Harmony of traditional and modern timbres in the Imperial Citadel space

Royal timbre resounding in Hue Festival 2022

Combining tradition and modernity in the space of the Imperial Citadel, the program brings to the audience artistic performances expressing the royal timbre, including royal dances and songs, such as Phụng vũ, Lục cúng hoa đăng, Nữ tướng xuất quân, tiểu nhạc Long ngâm…

Hue Imperial Palace was the center of the main court, the living place of the Emperor, and the royal family of the Nguyen Dynasty. At that time, the melodious royal music spread throughout the palaces and the majestic ancient temples. That timbre of the rituals and ceremonies of the royal court in the capital spread far and wide.

The melodies from the ancient Imperial Citadel are still there today. They are cultural sediments. Over time, the melodies and timbres of the Imperial Citadel merged into the space of Hue culture, which became words, and utterances whispering with the souls of many generations.

From the imperial timbre to the melodies of contemporary music, there is a flow of historical acculturation. Starting with a new sound, there have appeared many songs written about Hue, the Huong River, and Mount Ngu by musicians throughout the country. Especially songs that use Hue traditional tunes but with newer emotions and means of expression.

The second part of the program was called "Hue Harmony" in which ancient Hue songs were performed in a shimmering and lyrical space from Ngo Mon to Thai Hoa Palace. The audience settled down with sweet songs about the dreamy Hue, such as Tà áo tím, Thần Kinh thương nhớ, Tiếng Sông Hương, Chiều cố đô, Ai ra xứ Huế…

The program also showcased a collection of Ao dai by the designer Quang Hoa.

Some pictures of the program captured by Thua Thien Hue Online: