors researched the objects in cultural practice environment with multiple relationships and interactions among them This was shown most clearly in two monographs on Hue LNPG For instance, in the monograph of Pham Hong Linh, the authors had clarified many Hue Buddhist music problems from the perspectives of musicology and cultural studies, such as Buddhist tools and musical instruments, scales and instrumental music, song systems, melodies, method of coordination among Buddhist tools, musical instruments and singing types, the characteristics of Hue Buddhist ceremonial music and the role of Hue Buddhist ceremonial music in Hue traditional culture and music 1.2.2 Mentioned issues 1.2.2.1 Aspects in the field of cultural studies These aspects relate to Buddhist music in general, and closely relate to the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in two places These include: Origin of Buddhist ceremonial music; Buddhish conception of music; Meaning and usage of Buddish tools; Rituals in Buddhist oratorio; Location, time and participants of the oratorio; Purposes and characteristics of the oratorio; Relationship between the ceremony and the music; Relationship between Buddhist ceremonial music and traditional music; Role of Buddhist ceremonial music in the cultural and spiritual life 1.2.2.2 Aspects in the field of musical studies There are eight mentioned aspects They are: singing types and song systems, tunes; Scales - tunes; Buddhish tools, musical instruments; Structure of the orchestra; Coordinating methods between Buddhish and singing types; Coordinating methods between musical instruments and vocal music; Coordinating methods between Buddhish tools, musical instruments and vocal music; Applications of instrumental music in the ceremonial performance Among the above mentioned aspects, there are some aspects directly related to the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC They are: singing types, instrumental music, tunes, Buddhist tools, musical instruments and applications in instrumental music in the ceremonial performance Overall, the findings of previous authors have presented a comprehensive understanding about the Buddhist music in Vietnam and contained more or less information related to the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC These are important contributions in term of both references and academics 1.2.3 Remaining issues Besides the contributions, some works and articles still have some remaining issues discussed below 1.2.3.1 Incompleted researches Some issues have not been adequately researched such as: singing types, Buddhist tools and and musical instruments; songs, tunes; application of instrumental music in the ceremony; method of cooperation between instrumental music and vocal music in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC 1.2.3.2 Disunited issues Some aspects have not been united among authors, such as: the classification of singing types in the LNPG in Vietnam; the classification of singing type of the LNPG in Hue; the classification of songs in the South 1.2.3.3 Inaccurate points Some statements are not accurat (songs); definitions of (song types); instrumental music played in the ceremony; method of coordination between instrumental music and vocal music; cases of using the orchestra and environments of using instrumental music 2.1.2 Similarities in the majority of Buddhist tools, musical instruments and their functions 2.1.2.1 Similarities in type and function of Buddhist tools In the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in both localities, Buddhist musical tools used by monks include: “đại hồng chung, chuông gia trì, chuông báo chúng, đại cổ, trống kinh, tang, linh, mõ, bảng, khánh, phủ xích” In practice, these Buddhist tools are considered as musical instruments Depending on the content of each ritual step, each Buddhist tool can be used alone or in combination with others following certain standards 2.1.2.2 Major similarities in type and function of musical instruments Overall, the majority of musical instruments used in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC shares some similarities They are: “kèn, nhị, nhị hồ, trống kinh, trống chiến, trống bản, chập chõa, mõ thuộc họ nhạc khí dây, hơi, màng rung” and “họ thân vang” During the ceremony in both localities, the aforementioned musical instruments have the functions of supporting ceremony rhythms, signaling transitions, providing background music when the monks move, worshiping, bridging the transition of singing types and providing backing music for vocal music in forms of “đệm phức điệu tương phản” (contrasting backing music) and “đệm tòng” 2.1.3 Similarities in some aspects related to vocal music and instrumental music 2.1.3.1 Similarities in vocal music a) Similarities in numbers and names of the main singing type b) Similarities in name and content of the songs: 2.1.3.2 Similarities in the minor instrumental music Among the songs used in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in two localities, there are songs with the same name They are: “Nam ai, Ngũ đối hạ, Bình bán, Lưu thủy, Kim tiền, Xuân nữ”, in which “Lưu thủy, Kim tiền” and “Xuân nữ” - with the same name and similar melodies 2.1.4 Similarities in order and usage of the music in the ceremony 2.1.4.1 Similarities in song order Each step in the ceremony is illustrated by the content of a specific song During the ceremony, the number of steps is relative to the number of songs with corresponding contents As both localities have the same rituals, the order of songs used in the TDCT ceremony in two localities is exactly alike 11 2.1.4.2 Similarities in instrumental music To play the music in the TDCT celebration of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC, monks and artists often use “hơi Thiền”, “hơi Khách”, “hơi Xuân” and “hơi Ai” “Hơi Thiền” expresses the solemn, soothing, deep characteristic “Hơi Khách” expresses the solemn, pure, peaceful, joyful, sometimes active, magnificent characteristic “Hơi Xuân” expresses the solemn, leisurely, soothing, slightly sadcharacteristic “Hơi Ai” expresses the sad, painful, lingering characteristic 2.1.4.3 Similarities in usage of songs, vocal melodies and instrumental music During the ceremony, depending on the content and characteristic of each ceremonial step, the monks will use suitable songs, vocal melodies matching with instrumental music “Hơi Thiền” is often associated with songs, vocal melodies with the content of worshiping the Buddha, Bodhisattvas “Hơi Ai” is associated with songs, vocal melodies with the content of the dead world, the gratitude to parents, and the worship to ghost spirits 2.1.5 Similarities in rituals related to the oratorio 2.1.5.1 For the host of the oratorio Before the ceremonial oratorio, the host and monks have to some mantras such as “Tịnh pháp giới chân ngôn”, “Tịnh tam nghiệp chân ngôn” During the ceremony, “trì tụng Đại bi” must be recited so that the performance and power of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva can give the host and monks a peaceful mind 2.1.5.2 For the artists in the oratorio Prior to the ceremony, musical artists must have vegetarian food, “no sex” to keep a pure body and mind; musical instruments must be thoroughly prepared, “no practice prior to the ceremony” When implementing the ceremonial music, a representative must worship for permission to perform the oratorio 2.1.5.3 For types of Buddhist tools To increase the solemn and sacred characteristics, all Buddhist tools used in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead must be recited by the host: “thư, ấn chú, quán tưởng, niệm chúa” Among the Buddhist tools used by the monks, “phủ xích” and “linh” are recited in the most complicated and mysterious way by the host In addition, “đàn tràng” and some other Buddhist tools such as “y” and “mũ” of the host are also thoroughly recited by the monks 12 2.2 Differences 2.2.1 Differences in the minor instrumental music in the orchestra structure Apart from musical instruments of the same category as mentioned in subsection 2.1.2., the orchestra playing in the TDCT ceremony in Hue uses extra “sáo trúc” (flute), that in HCM has some other musical instruments such as “đàn sến, la, song lang, chập chõa nhỏ” and “tum” In general, the difference in musical instruments in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people between the two localities is insignificant Apart from a few mentioned differences in instruments in this subsection, there are some differences in material, shape, size and name of some musical instruments of the same category 2.2.2 Differences in number, nuance and melody of some singing types There are some differences in the classification of singing types between Hue and HCMC Specifically, In speaking type: While Hue monks only use one speaking type called “nói pháp ngữ”, HCMC monks use five different types such as “nói suông, nói tướng, nói bóp, nói thường” and “nói giáo” In reciting type: While Hue monks usually base on the rhythm period of “tang” and “mõ” to divide the reciting type into three categories such as “tán rơi, tán xắp” and “tán trạo”, HCMC monks base on many different characteristics to classify the reciting type into eight categories such as “tán thiền, tán ngoại gian, tán tẩu mã, tán xóc, tán dẫn, tán điệu, tán cách” 2.2.3 Differences in the usage of singing types 2.2.3.1 Differences in application of singing types for corresponding rituals in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead The usage of singing types in the corresponding steps in TDCT ceremony in Hue and HCMC is largely different The singing type in the same ritual in two places may have some differences, for example: in “tham lễ Giác Hoàng” ritual, “thán thiền” and “nói pháp ngữ” are used in Hue while “nói bóp” and “nói tướng” are used HCMC 2.2.3.2 Differences in application of singing types for ”, “ ” with the same name All “bài kệ, chú” used in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in two localities have the same name, but most of them have differences in the application of singing types Therefore, many “bài kệ, chú” will have completely different melodies 13 2.2.4 Differences in names and melodies of the majority of instrumental music In the above-mentioned songs, between Hue and HCMC, except for the cases of “Xuân nữ”, “Lưu thủy” and “Kim tiền” with the name and melodies as described in subsection 2.1.3., the remaining songs all have completely different melodies despite their same or different names 2.2.5 Differences in cooperation of musical instruments, Buddhist tools and singing types The music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in two localities has differences not only in singing types but also in the method of coordination with other musical instruments and Buddhist tools