Chinese Classical Chinese Classical MusicMusic

Jeff CribbenHL Music Theory Period 6

GeographyGeography Rivers flow from west to east, including the Rivers flow from west to east, including the

Yangtze, the Huang He, and the Amur.Yangtze, the Huang He, and the Amur. The south has hill ranges of moderate elevation, The south has hill ranges of moderate elevation,

and the Himalayas. and the Himalayas.

BackgroundBackground Ling Lun was the “founder of music” because of the Ling Lun was the “founder of music” because of the

bamboo pipes that he tuned to the sounds of birds.bamboo pipes that he tuned to the sounds of birds. The Imperial Music Bureau, first established in the Qin The Imperial Music Bureau, first established in the Qin

Dynasty, was greatly expanded under the Emperor Han Dynasty, was greatly expanded under the Emperor Han Wu Di and charged with supervising court music and Wu Di and charged with supervising court music and military music and determining what folk music would military music and determining what folk music would be officially recognized. In previous dynasties, the be officially recognized. In previous dynasties, the development of Chinese music was strongly influenced development of Chinese music was strongly influenced by foreign music.by foreign music.

Chinese Music dates back to the dawn of Chinese Music dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty.musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty.

CultureCulture The "official" orthodox faith system held by most The "official" orthodox faith system held by most

dynasties of China is a panentheistic system, dynasties of China is a panentheistic system, centering on the worship of "Heaven“. It has centering on the worship of "Heaven“. It has features of a monotheism in that Heaven is seen features of a monotheism in that Heaven is seen as an omnipotent entity. Worship of Heaven as an omnipotent entity. Worship of Heaven includes shrines, the greatest being the Altar of includes shrines, the greatest being the Altar of Heaven in Beijing.Heaven in Beijing.

CultureCulture The Chinese government The Chinese government

still has almost absolute still has almost absolute control over politics, and control over politics, and it continually seeks to it continually seeks to eradicate what it eradicate what it perceives as threats to the perceives as threats to the social, political and social, political and economic stability of the economic stability of the country. In 1989, the country. In 1989, the student protests at student protests at Tiananmen Square were Tiananmen Square were violently put to an end by violently put to an end by the Chinese military after the Chinese military after 15 days of martial law.15 days of martial law.

Instrument BackgroundInstrument Background Traditional music in China is played on solo Traditional music in China is played on solo

instruments or in small groups. The scale is almost instruments or in small groups. The scale is almost universally pentatonic. universally pentatonic.

Woodwind and percussion Woodwind and percussion Sheng, gong, paixiao, guan, bells, cymbals Sheng, gong, paixiao, guan, bells, cymbals

Bowed strings Bowed strings erhu, zhonghu, dahu, leiqin erhu, zhonghu, dahu, leiqin

Plucked and struck strings Plucked and struck strings guqin, yangqin, guzheng, ruan, pipa, zhuguqin, yangqin, guzheng, ruan, pipa, zhu

GuzhengGuzheng Strings are tuned to pentatonicStrings are tuned to pentatonic Belongs to the Zither family of Belongs to the Zither family of

instruments instruments Like the Guqin, but has Like the Guqin, but has

bridgesbridges Has around 16-24 stringsHas around 16-24 strings Picks are attached to the right Picks are attached to the right

hand and strings are plucked hand and strings are plucked and strummedand strummed

Guzheng

PipaPipa The The pipapipa is a plucked Chinese string is a plucked Chinese string

instrument. Sometimes called the instrument. Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body. pear-shaped wooden body.

It has been played for nearly two It has been played for nearly two thousand yearsthousand years

Gu QinGu Qin The guqin is a quiet instrument, with a range of The guqin is a quiet instrument, with a range of

four octaves. Its lowest pitch is about two four octaves. Its lowest pitch is about two octaves below middle C.octaves below middle C.

It has 7 strings, and dates back by legend 5,000 It has 7 strings, and dates back by legend 5,000 yearsyears

Zhong RuanZhong Ruan It is a lute with a It is a lute with a

fretted neck, a fretted neck, a circular body, and circular body, and four strings. Its four strings. Its strings were strings were formerly made of formerly made of silk but since the silk but since the 20th century they 20th century they have been made of have been made of steel. steel.

Classical Chinese Music StructureClassical Chinese Music Structure

Chinese traditional art music is: • written, and largely utilizes a number notation; • homophonic (generally a melody line with

some harmonic accompaniment); • rhythmically simple • expressive, rubato, ornamented, and nuanced; • mostly in just intonation.

Western Music StructureWestern Music Structure

Western art music is: • written, and largely utilizes western staff notation; • polyphonic (independent lines of music played

together); • rhythmically sophisticated by comparison with

Chinese, triple meters abound, and compound meters also used; • expressive and rubato, but not generally as nuanced

and ornamented as Chinese; • in equal temperament.

Liu FangLiu Fang Liu Fang born Liu Fang born

1974 is a 1974 is a pipapipa player. Born in player. Born in China, she began China, she began playing the playing the pipapipa at the age of 6. at the age of 6. Her first solo Her first solo public public performance was performance was at the age of 9. In at the age of 9. In 1985, at age 11, 1985, at age 11, she played for she played for Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth II. II.

