MUSIC BORN OF WARS: PERFORMING CHINESE NATIONALISM AND PATRIOTISM IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY PIANO ARRANGEMENTS
Lin, Wan
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130414
Description
Title
MUSIC BORN OF WARS: PERFORMING CHINESE NATIONALISM AND PATRIOTISM IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY PIANO ARRANGEMENTS
Author(s)
Lin, Wan
Issue Date
2025
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Takao, Makoto Harris
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Ehlen, Timothy
Committee Member(s)
Wu, Chi-Chen
Robards, Casey
Department of Study
School of Music
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
A.Mus.D. (doctoral)
Date of Ingest
2025-12-01T14:14:08-06:00
Keyword(s)
Chinese Piano Music
Chinese Piano Arrangements
Chinese Nationalism and Patriotism
Propaganda Music
Wang Li-San
Chu Wang-Hua
Du Ming-Xin
Language
eng
Abstract
This thesis investigates the role of Chinese nationalism and patriotism in and through the composition of piano arrangements in the twentieth century. Through detailed analyses of three representative works —Wang Li-San’s Ballade: Song of the Guerrillas (1977), Chu Wang-Hua’s
The Red Star is Shining Brightly (1974), and Du Ming-Xin’s Piano Suite: The Red Detachment
of Women (1975) —this thesis demonstrates that the arrangement of revolutionary songs and
propaganda film music for the piano served not only as a means of artistic expression but also as an effective vehicle for ideological content, bridging vocal, cinematic, and instrumental media.
By carefully exploring compositional strategies—such as melodic and rhythmic transformations,
harmonic elaborations, structural innovations, and intertextual references—this thesis illuminates how these piano arrangements preserved and amplified political messaging. In doing so, it positions them as critical cultural artifacts, providing valuable insights into the complex interplay
between music and politics during one of China’s most transformative and turbulent periods in
history. Ultimately, this thesis enriches interpretive practices for pianists, educators, and
scholars, encouraging critical engagement with a politically-charged musical repertoire. It
underscores the continued relevance of music as a powerful medium for shaping national identity, collective memory, and cultural consciousness in both historical and contemporary contexts.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
