Hsaing Waing: Myanmar's traditional orchestra
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Thiri Khit Oo (NP News) - May 18
Music is created with a combination of sound in tune and rhyme. Music is a boundaryless communication thread without language barriers in the world. Every country has its own classical music representing its own ethnicities, cultures, and traditions. Also, the music can identify the roles of a country. Myanmar has its own roles in music. In Myanmar, classical music is typically played in a live orchestra consisting of instruments called Hsaing Waing.
Myanmar’s Classical Hsaing Waing Music Orchestra consists of many classical instruments such as a set of drums with different melodic sounds, gongs, xylophones, harp, and various other percussions and wind instruments. The concept of music is based on a combination of several different types of instruments played together in an ensemble creating new works and forms that further delineate the national style.
There are five classifications of instruments called Pyinssa Turiya with seven tones and each tone can be raised lowered, sharp, flat, or natural resulting in 21 notes in Hsaing Waing.
Pyinssa Turiya -
1. Kyei - brass instruments
2. Thayei - leather- covered drums
3. Kyo - string instruments
4. Lei - wind instruments
5. Letkhok - percussion instruments
Kyei instruments are made of metals having different functions in music such as gongs and xylophones with different sizes producing different notes.
Thayei instrument is such a pot-drum covered with lather on a long hollow stalk and flared at the bottom with a single head producing sound like a drum.
Kyo instruments are string instruments like harps such as locally called Saung (a traditional harp in a boat shape), Mi Gyaun (a harp with three strings in a crocodile shape), and Tayaw (fiddle).
Lei are wind instruments played by blowing air into the instrument such as Hne (which is like an oboe), Palwei (a flute-like instrument), and Khayuthin (the shell of conch) which is a sound showing glory and grace.
Letkhok is an instrument such as Si (small couple of bells connected with a string like cymbals) and Wa (the clapper) that is a main for timing to maintain the rhythm for other instruments to follow the beat.
Hsaing Waing’s classical music emerged in the Tharakhittara era with the infusion of different regional music styles, creating several classical Myanmar traditional music such as Mahagita (a complete body of Myanmar’s classical music).
In the dynasty era, Myanmar classical music was just an entertainment only for the royal living in special events and ceremonies. In the 1930s, Myanmar's classical music was faded and Western music became popular in Myanmar during the colonial era.
Myanma Hsaing Waing only plays live as an orchestra which has its own unique theme that can touch the spirit of the audience with melodious sounds. Nowadays, the classical music of Hsaing Waing is modernized in combination with pop music which still has a unique theme.
Today, Hsaing Waing can be seen at the ceremonies of the traditional days such as the graduation ceremony, Shinpyu Nartha ceremony, Buddha reciting, and donation ceremony showing the Myanmar culture.
References – Myanmar
Asia Society
ResearchGate
GIORGIO CINI