Jiang Kui (Chiang K'uei) «ΈΔά 1155-1221
The most studied poet-musician in Chinese history, was born in present-day Jiangxi province. Jiang was left impoverished by his father's early death and, having failed the civil service examinations, supported himself for a time by selling his calligraphy; he was also heavily dependent on the patronage of his richer friends. From 1186 he spent most of the rest of his life in the urban cultural centres of the lower Yangtze region. His compositions and his notes on ci music have been a valuable resource for scholars studying Song music.
Studies and Biographies:
Shuen-fu Lin, The transformation of the Chinese lyrical tradition: Chiang K'uei and
Southern Sung tz'u poetry. Princeton N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1978.
Shuen-fu Lin, A structural study of Chiang K'uei's songs. Ann Arbor, Mich: UMI, 1973.
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