Brief History of

China’s Music

Industry

Table of Contents

I. Brief History of China

II. Instruments of its Country

III.Vocal MusicIV.Opera

V. Sample Music of Moh Wah

Brief History of China’s Music Industry

.Beginning in the late 19th century, Chinese music has been considerably

influenced by European musical theories and practices on the one

hand, and on the other hand by the entanglements of Chinese nationalism

and ideological conflicts and by the violent processes of sociocultural

transformation. Western-style conservatories have been established

in China since the 1920s, providing programs in both Western music and

Chinese traditional and modern music.

Western instruments, symphonic orchestras, concert vocal genres, Western opera, and concert hall performances have all been introduced and taken root in China. In the meantime, much energy has been put into modernizing Chinese music, which includes improving Chinese instruments and traditional performance styles and techniques according to Western music theory and aesthetics. Harmony and orchestration have been added to traditional ensembles; large orchestras of traditional instruments, modeled after Western orchestras, have been created; and Italian opera singing techniques have been introduced into Chinese folk singing.

By the time of the Tang Dynasty (713 - 755 A.D.) the court

organized the Pear Garden Academy song and dance troupe which cultivated a large number of musicians, this then laid a firm

foundation for Chinese music. Traditionally the Chinese have

believed that sound influences the harmony of the universe. Until

quite recently the Chinese theoretically opposed music

performed solely for entertainment, accordingly, musical entertainers were

relegated to a low social status

Chinese music is the body of vocal and instrumental music

composed and played by Chinese people. For several thousands of years Chinese

Culture was dominated by the teachings of the philosopher Confucius, who conceived of music in the highest sense as

a means of calming the passions and of dispelling

unrest and lust, rather than as a form of amusement. The ancient Chinese belief that

music is meant not to amuse but to purify one's thoughts.

Melody and tone are prominent expressive features of Chinese

music, and great emphasis is given to

the proper articulation and

inflection of each musical tone.

China’sMusical

Instruments

Chinese musical instruments have been classified according to the materials used in their construction, namely, metal, stone, silk, bamboo, gourd,

clay, skin and wood. The older instruments include long

zithers, flutes, panpipes, the sheng, or mouth organ and

percussion instruments, such as clappers, drums and gongs. Of later origin are various lutes and fiddles introduced to China

from Central Asia.

Dizi

Gong

Sheng Chinese harmonica: a Chinese

harmonica with graduated bamboo reed pipes and a rounded chamber that fills with air .

Zither Flat box-shaped string

instrument: a musical instrument consisting of a flat shallow sound box with metal strings stretched across it that are plucked Wood slats that are hit

together to produce a temp.

Phach

Gong resonant bronze plate: a circular bronze plate that makes a resonant sound when struck with a mallet, used as an orchestral percussion instrument or to summon people to meals warning bell: a round metal bell that is struck by a mechanically operated hammer, used as an alarm

Stone ChimesStone chimes also called

lithopone is a set of struck sonorous stones.

DiziDizi is a chinese transverse flute. It is also sometimes

known as the Di or Hengdi,and has varieties including Qudi

and Bangdi

Vocal

Music

The music included in this recording—first made by China Record

Company in the 1950s—presents a very lively picture of music life in

China during the mid-20th century. China is a multicultural country of 56 officially recorded peoples, with Han

Chinese making up 92% of the current population and 55 national

minorities scattered over 50% to 60% of the country’s vast land. Many

minorities have distinctive languages, religions, customs, economic

structure, and physical features. This colorful collection features the

diverse music styles of four major ethnic minorities in China: the

Uighurs and the Kazakhs of the Tarim Basin, the Mongols of the Northern

Plateau, and the Dongs of the Southwestern Mountains. Liner notes include the main idea of each piece and background information on the music genres and the ethnic groups.

Opera Musical drama: a dramatic

work where music is a dominant part of the performance, with the actors often singing rather than reciting their lines.

It is usually highly stylized and typically has recurring themes intensified by musical repetitions developed as the piece progresses.

Peking Opera, in Beijing, China, combines music, acrobatic dance, and spectacular costumes to tell stories from Chinese history and folklore. Using abstract, symbolic gestures rich in dramatic meaning, actors represent personages from the heroic, divine, and animal worlds, often in martial exploits. The traditional features of the masklike makeup and elaborate costumes immediately identify the characters to a knowing audience

Peking Opera

SampleMusic

ofMoh Wah