The differences are reflected in four aspects: the number of Buddhist tools in collaboration with vocal music; the number of instrumental music in collaboration with vocal music; the group of musical instruments to create melodies when they are in combination with vocal music; the group of musical instruments to create rhythm when they are in combination with vocal music 2.2.6 Differences in usage of all instrumental music in support for the rituals Between Hue and HCMC, although people have the same ritual, the application of instrumental music to support for the ceremonial steps (rituals) is not the same The difference is reflected not only in the number and types of all songs but also in the methods of cooperation with the rituals 2.2.6.1 In number of songs and types While there are more than 28 songs in “Đại nhạc” and “Tiểu nhạc” types in Hue, people only use about 13 songs in three types of folk ceremonial music, “Hát bội” and “Đờn ca Tài tử” in HCMC 2.2.6.2 In methods of performance In long rituals, artists in Hue often combine multiple songs in continuous performance in which songs are played interconnectedly Unlike Hue, artists in HCMC often use separate songs If the ritual lasts for a long time, the artists will repeat the song 2.2.7 Differences in cooperation between instrumental music and vocal music 2.2.7.1 Differences in usage of instrumental songs in combination with vocal music In instrumental music, there is a small amount of songs played as backing music for vocal music, such as: “Ngũ đối hạ, Bình bán, Nam xuân, Nam ai, Xuân nữ” In addition, in Hue and HCMC, each place has some own versions Apart from some cases using the same song to play as 14 backing music for vocal music, people also use different instrumental songs to play as backing music for the same songs in each place 2.2.7.2 Differences in the methods of cooperation between instrumental music and vocal music in the majority of songs with the same name In the TDCT ceremony, there are two popular methods of cooperation between instrumental music and vocal music They are: “đệm tòng” method which plays as backing music for the melodies of vocal music and “đệm theo kiểu phức điệu tương phản” which uses instrumental music mentioned in previous subsection to play as backing music for vocal music In this case, there is a parallel coordination in the separate melodies between singing music and instrumental music Except songs using the same methods of playing backing music in the two localities, the majority of songs with the same name in two places use completely different methods of playing backing music 2.3 Typical features of the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City 2.3.1 Typical features of the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Hue 2.3.1.1 Characteristic of court music The influence of court music on the music played in the TDCT ceremony is seen very clearly Therefore, one of the outstanding features of the music played in the TDCT ceremony in Hue is the court characteristic Hue court music is manifested in three aspects: songs, tunes; instrumental music; musical instruments and orchestral structure The clear influence of royal music, especially instrumental music, with the aspects mentioned above, has increased the majestic and solemn characteristics for the music played in the TDCT ceremony in particular and in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue in general 2.3.1.2 Characteristics of soothing and deep expression a) Soothing singing voice and instrumental music: Although the instrumental music in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue has the majestic solemn characteristic, its vocal music remains soothing, mellow, and deep There are many factors that impact this characteristic of the vocal music in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue Firstly, it is soothing and deep voice of Hue people Besides the soothing natural voice, the usage of soothing breath, long pronunciation breath, speaking way of Hue monks during “tán, tụng” (recite mantras) also plays an adjustable part in creating the soothing and deep characteristics of the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue 15 b) Performance of Buddhist tools, musical instruments: Monks and artists use simple rhythm, moderate and soothing volume when performing Buddhist tools, musical instruments to support vocal music and rituals This helps contributing to the soothing and deep characteristic of the music played in the TDCT ceremony in Hue The same method is also applied for musical instruments with greater volume such as “trống chiến”, “trống bản” c) Vocal range and vocal color of Buddhist tools, musical instruments: In the TDCT ceremony in Hue, monks often use Buddhist tools, musical instruments that have low or moderate vocal range with warm echo to support vocal music and rituals For musical instruments made of strings such as “đàn nhị”, “nhị hồ”, Hue artists only use strings made from plastic material, instead of metal material 2.3.1.3 Characteristic of high conservation and uniformity So far, the music played in the TDCT ceremony in Hue still remains the majority of traditional elements such as number of songs, melodies, Buddhist tools, musical instruments in both melodic structure and method of coordination among these musical elements It is preserved elements of traditional LNPG that creates the high unity in the musical