The ancient sounds of a set of 2,400-year-old bells are chiming
in central China thanks to the wonders of digital technology.
At the 7th China Arts Festival being held in central China's
Hubei Province, digital technology has captured the sounds of a
precious set of bronze bells and their ancient tones are one of the
highlights of the ongoing gala.
Using high-definition microphones, the Hubei Provincial Museum
recorded the sounds of the ancient set of bells from the Warring
States Period (475-221 B.C.). It transformed them into digital code
which was stored in a soundtrack database with the help of midi
technology.
The sound of the bells drew great public acclaim when the
technology was used to play the Beethoven classic "Ode to Joy" at
the festival which is being held in Wuhan and four other Hubei
Province cities.
"The duplication took us about four months as the ancient bells
were so precious that we had to try our best to strike every bell
carefully during the recording," said Zhang Xiang, the person in
charge of the bell display at the museum.
Ye Heshan, a lucky visitor who was among the first to play the
bells on a digital keyboard, said: "It's unbelievable that the
music from these famous ancient bells flows out from under my
fingers."
In pressing a note on a keyboard, an image of an individual bell
projected on the wall swings via animation to show the playing
process of the instrument.
In 1978, the chimes were unearthed from the tomb of the Marquis
of Zeng in Suizhou, Hubei Province. With a total weight of 2,500
kilograms, the set consists of 65 pieces and is the world's
heaviest musical instrument. Each bell can produce two notes of
three intervals apart.
The bronze masterpiece is regarded as one of the major
archaeological discoveries of the 20th century and a wonder in the
world's musical history because of its outstanding sound
quality.
Since the 1980s, about a dozen replicas of the chimes have been
made around the world. They are often played with Western musical
instruments or other Chinese ethnic instruments in symphonies,
causing a great sensation globally.
"However, any replication activities will cause a certain degree
of damage to the original set," Zhang said. "But the chance to
listen to the melodious music it plays should not belong to only a
small group of people; instead we must think of a good way to let
more people know about it or even play it."
"Digital technology helps us solve that problem. It reproduces
the exact sound of the bells and will not cause any damage to the
precious cultural heritage."
Experts believe the bronze chimes are the world's most stable
instruments. Fidelity of sound can be ensured as long as the bronze
itself is not damaged.
A recent examination revealed the bell quality remained stable
and accurate, which provided the basis of the successful digital
reproduction.
Recently, digital technology has been widely used to give the
public closer access to cultural heritages in China. For example,
virtual technology has enabled the public to see into every corner
of the Forbidden City. Elsewhere, people can get a glimpse of the
world cultural heritage Koguryo Tombs in Jilin Province, which is
not open to the public, through the technology.
During China's 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), advanced
technologies are being widely used to give people more
opportunities to appreciate the extensive catalogue of Chinese
ancient cultural heritage, according to the Chinese Ministry of
Science and Technology and the State Administration of Cultural
Heritage.
(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2007)