By: Tengyue Zhang, CUNY Graduate Center
Abstract:
The art song “Liqiu” (2008) by Chinese composer Jia Guoping (b. 1963) follows the structure of a standard twelve-tone composition. Every note in the piece can be understood as a reference to two series forms, P1 and I1, and their retrograde, R1 and RI1. Additionally, the series is based on pentatonic scales. As illustrated in Example 2, P1 and R1 contain five pentatonic scales: D♭ PENT, B♭ PENT, F PENT, D PENT, and G♭/F♯ PENT. Within the serial framework, the composer uses a Chinese music theory concept 同均三宫 [tongyun sangong] to create smooth transitions and establish relationships between the five pentatonic scales. Through this specific composition technique, Jia links the seemingly discrete 12 pitch classes with a continuous and closely associated pentatonic sonority.
Selected Bibliography:
Huang Xiangpeng. Tracing the Stream to Its Source: Studies of Traditional Chinese Music. People’s Music Publishing House,
1993.
Huang Xiangpeng. A Collection of 180 Modes’ Annotation Chines Traditional Musical Scales. People’s Music Publishing House,
2003.
Wang, He, editor. 24 Contemporary Music Sight-singing Exercises in Chinese Style. Central Conservatory of Music Press, 2008.
Wu, Yi-Cheng Daniel. “Poetry and Musical Organization in JIA Guoping’s The Wind Sounds in the Sky (2002).” SMT-V, vol.
9, no. 5, Sept. 2023.
Xiao, Min. “The Application of Tongyun Sangong in Three Works by Luo Zhongrong.” Master’s thesis, Sichuan Conservatory
of Music, 2023.
About the Author:
Tengyue (Tung-yu-eh) Zhang (Jahng) is a second-year Ph.D. student in Music Theory at CUNY Graduate Center. She received her BM and MM degrees from the Mannes School of Music. Her current research interests are contemporary music and Chinese music and aesthetics.