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Unit check #3 - WM
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What is apart of the Chinese geo-cultural region?
Korea
Japan
Mongolia
Eastern half of Russia (Siberia)
What is the “Ideographic Writing System”?
Developed by the Chinese a few millennia ago
Each symbol has a meaning rather than a phonetic sound
Common writing system throughout East Asia
District written languages gradually developed in Japan, Korea, and Mongolia
What is the Chinese geo-cultural region?
Mainland
China
Taiwan
Hong Kong
What are the 2 main Chinese languages?
Mandarin (Han people)
Official language of China, Taiwan, & Singapore
Cantonese
Spoken in above countries + Hong Kong & Macao
Dozens of minority languages (many indigenous)
Qualities of China (mainland)
Capital: Beijing
Largest city: Shanghai
Most internationalized city: Guangzhou
Most Chinese live in eastern third
Western interior and Mongolia sparsely populated
What is the Han ethnic group?
95% of mainland China (People’s Republic of China) & of Taiwan (Republic of China)
Qualities of the Han ethnic group (4)
Arose along the Huang He (Yellow) River in northern China -2000 BCE
Spread throughout East Asia & settled mostly south of the Huang He River & north of the Yangtze River in China
Largest civilization in the world & considered the “original” Chinese civilization
“China-sized” outside influences, which were then adopted by neighboring cultures
What is the North China Plain?
Center of Chinese Civilization
Most farming between Huang He (Yellow) and Yangtze Rivers
What are the 3 main philosophical systems in China?
Focus on individuals rather than specific deities
Daoism
Buddhism
Cofucianism
What is the Daoism philosophical system?
(arose 3rd century BCE)
Focus on human interactions with nature;
“Dao” = “the way” (the natural flow of life)
What is the Buddhism philosophical system?
(arose 543 BCE)
Focus on human interactions with spiritual world
Achieving enlightenment to escape cycle of rebirth of the soul
What is the Confucianism philosophical system?
(arose 5th century BCE)
Focus on human interactions with other humans
Based on the ideas of Chinese philosopher & scholar Kong Fuzi (551-479 BCE)
What are dynasties in China?
Many long-ruling dynasties over several millennia
Dynasty: a succession of related rulers (Ex: British monarchy)
What is the Zhou Dynasty?
1046-256 BCE
Origin of traditional Chinese culture, including writing, music, and Confucianism
What is the Qin Dynasty?
221-206 BCE
First Imperial Dynasty
221 BCE: Conquered 7 warring states, ended Zhou Dynasty, & unified China
Established imperial system that lasted until 1911
“Qin”: Etymological ancestor of China
Who was Qin Shi Huang?
259-210 BCE
Founder of Qin dynasty & first emperor of unified China
What is the Great Wall of China?
Over 13,000 miles long
Started in earnest - 220 BCE
Additions for next 2000 years
What is the Han Dynasty?
206 BCE-220 CE
Given its name to the majority Han ethnic group
What is the Silk Road?
Ancient caravan trade routes
4000 miles long
Origins: Han Dynasty (206 BCE)
Connected Eastern China w/ India, Central Asia, & eventually Europe
Used by merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, & urban dwellers
What is the Silk Road? Cont.
Marco Polo: 1271-1295
Main trades: Silk, tea, porcelain, spices
Cultural exchanges, Buddhism, Christianity, technology, disease, music, instruments, & disease.
What is the Yuan Dynasty?
1271-1368
Established by invasion of the Mongols from the North
What were the “Mongols”?
Nomads from the North that crossed the Mongolian plateau to invade China in the 1200s & 1300s
Mongols’ success attributed to the use of horses (short & stocky) in warfare
Mongol empire spread through Asia & as far as Eastern Europe
Who is Kublai Khan?
Grandson of Genghis Khan
1271: Founded Yuan Dynasty, & ruled as first Yuan emperor until 1294
Made Beijing the capital
What was the Ming Dynasty?
1368-1644
Established by the Han, who replaced the Mongols
What was the Qing Dynasty?
1644-1911
Established by invading Manchus from the Nort
Codified the 56 nationalities recognized in China today - began appropriating their traditions as “part of China”
What was the role of the arts in Chinese identity?
Music/theatre perceived as strongly influential on people’s thinking/behavior
Music considered to be important for encouraging "ethical”
morals, character, & behavior
What are a traditional Chinese music fundamentals?