performance in the TDCT ceremony in Hue today 2.3.2 Typical features of the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Ho Chi Minh City 2.3.2.1 Characteristic of musical traits of the Viet people in the South Overall, the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in HCMC carries some typical folk music characteristics of the Viet people It is shown in some aspects such as songs, tunes, rhythm and instrumental music of folk music, “Hát bội”, “Đờn ca Tài tử” and “Cải lương” Among these aspects, ceremonial folk music has the most profound impact 2.3.2.2 Characteristic of robust and generous expression In the expression of the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue, the monk voice is always soothing and deep, the monk voice in HCMC expresses a strong and generous characteristic In the TDCT ceremony, the monks in “Tradition” group often use strong language and singing type to perform songs, vocal melodies Besides, the application of strong and vibrant rhythms taken from metal musical instruments to support rituals have contributed to the characteristics of robustness and generosity of the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in HCMC 2.3.2.3 Characteristic of innovative trends While the music played in the TDCT ceremony in Hue demonstrates the characteristics of high conservation and unity, that in HCMC has innovative 16 trends and focuses on the diverse development of musical elements Nowadays, LNPG oratorios of the Viet people in HCMC have four groups in different trend They are: a) “Tradition” group; b) “Tradition with some changes” group; c) “Innovation” group: d) “Freedom” group 2.3.2.4 Diverse development of musical elements a) Factor of instrumental music: The development of instrumental factors are reflected in three aspects: creating new variants by “lối đờn”; promoting the role of orchestra in “đệm phức điệu tương phản” (contrast backing music); adding new songs b) Factor of vocal music: The development of vocal elements is reflected in three aspects: modifying and creating more new innovative expressions; inheriting songs, tunes from traditional types of local music Minor conclusion of chapter Overall, besides some similarities related mainly to the provisions of Buddhism on ceremonial music, the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC has clear differences in many aspects and three pairs of typical opposition These differences refer to the richness and diversity of the Vietnamese Buddhist music in Vietnam The richness, diversity as well as differences in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC - in positions as two cultural centers of the Central and the South, the accumulation of the most cultural characteristics in each region, also refer to the diversity of the regional cultural identity in our country CHAPTER SOME THEORICAL ISSUES LEARNED FROM THE MUSIC PLAYED IN THE CEREMONY OF GIVING ALMS TO THE DEAD OF THE VIET PEOPLE IN HUE AND HO CHI MINH 3.1 Cultural factors affecting the similarities and differences in the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City 3.1.1 Role of the feudal state in the unity of the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people and some musical aspects in two localities 3.1.1.1 Creating the unity of the ceremony of giving alms to the dead In the past, the feudal state was very interested in the unification of culture and customs of the country, especially the provisions on folk rituals Therefore, the TDCT ceremony was not an exception of this general rule The Nguyen kings in early stages as Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri and Tu Duc all highly respected Buddhism Derived from the respect to 17 Buddhism, these kings had repaired and built new temples Moreover, some temples was repaired to become national temples Besides, some Buddhist ceremonies were also held in national scale in these national temples Over time, the model of the TDCT ceremony not only took placewithin national temples in Hue in the past but also became familiar with folk culture, firstly in Hue, then in Central regions and to southern provinces, including HCMC This was the reason why there was a unity in term of structure and process in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC In the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC, the similarities were shown in text, vegetarian boat design, rituals and practices of each small ritual in the overall general structure and process 3.1.1.2 Creating the unity of some musical aspects in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead In addition to affecting the unity of the TDCT ceremony as described above, the feudal state also had a certain role in creating the similarities in terms of orchestra, instrumental music and some instrumental songs used in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC 3.1.2 Characteristics of natural environment, history and culture society in creating the differences in personality, tastes, and some musical aspects of the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in two places 3.1.2.1 Characteristics of natural environment, history and culture society in Hue Hue City is the center of culture, economy, education and politics of the Central part in general, and of Thua Thien Hue Province in particular Hue City has the harmonious combination of plains, hills, rivers and trees, contributing to the creation of a charming natural picture In that overall charming natural picture of Hue, the highlight is Huong River Huong River flows through Hue City, creating unique characteristics of Hue culture and especially the style, spirit and beauty of the people here In term of historical, cultural - social characteristic, Hue land situated in the area of “Châu Ô” and “Châu Lý” of Champa Kingdom At the beginning of the fourteenth century (1306), under the reign of King Tran Anh Tong, “châu Ô” and “châu Lý” were officially merged into Đại Việt When Hue officially became the capital of the Nguyen Lord in “Đàng Trong” (an area of Vietnamese southwards expansion) (1626 - 1775), then became the capital of the country for 143 years (1802-1945), Hue was located in the areas that received strong influence of feudal ideology and 18 court rules This had affected all aspects of cultural life of the people in Hue Hue was under strict management of imperial rules and became the “benchmark for the nation to follow” As Hue underwent the influence of feudal ideology, court culture and limitations of court institutions for a long time, the characteristics of Hue people as well as Hue culture in general were highly “conservative” in comparison to other regions in the country 3.1.2.2 Characteristics of natural environment, history and culture society in Ho Chi Minh City TP HCM is the center of culture, economy, education and politics of the South and is one of three cultural centers of the country When the residents from Thuan - Quang region started settling in the “new land”, they made friends with many other ethnic groups: Chinese, Khmer, Cham In this context, the Viet people in southern Vietnam had an ability of high adaptability and had higher opportunity to exchange culture with ethnic groups than people in Hue at the same time Especially, in the late nineteenth century, when the French colony occupied Southern provinces, the political, cultural - social situation received powerful transformations While Hue was considered as the “autonomous” land of Hue empire for the longest time, in the South in general, HCMC in particular was the area to receive the earliest and deepest influence of Western culture in comparison to other regions in the country Therefore, the change in culture - society in this area had been very strong Therefore, Western lifestyle culture had mostly influenced the Viet people in the South 3.1.3 Role of interior factors in creating the local musical shades of the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in two places 3.1.3.1 Voice intonation Voice intonation is one of the factors that creates the distinctive features among different dialect regions All folk singing types of each region are closely related to voice intonation in that region Therefore, local voice intonation plays an important role in creating the distinctive features for folk singing type in each region Vocal music in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC is not an exception of this general rule Local voice intonation is the first important factor in creating local shades for the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC 3.1.3.2 Role of traditional musical resources in each locality Hue and HCMC are two major cultural centers with rich treasure of traditional music in each locality Although there are types of “ru”, “hò”, “vè”, “lý”, folk ceremonial music, chamber music and theater , each has a 19 distinctive sound that can be recognized immediately its original region Moreover, going into detail, each region has specific differences in songs, instrumental music as well as performance style The differences in traditional music origins in Hue and HCMC have led to the differences in the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC, namely the differences in tones, songs, melodies, musical instruments as presented in Section 2.2 3.2 Interactive relationship between the court culture, folk culture and Buddhist culture 3.2.1 Influence of court culture on Buddhist culture and folk culture 3.2.1.1 Influence of cour culture on Buddhist culture In their parallel existence, court culture has influenced Buddhist culture in a number of different areas Firstly, let’s look from the music perspective – the aspect having direct relation to the thesis a) In music : Court Music is part of the overall court culture and the predominant type of music in the feudal system lasting thousands of years in the country’s history Court music has made a significant impact on other musical genres, including LNPG And as a matter of fact , it has left its indelible imprint on LNPG The effects of court music on LNPG are seen through its song, instrumental music and orchestra Looking at other aspects of culture, it can be seen that court culture also affects Buddhist culture in other aspects: b) decoration, sculpture; c) ceremony; d) form of procession Thus, court culture strongly influenced Buddhist culture and left an imprint not only in music but also in many other aspects 3.2.1.2 Influence of court culture on folk culture Similar to Buddhist culture, folk culture is also strongly influenced by court culture in many different aspects of culture: a) in the field of music including: song, instrumental music, orchestra, chamber music In addition, a number of specific characteristics of court-scholarly music also have had a significant impact on folk music, which is foremost in Hue The influence of court music on folk music did not only happen in Hue but also spread to the Southern region - HCMC Talking about the impact of court music on Southern folk music, it can be affirmed that despite being far away from the King, the South was also significantly influenced by court-scholarly music Besides the influence on music presented, court culture also affects folk culture in many other aspects: b) musical theater; c) handwriting; d) sacrifice ceremony; e) decoration, sculpture; f) house architecture; g) gastronomy; h) ideology, lifestyle 20 3.2.2 Influence of folk culture on Buddhist culture and court culture 3.2.2.1 Influence of folk culture on Buddhist culture There is an intertwined relationship between folk culture and Buddhist culture These two lines of culture tend to interact , influence each other in many aspects In the process of interaction , folk culture has influenced Buddhist culture in many areas - both music as well as other areas of Buddhism: a) In music (song, instrumental music, musical instruments); b In Buddhist musical theater; c) In ritual ceremony; d) The entry of folk beliefs into Buddhism 3.2.2.2 Influence of folk culture on court culture Folk culture is the origin of national culture In their parallel existence, folk culture has influenced court culture in the following areas: a) music (orchestra) and court music popularization (song, instrumental music, musical notation, performance form, singing form, orchestra); b) musical theater; c) gastronomy It can be seen that the impact of folk culture on court culture is clearly manifested in two areas of music and cuisine The highlight of the impact of folk music on court-originated music and musical theater is the popularization of court music elements However, due to the difference in historical, social, cultural environment and the personality and tastes of Hue and HCMC people, the popularization of court music in these two provinces has different shades For example, while in Hue the popularization was slow and weak, the process in HCMC was fast and strong 3.2.3 Influence of Buddhist culture on court culture and folk culture 3.2.3.1 Influence of Buddhist culture on court culture Buddhist culture’s impact on court culture are shown in the following areas: a) music (song, instrumental music); b) commandment ; c) rituals; d) ideology 3.2.3.2 Influence of Buddhist culture on folk culture Buddhist culture has influenced folk culture in the following areas: a) music (song, instrumental music, musical instruments, Buddhist tools); b) the entry of Buddhism into the common people; c) rituals; d) gastromony; đ) ideology and lifestyle In general, Buddhist culture has had a profound influence on folk culture in many aspects such as music, gastronomy, rituals, ideas, and contributed to enrich, diversify and increase the folk culture nuances On the other hand, the ideas and teachings of Buddhism has penetrated deeply into people’s awareness, thereby forming the moral values and a lifestyle of compassion, good direction and healing hatred of the Buddhists 21 3.2.4 General comments In the process of existence and development, court culture, folk culture and Buddhist culture always tend to interact with each other They not eliminate or violate each other, but complement each other in many respects This interaction creats cultural unity in the areas where they exist, increases the diversity of forms and shades for each culture However, depending on the natural environment, society, history and unique characters of each culture, the impact of one culture on the other will differ Minor conclusion of Chapter Besides the general characters ruled by Buddhist regulations, feudal state also played an important role in preserving the unity of the ceremonies and some aspects of music in the TDCT ceremony in of the Viet people Hue and HCMC The factors that made the difference and musical features in the TDCT of the Viet people in two provinces are the differences in the natural environment, history, culture, society, personality, tastes, intonation and local traditional music in each different region These are also the factors affecting the difference among cultural regions In the process of existence and development, court culture, folk culture and Buddhist culture always tend to interact, accept and complement each other in many respects This interaction creates cultural unity in the areas where they exist, increases the diversity of forms and shades for each culture and cultural regions; at the same time, depending on the characteristics of each region, it also contributes to the difference and diversity of cultural regions CONCLUSION The TDCT ceremony of the Viet people originated from India Over time, this ceremony has been ingrained in the spiritual and cultural life of the Vietnamese people across the country According to the monks, since 1990, especially from 2000 to date, the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC has been happening regularly in increasing scale to meet the growing needs of spiritual culture of a large Buddhists population Compared to other music in the Buddhist ceremonies, the music played in the TDCT ceremony has the most complete collection of singing forms, songs, tunes, Buddhist tools of LNPG It is considered the typical musical phenomenon of Vietnam LNPG It can also be considered a symbol of the combination of Buddhist music and