Viet Nam: Tradition of the South

The music presented in this collection is considered to be “entertainment” music, similar to that played in private concerts or on the radio, rather than for religious and ceremonial occasions. The South designation—of historical note, this music was recorded before the political unification of North and South Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1975—refers not only to the tradition’s possible geographic origin, but also to the musical modes used.

This recording features the dàn tranh, a 17-string zither with movable frets, and the ty bà lute, as well as a small block of hardwood in the shape of a short cylinder called song lang. Nguyên Vinh Bao, considered by many to be the finest dàn tranh player of the mid- to late 20th century, performs solo on four tracks and is joined by Trân Van Khê on the ty bà for the final two tracks on the recording. The liner notes are written by Trân Van Khê, who is both a musician and a musicologist.

Track Listing

101	Improvised Prelude in the Modal Nuance Xuân Followed by the Piece Nam Xuan	Nguyên-Vinh-Bao	08:03
102	Improvised Prelude in the Modal Nuance AI Followed by the Piece Nam AI	Nguyên-Vinh-Bao	09:47
103	Improvised Prelude in the Modal Nuance Dao Followed by an Extract from the Piece Ngu Cung Dao	Nguyên-Vinh-Bao	06:03
104	Improvised Prelude in the Modal Nuance Oan Followed by an Extract from the Piece Tu Dai Oan	Nguyên-Vinh-Bao	11:28
105	Improvised Prelude in the Modal Nuance Bac of the Bac Mode Followed by the Two Pieces Tay Thi and Cô Ban	Nguyên-Vinh-Bao, Trân Van Khê	08:50
106	Improvised Prelude in the Modal Nuance Bac of the Bac Mode Followed by the Two Short Pieces Binh Ban Van and Kim Tiên	Nguyên-Vinh-Bao, Trân Van Khê	03:23