Chinese Music In The 20th Century

Presents modern Chinese composers who were born no later than 1912, active in the first half of the 20th century, and are no longer around today. This book offers a loosely structured yet highly fascinating historical account of the modern Chinese music.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Chinese culture had fallen into a stasis, and intellectuals began to go abroad for new ideas. What emerged was an exciting musical genre that C. C. Liu terms "new music." With no direct ties to traditional Chinese music, "new music" reflects the compositional techniques and musical idioms of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European styles. Liu traces the genesis and development of "new music" throughout the twentieth century, deftly examining the social and political forces that shaped "new music" and its uses by political activists and the government.

This work examines the multiple and conflicting interpretations created around the life and music of the blind folk musician Abing (1893-1950). Abing is a household name in China, but despite the central place he holds in Chinese music, he is little known, and his music rarely heard, abroad. This detailed study of Abing, and the accompanying CD compilation of his most well-known works, reveal much both about this unjustly neglected composer, and about the recreation of traditional music in contemporary China. Particular attention is given to the problematic category of the musical `work' in a tradition which relies heavily on improvisation and creative reworking of material; Abing's music has also taken strikingly different shapes since his death, notably in arrangements, some involving Western instruments, which have adapted his music to changing tastes and ideological trends, both in mainland China, and in Taiwan and overseas.Dr. Jonathan P.J. Stock is Lecturer in Music at the University of Durham.Contains audio CD

With dozens of color photographs and insightful text, Chinese Music and Musical Instruments describes in detail the musical instruments with which a Chinese folk orchestra is equipped and their working and sounding principles. There are as many as a thousand different kinds of musical instruments in China. Only a tiny portion of them are used in an orchestra. The selection of musical instruments for an orchestra depends on how well they complement one another. A Chinese folk orchestra is composed of four sections: wind, plucked, percussion and bowed. This book is also devoted to the description of the development of classical Chinese music and the introduction of some music-related tales of profound significance. Chinese music is a big family composed of various distinctive types of music: Chinese folk music played at weddings, funerals or in festivals an fairs. The religious music played in religious services conducted in Buddhist and Taoist temples. Court music, which reached its zenith during the Tang Dynasty. The scholars' music based on Confucian thinking was the embodiment of the musical life of academia and refined music of this kind is still prevalent in today's society.

A groundbreaking interdisciplinary volume exploring the phenomenon of the "Westernization" of contemporary Chinese music

This classic reference work, the best one-volume music dictionary available, has been brought completely up to date in this new edition. Combining authoritative scholarship and lucid, lively prose, the Fourth Edition of The Harvard Dictionary of Music is the essential guide for musicians, students, and everyone who appreciates music. The Harvard Dictionary of Music has long been admired for its wide range as well as its reliability. This treasure trove includes entries on all the styles and forms in Western music; comprehensive articles on the music of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Near East; descriptions of instruments enriched by historical background; and articles that reflect today’s beat, including popular music, jazz, and rock. Throughout this Fourth Edition, existing articles have been fine-tuned and new entries added so that the dictionary fully reflects current music scholarship and recent developments in musical culture. Encyclopedia-length articles by notable experts alternate with short entries for quick reference, including definitions and identifications of works and instruments. More than 220 drawings and 250 musical examples enhance the text. This is an invaluable book that no music lover can afford to be without.