Bei-BeiBei-Bei

Bei Bei is a Gu Zheng (Chinese Zither) Bei Bei is a Gu Zheng (Chinese Zither) performer, educator, and composer. She performer, educator, and composer. She started to play the Gu Zheng at the age of started to play the Gu Zheng at the age of seven.seven.

The feedback that she has received as she The feedback that she has received as she has introduced American audiences to Gu has introduced American audiences to Gu Zheng and its broad and varied repertoire Zheng and its broad and varied repertoire has been extremely positive.has been extremely positive.

Shen NalinShen Nalin Born in southwest of Sichuan, China, Shen Born in southwest of Sichuan, China, Shen

Nalin studied composition at the Sichuan Nalin studied composition at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music.Conservatory of Music.

In 1994 he moved to New Zealand and In 1994 he moved to New Zealand and enrolled at the School of Music at Victoria enrolled at the School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington, and graduated in University of Wellington, and graduated in 2000 with Master of Music with 2000 with Master of Music with Distinction. For his Ph.D studies he is Distinction. For his Ph.D studies he is composing an opera based on the dramatic composing an opera based on the dramatic life and writings of Chinese poets.life and writings of Chinese poets.

He has composed chamber and orchestral He has composed chamber and orchestral music for piano, strings, orchestra, voices music for piano, strings, orchestra, voices and compositions using Chinese and compositions using Chinese instruments including instruments including The Mortal WorldThe Mortal World for sheng, zheng, suona and percussion, for sheng, zheng, suona and percussion, and The Cold Dream for zheng, sheng, and The Cold Dream for zheng, sheng, strings and percussionstrings and percussion

Jeff RobertsJeff Roberts

The compositions of The compositions of Jeff Roberts unite his unite his experiences as an improvising guitarist experiences as an improvising guitarist improvising be-bop, free jazz and Brazilian improvising be-bop, free jazz and Brazilian music and is a Chinese Guqin performer with music and is a Chinese Guqin performer with influences ranging from American influences ranging from American Experimentalism and the European avant-Experimentalism and the European avant-garde to Chinese and Korean traditional music, garde to Chinese and Korean traditional music, reaching audiences through concerts in France, reaching audiences through concerts in France, Germany, Italy, China and the United States. Germany, Italy, China and the United States.

Roberts

CompositionsCompositions

Many of his musical styles are with a Many of his musical styles are with a combination of traditional timings and combination of traditional timings and instruments in mindinstruments in mind

Chinese poetry, in particular, is inspiring to Chinese poetry, in particular, is inspiring to Roberts, as he makes his music flow with the Roberts, as he makes his music flow with the theme of poems; also incorporating theme of poems; also incorporating instruments with different stylesinstruments with different styles

Picture Brazilian-Chinese-Folk-American-Jazz Picture Brazilian-Chinese-Folk-American-Jazz fusionfusion

WanderingWandering “Reference to the legendary Chinese Tang Dynasty poet Li Po. There is an ephemeral beauty and scattered ness in the imagery that I find in his poems: an observation of nature here, a memory of a distant friend there, then a Taoist  immortal, then perhaps a ‘nostalgia’ from a past life. Analogous to Li Po’s wanderings in his poems and in his life as a recluse poet, this piece wanders too.

Time ReflectionTime Reflection“Having lived for periods of time within different musical styles and traditions (jazz, Brazilian bossa and samba, classical, Chinese, among others), I have developed different senses of musical time. These different senses arise from the cultural and historical context of the music. How one learns to listen to and appreciate the music in the context of its tradition affects how they experience musical time.”

Current StanceCurrent Stance

In Chinese music, Jeff is currently researching and In Chinese music, Jeff is currently researching and analyzing structure in traditional guqin compositions. analyzing structure in traditional guqin compositions.

As a guitarist, Jeff is involved in improvisation in As a guitarist, Jeff is involved in improvisation in several different styles. He performs jazz regularly in several different styles. He performs jazz regularly in Beijing in local Jazz clubs and much of his time is Beijing in local Jazz clubs and much of his time is dedicated to performing various types of musicdedicated to performing various types of music

Jeff won a Fulbright Fellowship Award for studies in Jeff won a Fulbright Fellowship Award for studies in China. He will continue his studies in Beijing, China China. He will continue his studies in Beijing, China on guqin with leading guqin master Li Xiangting, on guqin with leading guqin master Li Xiangting,

Works CitedWorks Cited www.wikipedia.orgwww.wikipedia.org www.chinesecultureonline.comwww.chinesecultureonline.com www.asiainfo.orgwww.asiainfo.org www.itvgou.comwww.itvgou.com Peking.orgPeking.org Media.maps.comMedia.maps.com www.worldofstrings.nlwww.worldofstrings.nl www.theodora.comwww.theodora.com http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/151799.htmhttp://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/151799.htm http://www.elisabethwaldomusic.com/chinesemusic.htmhttp://www.elisabethwaldomusic.com/chinesemusic.htm http://sounz.org.nz/contributor/composer/1684http://sounz.org.nz/contributor/composer/1684 http://www.improvis.org/http://www.improvis.org/ http://www.vi-co.org/pdf/Classical%20China-West%20study%20guidehttp://www.vi-co.org/pdf/Classical%20China-West%20study%20guide

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