Eight Steeds

Introduction

One of the Four Great Suites of nanyin, eight sections that drive from free tempo to a racing finale.

Eight Steeds is an instrumental suite from the pu repertoire of nanyin, also known as Galloping Horses, and it ranks among the Four Great Suites. The revised Mandarin dictionary of Taiwan's Ministry of Education describes it as a portrait of eight fine horses in full gallop, with an archaic sound and a sharply marked rhythm. The suite has eight sections that open in free tempo and pass through slow, moderate and fast sections before closing on a rapid climax. The Chinese Wikipedia article on nanyin singles out this suite as the showcase for the two-stringed erxian fiddle. When Quanzhou music clubs visit one another, the gathering must also end with this suite played together with the other three great suites.