national music 22 There are some similarities between the music in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and that of HCMC They are shown in conception, customs and rituals in performing music, name and number of songs, main singing forms, types of Buddhist tools, musical instruments and a small proportion of instrumental music structure, order and the use of music in performing the ceremony Between the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in the two provinces, there are clear differences in a small number of the musical instruments of the orchestra; the number and nuances in some singing forms; name and tone of the majority of the instrumental music; the coordination method of Buddhist tools, musical instruments and vocal music; the use of instrumental music in performing the ceremony It is these differences that reflect the diversity and richness of the Vietnamese Buddhist music The music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and that of HCMC featured three pairs of opposite highlights in music composition, nature and direction of development, including: a) the music played in the TDCT ceremony in Hue bears strong stamp of court culture while that in HCMC bears strong stamp of the Southern Vietnamese people; b) while the music played in the TDCT ceremony in Hue shows gentleness and deepness, that in HCMC shows liberality and strength; c) while the music played in the TDCT ceremony in Hue shows preservation and unity, that of HCMC shows innovation and development of musical elements (the powerful development of instrumental music, the creation of multi variant versions based on a same song, the frequent use of contrast complex-tuned accompaniment technique) Especially, in the strong integration in order to suit various preferences of the people and meet their spiritual needs, LNPG of the Viet people in HCMC divided into many schools which divert from the “traditional Buddhist music style of the Viet people in HCMC” The climax of this division is the “Liberty” school The differences in the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in two cultural centers representing Central and South contribute to show the diversity and richness of Vietnamese LNPG in particular and of the cultural regions in our country in general On the other hand, the similarities in the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in two provinces also reflect unity in the cultural diversity of Vietnam Studying the cultural factors affecting the similarities and differences between the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and that in HCMC also helps confirm the close relationship between the differences in the nuances of different cultural areas and natural environment, history, culture - society as well as endogenous factors 23 - language, art and cultural characteristics of each region Also, of the factors that make up the unity in culture diversity, cultural exchange and the State ( in the case of music played in the TDCT ceremony was the feudal state) are the significant factors contributing to create unity in some aspects of the culture regions in the country From the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in two provinces and other areas of culture, we draw some theoretical issues related to the interactive relationship between court culture, folk culture and Buddhist culture as follows: a) During existence and development , court culture, folk culture and Buddhist culture alwasy tended to interact They not eliminate or violate, but complement each other in many respects b ) However, depending on the natural environment, society, history and unique characters of each culture, the impact of one culture on the other will differ: - The interactive relationship between court culture and folk culture is class relations in culture It stems from the class polarization in the feudal society and demonstrates the distinction of high - low, rich – poor Therefore, it is very difficult for not only music but also other areas of folk culture to penetrate the court - despite the popularization of some court-originated cultural and artistic types In contrast, court culture tends to have profound impact on popular culture in many areas - especially those where the capital of the dynasty locates Therefore, the impact of court culture on folk culture in Hue is more profound than that of other regions in the country - The relationship between folk culture and Buddhist culture is peer interactive relationship In this relationship, the penetration of folk culture into Buddhist culture has led the imported Buddhist culture to become more familiar with the cultural and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people, and also helped to increase the diversity of nuances of Buddhist culture in Vietnam The relationship between court culture and Buddhist culture is the relationship between the kingship and theocracy Although Vietnamese feudal state mainly used Confucianism to rule the country, it had to use Buddhism to win the people’s heart This facilitates the impact of court culture on Buddhist culture in various respects It is also the cause of the entry of the Buddhist cultural elements into court culture as well as the court cultural ones into Buddhist culture presented in Section 3.2 c) The interaction between cultures contributes to the cultural unity in the areas where they exist, increases the