"""Oasis in the desert"" - Two piano transcriptions from the Chinese cultural revolution in the 1970s"
Zhao, Yawei
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/96276
Description
Title
"""Oasis in the desert"" - Two piano transcriptions from the Chinese cultural revolution in the 1970s"
Author(s)
Zhao, Yawei
Issue Date
2017-06-20
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Tsitsaros, Christos
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Ehlen, Timothy
Committee Member(s)
Moersch, Charlotte Mattax
Tharp, Reynold
Department of Study
School of Music
Discipline
Music
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
A.Mus.D. (doctoral)
Keyword(s)
Music
China
Cultural revolution
Piano
Language
en
Abstract
Chinese piano music has developed significantly since the early
twentieth century. Similar to
composers from other nations who have sought
to establish a nationalistic style, Chinese composers
have explored and established their own nationalistic style during the past hundred years. Although
elements of the Western classical tradition influenced Chinese music, most Chinese music before the
1980s
has maintained
its own heritage and ethnic character.
Today, most of the music from China
known to international audiences is contemporary works finished in the last thirty years. Because a large
amount of traditional Chinese music is still largely unknown outside of China, this doctoral study will
introduce two
traditional Chinese piano works to Western audiences:
two piano transcriptions from the
1970s, an important phase in the history of Chinese music. Not only have these works enriched the
Chinese music literature, but
they have also built a great foundation and models for contemporary
Chinese compositions. Piano transcriptions have played a large role in
the development of Chinese piano music and
have
frequently
been
performed in China. The piano transcriptions selected for this study are
representative works of
essential
Chinese music idioms,
played on a Western instrument. These pieces
also have great pedagogical value; they have been included in several major Chinese piano collections
and are listed among repertoire suggestions in piano departments of conservatories in China.
After the
1980s, atonality, twelve-tone technique, and other modern compositional techniques were heavily used
and incorporated into Chinese music.
Hence, music from the 1970s better represents traditional
nationalism because it was the last decade Chinese music kept its authentic characteristics.
This thesis is
an investigation of two Chinese piano pieces from this specific historical period of the 1970s,
Flute and
Drum
at Sunset
by Li Ying-hai and
Hundreds of Birds Worship the Phoenix
by Wang Jian-zhong. I will
illustrate
details about how Chinese composers combined different ethnic musical materials, harmonic elements, and genres to establish their own compositional style. This thesis
also
addresses cultural
aspects and
compositional background. In addition, each piece will be provided with
suggestions to
assist Western performers in
gaining
a greater understanding of a more authentic performance.
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