Building World Music Collections China and Taiwan Alec McLane MLA 2014 Atlanta, GA February 27, 2014
Some general observations on Chinese music 1.Tradition of philosophical and theoretical thought regarding music, going back to the 6 th century BCE 2.Musical culture marked by great diversity, yet also by remarkable homogeneity 3.Instrumental traditions grounded in ancient classifications of material from which instruments are made 4.Regional opera styles are a persistent factor in cultural identities 5.Ready adaptation to Western musical traditions, particularly European classical music
Tuning systems
Guqin Guzheng
Musical culture is marked by great diversity, yet also by remarkable homogeneity Mainland: 55 officially recognized ethnic minority groups Taiwan: aboriginal groups; large Hokkien- and Hakka-speaking population from Fujian Province on the mainland Yet Han people are a majority in all but 2 provinces Very strong national identity
Erhu
Pipa
Dizi
Instrumental traditions grounded in ancient classifications of material from which instruments are made 8 elements: metal, stone, silk, bamboo, gourd, earth (pottery), hide, and wood Ensembles still named after these elements
Silk and bamboo ensemble
Abing
Regional opera styles are a persistent factor in cultural identities Peking Opera “Model operas”
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Ready adaptation to Western musical traditions, particularly European classical music
Cui Jian
A-Mei
Some labels and vendors: JVC King Records Lyrichord Farside Music Multicultural Media’s World Music Store yesasia.com malmusic.com
谢谢， 大家！ (xie xie da jia =Thank you all)