diversity of shades for each culture, at the same time, depending on the characters of each regions, it also contributes to the difference and diversity of cultural regions 24 LIST OF THE AUTHOR’S PUBLISHED STUDIES RELATED TO THE THESIS’S TOPIC Pham Hong Linh (2014), “The influence of folk and court music on Buddhist music”, The Art and Culture Magazine, Ha Noi, (366), p 51 55 Pham Hong Linh (2014), “Northern Buddhist musical ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City”, Folk culture Magazine, Ha Noi, (156), p - 12 Pham Hong Linh (2014), “The similarities and differences of music played in the Buddhist ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City”, Scientific Announcement, Institute of Ethnic Music, Hue Academy of Music, (9), p 53 - 65 Pham Hong Linh (2015), “Musical features in the Buddhist ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people in Ho Chi Minh City”, The Art and Culture Magazine, Ha Noi, (369), p 63 - 67 Pham Hong Linh (2015), “The current condition of Hue Buddhist ceremonical music performance”, Folk culture Magazine, Ha Noi, (159), p 46 - 49 Pham Hong Linh (2015), “The role of Hue Buddhist ceremonical music in Hue traditional music”, Scientific Announcement, Hue Academy of Music, (10), p 57 - 63 Pham Hong Linh (2016), “Music types in Hue Buddhist ceremonical performance”, The Art and Culture Magazine, Ha Noi, (381), p 48 - 52 [...]... played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City 3.1.1 Role of the feudal state in the unity of the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people and some musical aspects in two localities 3.1.1.1 Creating the unity of the ceremony of giving alms to the dead In the past, the feudal state was very interested in the unification of culture and customs... Pham Hong Linh (2014), The similarities and differences of music played in the Buddhist ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City , Scientific Announcement, Institute of Ethnic Music, Hue Academy of Music, (9), p 53 - 65 4 Pham Hong Linh (2015), “Musical features in the Buddhist ceremony of Giving Alms to the Death of the Viet people in Ho Chi Minh City , The. .. DIFFERENCES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MUSIC PLAYED IN THE CEREMONY OF GIVING ALMS TO THE DEAD OF THE VIET PEOPLE IN HUE AND HO CHI MINH CITY 2.1 Similarities 2.1.1 Similarities in concept and purpose of using music In practice, the ceremony in both Hue and HCMC must adhere to the provisions of the LNPG in general and that is the reason why the concept and purpose of the music played in the TDCT ceremony of. .. instrumental music Except songs using the same methods of playing backing music in the two localities, the majority of songs with the same name in two places use completely different methods of playing backing music 2.3 Typical features of the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City 2.3.1 Typical features of the music played in the ceremony of giving. .. name and tone of the majority of the instrumental music; the coordination method of Buddhist tools, musical instruments and vocal music; the use of instrumental music in performing the ceremony It is these differences that reflect the diversity and richness of the Vietnamese Buddhist music 4 The music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and that of HCMC featured three pairs of opposite... ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC In the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC, the similarities were shown in text, vegetarian boat design, rituals and practices of each small ritual in the overall general structure and process 3.1.1.2 Creating the unity of some musical aspects in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead In addition to affecting the unity of the TDCT ceremony as... of songs, main singing forms, types of Buddhist tools, musical instruments and a small proportion of instrumental music structure, order and the use of music in performing the ceremony 3 Between the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in the two provinces, there are clear differences in a small number of the musical instruments of the orchestra; the number and nuances in some singing... tools, musical instruments in both melodic structure and method of coordination among these musical elements It is preserved elements of traditional LNPG that creates the high unity in the musical performance in the TDCT ceremony in Hue today 2.3.2 Typical features of the music played in the ceremony of giving alms to the dead of the Viet people in Ho Chi Minh City 2.3.2.1 Characteristic of musical.. .The remaining issues mentioned in the three above groups are the aspects to be studied and addressed in this thesis In addition, the issues will also be addressed in the chapters of the thesis, such as the music played in the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City; the similarities, differences and characteristics of the music played in the TDCT celebration of the Viet people. .. of Chapter 1 The TDCT ceremony in Vietnam was originated from India Over time, this ceremony was ingrained in the cultural and spiritual life of the Viet population in every part From 1990 to 2014, the TDCT ceremony of the Viet people in Hue and HCMC took place regularly in growing scales to meet the growing demand of the cultural and spiritual life of the majority of Buddhists Comparing to other music