Sung folk songs, narrative song, & theater form the core
Based on anonymous melodies that take vocal, instrumental, solo, and ensemble forms
Melodies based on 5 possible pentatonic scales (diao)
What are prevalent textures of traditional Chinese Music fundamentals?
Monophony (solo): single melodic line (vocal & instrumental)
Heterophony (ensemble): different versions of the melodic line
What are a traditional Chinese music fundamentals? cont.
Timbre/ornamentation are important
Percussion accompanies music. dance, & opera
Programmatic titles to most songs, alluding to nature, literature/myth, mood, or musical structure
Ex: “Autumn Moon & Lake Scenery”.
What is the Chinese pentatonic scale Diao?
Five possible pentatonic scales
Gongdiao: 1-2-3-5-6
Shangdiao: 1-2-4-5-7
Juediao: 1-3-4-6-7
Zidiao: 1-2-4-5-6
Yudiao: 1-3-4-5-7
Approximate the black keys on the piano
Most common: Gongdiao & Zidiao
Gongdiao social & cosmological significance
Cardinal Points: Center
Political structure: King
Virtues: Faith
Colors: Yellow
Elements: Earth
Heavenly bodies: Constellations
Planets: Saturn
Flavors: Sweet
Emotions: Desire
Shangdiao social & cosmological significance
Cardinal Points: West
Political structure: Minister
Virtues: Righteousness
Colors: White
Elements: Metal
Heavenly bodies: Earth
Planets: Venus
Flavors: Pungent
Emotions: Melancholy
Juediao social & cosmological significance
Cardinal Points: East
Political structure: People
Virtues: Benevolence
Colors: Blue
Elements: Wood
Heavenly bodies: Stars
Planets: Jupiter
Flavors: Sour
Emotions: Anger
Zidiao social & cosmological significance
Cardinal Points: South
Political structure: National Affairs
Virtues: Respect
Colors: Red
Elements: Fire
Heavenly bodies: Sun
Planets: Mars
Flavors: Bitter
Emotions: Joy
Yudiao social & cosmological significance
Cardinal Points: North
Political structure: Natural world
Virtues: Knowledge
Colors: Black
Elements: Water
Heavenly bodies: Moon
Planets: Mercury
Flavors: Salty
Emotions: Fear
How is Diao characterized?
How they are realized in performance
Instrumentation
Range
Rhythm
Ornamentation
Cadential formulas
Opera characters
What are 3 instruments that have been performed for over a millennium?
Pipa
Erhu
Guqin
What is the Pipa?
4-stringed pear-shaped, plucked lute
Quintessential instrument
Performed as solo instrument
Uses raised bamboo frets
Associated with banquet music & storytelling
Techniques: Bending strings to change pitch, continuous rapid roll w/ 5 fingers on sustained tones
What is the Hu (or huqin)?
Bowed Fiddles
Introduced from Mongolia during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE)
Held vertically
Bow hairs pass between 2 melodic strings, tuned a 5th apart
What is the Huqin Family? (6)
Over 30 types of Hu instruments
Leihu
Erhu
Zhonghu (Lower register)
Gaohu (Higher register)
Jinghu
Yehu (Coconut fiddle)
What is the Erhu?
Most Prominent Hu: Two-string fiddle
Horse-hair bow: slides between 2 strings tuned a 5th apart
Wooden body, snakeskin head
2 rear tuning pegs at top
Touch strings at different points to change pitch
Emotional-sounding due to similar range to human voice
What is the Guqin (“ancient Qin”)?
Plucked zither 7 silk strings dating back to 200 BCE (Han Dynasty)
One of the world’s most ancient instruments to be in continuous use
What is a Sizhu?
Si (“silk”)
Zhu (“bamboo”)
Silk & Bamboo Ensemble
Informal ensemble of mostly fiddles, lutes, & flutes
What is the Bayin (Eight Materials)
Organological system for classifying instruments based on materials rather than sound vibration
Similar to Western brass, woodwinds, strings, etc.
What are the 4 district regional styles of Sizhu?
Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River) - The Shanghai region
Guangdong - from Guangdong province in the south
Chaozhou - from Eastern Guangdong province
Nanguan - From Xiamen in Fujian province
What are the musical traits of Sizhu? (4)
Tuneful & easily accessible music
Consistent volume level throughout
Clear duple meter
Simple rhythms
What are the musical traits of Sizhu? cont.
