Charged with symbolism, the guqin holds an almost sacred status in Chinese musical philosophy. "Jiu Kuang" (Wine Mad) disappeared from the orally transmitted repertory but was brilliantly reconstituted from a 15th-century handbook by one of the most eminent contemporary masters, the late Yao Bingyan (1920-1983) of Shanghai. Yao's interpretation features triple rhythm, which is otherwise unknown in guqin music. Here, this rhythm expresses a drunk’s lurching. At the end of the piece, an ascending glissando humorously represents the sound of vomiting. (During, Levin 2001)