Revived ruan explores tradition through modern experimentation

If every musical instrument were a language, what would be spoken by the ruan — an ancient Chinese four-string plucked lute that once flourished, nearly vanished, and has now returned to public life?

On Feb 7, at an intimate salon inside Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts, composers and performers explored that question from both creative and performative perspectives, asking how an ancient musical language might be rearticulated for the present.

"The ruan doesn't carry much historical baggage," says Li Bocheng, a leading performer of the instrument."That's precisely why it allows composers to reach something essential in Chinese music and to experiment more freely today."

The ruan, also known as ruanxian, dates back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). It takes its name from Ruan Xian, a statesman and musician of the Western Jin Dynasty (265–316), who helped refine both the instrument's form and playing technique.

Its golden age came during the Tang Dynasty (618–907), when it appeared in ritual court music and banquets alike. By the Song Dynasty (960–1279), however, the pipa, another four-string plucked lute, with a broader expressive range, became dominant, and the ruan gradually slipped into obscurity. The instrument was rediscovered and redesigned in the early 20th century. Today, the modern ruan family includes soprano (gaoyinruan), alto (xiaoruan), tenor (zhongruan), bass (daruan), and contrabass (diyinruan) versions, classified by pitch and timbre.

"The ruan speaks gently," says Yao Chen, a composer and professor at the Central Conservatory of Music. "Its round body gives it a precise intonation and resonant sound. The tone is slightly blurred, slightly moist."