Continuous heterphonic playing - ensemble can sound “busy” to Western ears
“Bright” & “thin” timbres
Pieces held together by short melodic motives. use of a single diao, & a consistent heterophonic texture
What is the social context of the Sizhu ensemble? (3)
An “amateur” tradition, mostly played by non-professionals
Performed in informal gatherings at tea/club houses by a social club
Performance intended for the performance & relaxation of the performers
What is the social context of the Sizhu ensemble? cont.
Heterophony, basic melodies, & simple rhythms contribute to inclusivity
Originally allowed ordinary working people artists without a low-class reputation
Taught in music conservatories
What is the Jiangnan Sizhu?
Folk tradition from Jiangnan (“south of the river”): region around Shanghai
The most prominent regional style
Repertoire: about 20 anonymous pieces
What are Sizhu instruments?
Dizi
Yanqin
Pipa
Erhu
What is the Yanqin?
Hammered dulcimer w/ double & triple coursed strings
3-5 sets of bridges, arranged chromatically
Introduced from Persia (now Iran) via the Silk Road during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) - derived from the santur
Originally silk strings (softer timbre), then bronze strings, now steel strings (brighter sound)
Both solo & ensemble instrument
What is the Yanqin? cont.
Yanqin is struck with 2 bamboo hammers w/ rubber tips
“Double hammers” have two striking surfaces, allowing players to play up to 4 notes simultaneously
What is the Dizi?
Horizontal bamboo flute
Different sizes, ranges, and diao
6 finger holes, 1 blow hole, 1 membrane hole
What is the Paiban?
Wooden clapper
What are Guqin performance characteristics?
Fretless plucked zither w/ 7 strings, originally twisted silk
Long, rectangular wood soundboard
11-13 inlaid circles marking vibration points
Tuned by twisting pegs on the underside
Strings plucked w/ 1 hand, vibration stopped w/ the other
What are Guqin performance characteristics? cont.
Sparse, quiet, & intimate sound
Played in free rhythm
Timbres - Plucked sounds, tone-bending, scraping, harmonics
Fundamentally pentatonic w/ anchor pitches
Tablature-style notation as old as the instrument
Short motives rather than extended melodic lines
What are Guqin social characteristics?
Instrument of the scholarly class (literati), from which the government chose its officials
Associated w/ Confucian philosophy & ideals of balance, harmony, order, moderation, & subtlety
Also associated with Daoist philosophy of entering the flow of the universe (“chi”) through communion w/ nature & self
What are the Daoist artistic aesthetics?
Depiction of empty space in paintings, reflecting “the lone scholar” communing w/ nature (the focal point)
Chuang Tzu - 1 of the greatest Daoist writers, flourished 250 BCE
Confucian & Daoist sensibilities in Guqin playing
Form of sonic meditation & self-cultivation - a quiet & intimate art played in solitude or w/ soulmates
Not for public, neither presentational or participatory
The Modern Era - Republic of China
1911: Popular revolution overthrows a Qing Dynasty
Sun Yat-Sen attempts democracy modeled on U.S. Constitution
Influx of Western elements
Suspicion of traditional elements
The Modern Era - Republic of China cont.
1920s: Start of power struggle between Nationalist Kuomintang Party (led by Chiang Kai-Shek) & the Chinese Community Party (led by Mao Zedong) elements
Japanese occupation of China (1937-1945)
Important dates (1937-1949)
World War II: Japanese Occupation of China (1937-1945)
Civil war between Communist & Nationalist Parties, resulting in Communist victory (1946-1949)
China-Kai-Shek flees to Taiwan, where he establishes the Republic of China (ROC) - 1949
Mao Zedong establishes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) - The most influential leader of Modern China (1949)
What is the Cultural Revolution?
1966-1976
Social/political movement set in motion by Mao Zedong & his wife Jiang Qing (to avoid blame for the 1966 famine)
Attempted to preserve “true” Communist ideology by purging traditional & capitalist elements from Chinese society
What are Red Guards?
Youth paramilitary groups that enforced CCP doctrine
“Little Red Book” - Part of a widespread propaganda campaign - contained talks & statements by Chairman Mao
What was the “Destroy the Four Olds” ?
