Chinese Music

H!toryChinese Music has been made since the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC – 256 DC). Today, the music continues a rich traditional heritage in one aspect, while emerging into a more contemporary form at the same time.

Characte"#ics*Variation of rhythm, beat and tone quality*Unparalleled systems of musical tuning and pitch*pentatonic in nature and has its very own musical genres and instruments.*Sung in a thin, non-resonant voice or in falsetto*usually perform by solo rather than choral or group*all traditional Chinese music is melodic rather than harmonic*Chinese vocal music developed from poems and verses sung with music

Chinese OperaChinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE. There are numerous regional branches of Chinese opera, of which the Beijing opera (Jingju) is one of the most notable.

CostumesThe majority of the Operatic Clothing design came from the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368 -1644). The magnificent embroideries, the gorgeous headdresses, the jeweled girdles for the men, the hair ornaments for the women, the high court shoes which help to increase the height of the performers and the different styles of face painting are the most attractive features people would like to explore.

Face PaintingThis is probably one of the most fascinating arts in connection with stage costumes as each painted face h a s a s p e c i a l m e a n i n g t o knowledgeable theater-goers. The hero type characters are normally painted in relatively simple colors, whereas enemy, bandits, rebels and so on have more complicated designs on their faces.

Colors to distinguish the Characters

White: Sinister, evil, crafty, treacherous, and suspicious. Anyone wearing a white mask is usually the villain.Green: Impulsive, violent, no self restraint or self control.Red: Brave, loyal.Black: Rough, fierce, or impartial.Yellow: Ambitious, fierce, cool-headed.Blue: Steadfast, someone who is loyal and sticks to one side no matter what.

E%nic Han MusicHan Chinese make up 92% of the population of China. Ethnic Han music consists of heterophonic music, in which the musicians play versions of a single melodic line. Percussion accompanies most music, dance, talks, and opera. Han Chinese Folk Music had many aspects to it regarding its meaning, feelings, and tonality. This genre of music, in a sense, is similar to the Chinese language. This relationship is made by tones, sliding from higher tones to lower tones, or lower to higher tones, or a combination of both.

Chinese Folk MusicChinese folk music can be dated back to 7000 years ago. Not only in form but also in an artistic conception, the Chinese nation has created the colorful culture of folk music. Besides, it is mainly about pentatonic scale. Different from western traditional music, Chinese folk music pays more attention to the form expression.

Chinese Folk Songs1. Mo Li Hua - considered as the most popular chinese folk song that means “Beautiful Jasmine”

2. Han folk music - thrives at weddings and funerals and usually includes a form of chinese percussive ensembles.

3. Nanyin or Nanguan - is a genre of traditional ballads that sung by a woman accompanied by traditional instruments. The music is generally sorrowful and mourning and typically deals with love-stricken women.

4. Jiangnan Sizhu - is a style of instrumental music, often played by amateur musicians in teahouses in Shanghai, that has become widely known outside of its place of origin.

5. Guangdong Music or Cantonese Music - is instrumental music from Guangzhou and surrounding areas. It is based on Yueju (Cantonese Opera) music, together with new compositions from the 1920s onwards.

The famous dragon dance with music is also a remembered tradition. It is seen on Chinese New Year across the world by millions. It is not known when the tradition started, but it is believed to be thousands of years ago, as entertainment of former emperors, royals, and nobles.

Dragon

Dance

Yìyǒngjūn Jìnxíngqǔ (March of the Volunteers) is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China, written by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. This composition is a musical march. The piece was first performed as part of a 1934 Shanghai play and its original lyrics are the official lyrics of the national anthem. In 2004, a provision that the March of the Volunteers be the national anthem was added to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China as Article 136.

Chinese National An%em