China has a long musical tradition
You’re looking to understand some key concepts
Your risk feeling overwhelmed if you do not
You want your understanding to improve
Focus on China’s politics, instruments, and cultural diversity
A Billion and a Quarter People,
Includes 56 Recognized Minorities
Beijing
Jingju means the “capitol theater”
Peking Opera is the main type of Chinese popular musical theater
The Qin and Its Music
The Qin is a Chinese zither
To which Western musical instrument would you compare
qin practice, and why?
The Pipa and Its Music
The Pipa is a four-stringed lute
What are some comparisons in the
Western music repertoire to
programmatic pipa music?
The erhu is a stringed instrument
Wind and String Ensembles in
Shanghai
Jiangnan sizhu is a type of Chinese chamber ensemble
What could be a Western equivalent to Jiangnan sizhu?
Jingju Theater is Capital Theater
or Peking Opera in
the West
Jingju theater includes arias, recitative-like short phrases, and heightened speech
Jingju instrumental music serves many functions
Wenchang literally means “civic instrumentation”
Wuchang are percussion
instruments played to provide rhythmical
punctuation
In what ways can we compare jingju to Western opera or a
Broadway musical?
The Value and Functions of Music
The Value and Functions of Music
are ancient and complex
Shi yin is proper sound
Chi yue equates to extravagant music
Is music used for propaganda in Canada?
Before 1949, professional musicians had low social status
New Musical
Directions in the 20th
Century
There are four key people who shaped
music culture in 20th Century China
They are: Kang YouweiXiao Youmei
Zhao Yuanren and Jiang Qing
• Why did the Communists during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) utilize Western musical practices such as orchestration, harmony, ballet, and scenic design, in spite of being anti-Western?
The Rise of Popular Music
Shanghai popular song of the 1920s used jazz and western orchestration
Cantonese popular song is inspired by White rock of the 1950s
Xibeifeng means literally “northwestern wind”
Let’s not forget Cui Jian and Zhong Jinshu
How could we say that minority music affected mainstream music in our country the way it did in
China?
Mongolian Music
Mongolian music has some unique instruments and singing styles
Key Concepts for the Unit
The Written Language is Important to
Chinese Music
China has Highly Specific Musical
Systems with Codification at Many Levels
Music and Politics Have Long Been Interconnected
Summary