1966 - Campaign encouraging the destruction of traditional “old”
Culture
Customs
Habits
Ideas
Homes of the literati ransacked - cultural artifacts, art, & Guqins destroyed
Guqin - Seen as a prohibited instrument, associated w/ intellectualism
Millions displaced & persecuted
Public humiliation, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, & seizure of property.
Qualities of music during the Cultural Revolution
Chairman Mao - used music/theater to fight enemies & control citizens
Traditional/Western classical musical practices were blended to carry a revolutionary Socialist message - only message allowed
As in Bulgaria, the Western influence was thought to “uplift” & “modernize” Chinese folk music, even though the CCP was staunchly anti-capitalist
Ex: Qualities of music during the Cultural Revolution (2)
The CCP’s Navy Orchestra - combined erhu w/ Western symphonic instruments & musical approaches
Traditional Beijing Opera became “Revolutionary Beijing Opera” (Western symphonic instruments & harmony added, plots of “Socialist Realism”)
New music set Mao’s words to music & praised him
When did the Cultural Revolution end?
1976 - With Mao’s death
Qualities of “Beijing Spring” (3)
Late 1700s
Brief period of liberalization
Economic reforms: shift from planned economy to socialist-market economy
Outside, capitalist cultural influences seep in
Qualities of “Beijing Spring”
Spring 1989
University students gather in Tiananmen Square to mourn the death of liberal reformer
Led to a nationwide democracy movement, similar to other worldwide movements
May 20, 1989
Party authorities declare martial law & mobilize 300,000 troops to Beijing
What was the Tiananmen Square Massacre?
June 4
Troops with assault rifles & tanks inflict thousands of casualties on unarmed civilians
Post-Cultural Revolution struggles for cultural legitimacy
Between China (PRC) and Taiwan (ROC)
Expressive culture (music, art, language) - used by PRC for..
Recognition of Guqin as a “Masterpiece of intangible Cultural Heritage” (ICH) by UNESCO in 2005
Reinstated the instrument’s important to traditional Chinese music
Resulted in celebrations, new students, & concert hall performances
What is UNESCO?
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003)
Provided an international framework, funding source, & identification & protection of what was deemed “Masterpieces of Intangible Cultural Heritage” (ICH recognition)
What is UNESCO? cont.
CCP applications for ICH recognitions a form of cultural imperialism
Way for the Han majority to dominate the cultural expressions of the 55 ethnic minorities of China
Greatly reduces the # of cultural narratives in China receiving global recognition
Start to see static preservation efforts
What is the CCP cultural imperialism via UNESCO called?
Uyghurs of Xinjiang Province & the Muqam of Meshrap gatherings
What are Uyghurs? (2)
The largest ethnic minority in China’s Xinjiang Province in the far northwest-rugged mountains & vast desert
Most identify as Muslim but classified by CCP as atheist
What are Uyghurs? cont.
Human rights of Uyghurs violated by CCP, along with other Xinjiang minorities
Sent to re-education camps
Prohibited from practicing religious activities & ceremonies
Forced sterilization of women & forced labor
Human rights violations led to a U.S. diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics & Paralympics in Beijing in 2022
What is The Meshrep?
A traditional grassroots male gathering that typically includes a planned format of poetry, music, dance, & conversation
Usually held in mosques, public gathering sites, or the courtyard of a member’s family home
What is The Meshrep? cont.
Maintains Uyghur identity & culture by teaching young people social rules & enacting community
Typically includes discussions of moral questions & a musical practice called Muqam
What is the Muqam?
The musical portion of the Meshrep, but also performed outside this event
Performances of folk ballads & poems bear witness to history & present-day affairs
12 main regional styles covering both solo & ensemble performance
Includes both folk & classical music
Distinctive dances accompany the music
What is the Muqam cont.
Xinjiang Province’s location at a central point in the Silk Road = combination of Middle Eastern & traditional Chinese musical influence in Muqam
Middle Eastern influence found in singing, instrumentation, and scales
Traditional Chinese influence found in timbres & use of string and wind instruments as the lead instruments
Both influences emphasize melody & it’s diversification
UNESCO ICH Recognition of Muqam
CCP applied for this, NOT members of the Uyghur community
CCP’s success = increased popularity of Muqam throughout China
CCP starts to take over the practice, sterilizing it for consumption = diminishing grassroots performances
Resulting narrative - “Muqam is Chinese and was always Chinese, therefore the Uyghur are as well.”