Dialogue between the Fisherman and the Woodcutter

Dialogue between the Fisherman and the Woodcutter is an ancient lyre music piece. There are over 30 versions of circulated music scores, some even with accompanying lyrics. The current music scores were first seen in the Ming dynasty.

The music reflects the longing of hermit-minded person for a life of fishing and woodcutting, a life free of the trammels of worldly affairs. The music uses the rising tune to indicate a question and the falling tune to imply an answer. By imitating the dialogue between the fisherman and the woodcutter, the music exhibits the pleasures of the fisherman and the woodcutter in strolling freely among the green mountains and clear rivers, revealing a distain for pursuers of fame and fortune.

The echo of the question and answer at the beginning of the music creates a style of elegance and freedom. Then the thematic tone begins to change. The continuous addition of new tones carves out a hermit of unrestrained character. The strong acoustics and the split rhythms are comparable to the hacking sounds of the woodcutter.