The piece originated from the early Tang Dynasty's Qin King's Battle Music, which was first composed as a mili…
The piece originated from the early Tang Dynasty's Qin King's Battle Music, which was first composed as a military anthem and later evolved into a form of imperial court musical dance performed during banquets and rituals. Grand and thunderous in tone, it embodied martial valor and ceremonial majesty. During Emperor Gaozong of Tang's reign, the Divine Power Battle Music, and under Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Lesser Battle Music, were both derived from Prince of Qin's Triumph, originally commissioned by Emperor Taizong of Tang. Though this version has vanished within China, others survived in ancient Japanese transcriptions, offering a rare glimpse into the splendor of Tang court music. Yet deciphering these old scores proves extremely challenging, and efforts to reconstruct the original pieces remain arduous. Today, this modest rendition of sixteen tones is offered as a humble start. May it inspire all who share this passion to continue the work.