First Advisor
Weng, Lei
First Committee Member
Kauffman, Deborah
Second Committee Member
Oravitz, Michael
Third Committee Member
Yamprai, Jittapim
Degree Name
Doctor of Arts
Document Type
Dissertation
Date Created
5-2024
Department
College of Performing and Visual Arts, Music, Music Student Work
Abstract
Dr. Liu Qing’s Fantasia of Chinese Ancient Dance for two pianos (2011) stands as a notable contemporary Chinese piano composition that reinterprets the renowned court dance suite Nichang Yuyi (the dance of Rainbow-Colored Feather Garment) from the 8th century Tang Dynasty China. Drawing inspiration from the structure and the musical modal languages of the Tang court dance, as well as the descriptions from Tang poet Bai Juyi’s poem of Nichang, Liu Qing adeptly combined her knowledge of Chinese musical traditions with Western compositional techniques, introducing stylistic diversity to the piano duo scene through this captivating work of dance music. This dissertation addresses the need for more scholarly study in the English language on identifiable musicological information of the Tang court dance Nichang. Furthermore, it serves as a valuable resource for pianists interested in learning Liu Qing’s piano works and other Chinese contemporary works sharing similar musical characteristics. The conclusion of this dissertation is supported by a focused research on the current ethnomusicological study on the musical origins and characteristics of Nichang, a systematic study of the traditional Chinese modulation theories and the three traditional Chinese heptatonic modes, the Yayue, Qingyue, and Yanyue modes, and a comprehensive interview with the composer discussing her creative process and her thoughts on using elastic tempo and rubato, revealing their connections to the “slow singing with fast accompaniment” rhythmic feature commonly found in traditional Chinese operas.
Abstract Format
html
Extent
114 pages
Local Identifiers
Li_unco_0161D_11234.pdf
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by the author.
Recommended Citation
Li, Yuan, "Musical Inspirations from Tang Court Dance Nichang Yuyi in Liu Qing’s Fantasia of Chinese Ancient Dance for Two Pianos" (2024). Dissertations. 1063.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/1063