The Significance of Chinese Art Songs by Huang Tzu (1904 - 1938)

Cho Hang Chu, Edmond

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The Significance of Chinese Art Songs by Huang Tzu (1904 - 1938) (2023)

Cho Hang Chu, Edmond

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About this exposition

Chinese art song, a type of Chinese New Music, was a musical genre referring to the songs composed particularly in the 1920s. It is undeniable that it was a product of the real contact and fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. Imagine listening to music like Schubert or Puccini, you may suddenly realise that the language is not German or Italian, but an exotic language (Mandarin, also mixed with different Chinese dialects). Chinese art songs indeed had such characteristics. Its appearance was epoch-making. Before the 19th century, the gate of Chinese traditional culture was closed and self-sufficient, but due to the invasion of Western powers, this gate soon collapsed. Western culture also swept China along with the military trend in the early 20th century, causing earth-shaking changes in China, in which Western music was also introduced into China. Some intellectuals enlightened by modern thoughts and knowledge believed that in addition to learning western military and technology, they should also absorb their philosophy and culture, so that China could rise in all directions and catch up with Western powers. The theme of this research revolves around one of the intellectuals (composers) of this period, Huang Tzu (1904-1938) who challenged and responded to the culture shock through composing Chinese New Music. After studying in the United States in 1926, he returned to Shanghai, China. Like the intellectuals at that time, in addition to being proficient in various fields like science, he also dabbled in music. Many of Huang Tzu’s music revolved around the concept of "nationality". It refers to an approach: borrowing Western compositional techniques to highlight the values of traditional Chinese aesthetics. This research did not aim at describing the characteristics of music or literature in Chinese art songs itself. Yet, it finally allowed me to discover more about how intellectuals dealt with issues of cultural exchange between the East and the West a hundred years ago. What would be the effects if Western music elements, such as harmony, form, techniques and musical instruments were added to the Chinese traditional music language and habits? From a cultural perspective, what significance did this incur?

type	research exposition
keywords	Chinese art songs, Huang Tzu, Chinese New Music, Chinese music aesthetics, Chinese modern poetry, Phonology of Middle Chinese, word-painting, Chinese music, Chinese aesthetics, Middle Chinese, phonological awareness, Historical significance, Cultural exchange
date	18/02/2023
published	17/05/2023
last modified	17/05/2023
status	published
copyright	Edmond Cho Hang Chu
license	All rights reserved
language	English
url	https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1470280/1829278
doi	https://doi.org/10.22501/koncon.1470280
published in	KC Research Portal
portal issue	1. Master Research Projects

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name	Huang Tzu's Portrait
copyright	A Critical History of New Music in China
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Huang Tzu
copyright	http://www.chinaradio.cn/221/2008/04/25/61@314.htm
license	CC BY-NC-ND
usages	background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background, background

name	Chronicle of Huang Tzu's Life and the Major Events of Chinese and World History
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	World Map of Huang Tzu’s Travel
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Huang's Song Catalogue
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	pdf

name	Yijie Shi, Sa Chen. A Flower in the Haze
copyright	Yijie Shi, Sa Chen.
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Shaoxu, CAI. Ascending the Tower - To the Tune of Rouged Lips
copyright	Shaoxu, CAI
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Quan, ZHANG. Three Wishes of a Rose
copyright	Quan, ZHANG
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Edmond Chu - A Flower in the Haze
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Guang-yan, Cui. Three Wishes of a Rose
copyright	Guang-yan, Cui
license	Public domain
usages	audio

name	Edmond Chu - Longing for home
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Edmond Chu - Longing for Home (Score)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	pdf

name	Three Wishes from a Rose (Score)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	pdf

name	Edmond Chu - A Flower in the Haze (Score)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	pdf

name	Edmond Chu - Ascending the Tower - To the Tune of Rouged Lips (Score)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	pdf

name	Table of the representative songs
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Evolution Process of Middle Chinese to Modern Chinese since the 19th Century
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Modern Mandarin in related to western solfège and duration
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Modern Mandarin Four Tones
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	Public domain
usages	audio

name	I offer my best wine
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	Edmond Chu - I offer my best wine
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Ancient Tone Pattern
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Excerpt of A Flower in the Haze
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Edmond - A Flower in the Haze (Part. 1)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Excerpt of Longing for Home - mm. 4-8
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	(Excerpt of Longing for Home - mm.10-12)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Edmond Chu - Longing for home (mm-4-12)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Indication
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Indication 2
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	D Chinese Pentatonic
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	D Chinese Pentatonic - A Flower in the Haze
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Chinese hexatonic mode
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Chinese hexatonic mode - Rouged Lips
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Musical form
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	A Flower in the Haze's poetic structure
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Excerpt from A Flower in the Haze - mm.1-4
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Excerpt from A Flower in the Haze - mm.5-8
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Excerpt from A Flower in the Haze - mm.9-10
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Longing for Home's poetic structure
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	(Excerpt from Longing for Home - mm.7-12)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	(Excerpt from A Flower in the Haze -mm.13-17)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	Public domain
usages	picture

name	(Excerpt from Longing from Home - mm. 10-12)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	(Excerpt from Longing from Home - mm. 10-12)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	(Excerpt from Three Wishes from a Rose - mm. 1-4)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	Guang-yan, Cui. Three Wishes of a Rose (Prelude)
copyright	Guang-yan, Cui.
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	(Excerpt from Longing from Home - mm. 13-17)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	(Excerpt from Longing from Home - mm. 13-17)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Excerpt from Longing for home - mm. 2-4
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	(Excerpt from Longing for home - mm. 16-18)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	(Excerpt from Longing for home - mm. 11)
copyright	Edmond Chu
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

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The Significance of Chinese Art Songs by Huang Tzu (1904 - 1938) (2023)

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