Musical Creativity In Twentieth Century China

A study of the life and music of the blind Chinese folk musician Abing (1893-1950), with accompanying CD.

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.

Publisher Description

This book creates a platform for music educators to share their experience and expertise in creative music teaching and learning with the international community. It presents research studies and practices that are original and representative of music education in the Japanese, Asian and international communities. It also collects substantial literature on music education research in Japan and other Asian societies, enabling English-speaking readers to access excellent research and practical experiences in non-English societies.

Concert Music of the Twentieth Century is about "concert music"--music for contemplation rather than for atmosphere. The repertoire discussed in these pages was written by composers with something important to say and with skills to do so. Many of the works discussed tie in with a long-standing, Western European tradition of art music, but an equal voice is given to culturally and ethnically diverse composers active during the past several decades. Radice provides data about the pieces, the composers who wrote them, and the contexts in which they originated. Our understanding and evaluation of music is a dynamic process and one that is subject to change. Music only has meaning within its social contexts, and these are expanding daily. Many non-Western nations have long-standing musical traditions and practices that have entered into the Western mainstream just as Western practices and traditions have influenced the musical cultures of the world to produce new and exciting possibilities for music making. Diversity has been a key element in the selection of topics for discussion, and the examples included here can serve as gateways for other investigations by interested readers. This book is a survey presenting a broad array of representative works. The personalities explored include composers, performers, theorists, teachers, and organizations. In many cases, the information comes directly from composers whom the author has interviewed. The discussions in this book demonstrate that the world of contemporary music is a fascinating one that offers rich rewards to those interested in understanding the vibrant dynamics of concert music.

By the end of the nineteenth century, after a long period during which the weakness of China became ever more obvious, intellectuals began to go abroad for new ideas. What emerged was a musical genre that Liu Chingchih terms "New Music." With no direct ties to traditional Chinese music, New Music reflects the compositional techniques and musical idioms of eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth–century European styles. Liu traces the genesis and development of New Music throughout the twentieth century, deftly examining the cultural, social, and political forces that shaped New Music and its uses by politicians and the government.

Until recently, ideas of creativity in music revolved around composers in garrets and the lone genius. But the last decade has witnessed a sea change: musical creativity is now overwhelmingly thought of in terms of collaboration and real-time performance. Music as Creative Practice is a first attempt to synthesize both perspectives. It begins by developing the idea that creativity arises out of social interaction-of which making music together is perhaps the clearest possible illustration-and then shows how the same thinking can be applied to the ostensively solitary practices of composition. The book also emphasizes the contextual dimensions of musical creativity, ranging from the prodigy phenomenon, long-term collaborative relationships within and beyond the family, and creative learning to the copyright system that is supposed to incentivize creativity but is widely seen as inhibiting it. Music as Creative Practice encompasses the classical tradition, jazz and popular music, and music emerges as an arena in which changing concepts of creativity-from the old myths about genius to present-day sociocultural theory-can be traced with particular clarity. The perspective of creativity tells us much about music, but the reverse is also true, and this fifth and last instalment of the Studies in Musical Performance as Creative Practice series offers an approach to musical creativity that is attuned to the practices of both music and everyday life.