Transcript Classical Chinese Music and the Works of Gustav Mahler

Chinese Music from the Tang Dynasty
and the Works of Gustav Mahler
The Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 C.E.)
• A golden age of culture in Chinese
history
• Unified over a vast territory
• At the end of it’s reign, ruled over
around 80,000,000 people
• Received influences in the arts
through trade from areas like India,
the Middle East, Central Asia, and
Persia
• Buddhism and Confucianism, major
influences in Tang culture
Music of the Tang
• Known to typically use
pentatonic scales
• • Developed over the course of
the entirety of Chinese
history, until the 600s of Tang
rule
• Musical performances of song
and dance were reserved for
the upper class and wealthy
• Court music
Instruments
• Lutes (Pipa,
Liuqin)
• Guzhengs
•Harps
(Konghou)
•Wood winds
(Flutes - Dizi)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcQ6D1
L4etY
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw3skQ
438DE
Li Bai
• A Chinese poet who lived in
the 8th century
• Regarded as one of the
greatest poets of the Tang
dynasty, and arguably in
Chinese literary history
• Some of his works put a
peculiar focus on wine
• His poetry was adapted to be
sung in German for Gustav’s
Mahler’s Song for the Earth.
Gustav Mahler (1860 – 1911)
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Bohemian born
Was Jewish, and was often ridiculed by the Vienna
media for it. External pressure pushed him to convert to
Roman Catholicism
Began studying music at the age of 15 at the Vienna
Conservatory in Austria
Became the director of the Vienna Opera at age 37
Composed 9 symphonies and 4 song cycles
Composing style is considered to be of the late
Romantic Era
Known for his dualities in life, and music. (e.g. west v.
east, triumph v. heartbreak, optimism v. hopelessness.)
Was not very highly regarded as a composer during his
time
Died of a blood infection in 1911
Das Lied von der Erde
• Integrated four of Li Bai's works into his symphonic song cycle Das
Lied von der Erde. (Li Bai regarded as one of the greatest Chinese
poets, lived in the Tang Dynasty)
• An orchestral piece in 6 parts
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1. The Drinking Song of Earth’s misery
2. The Lonely One in Autumn
3. Of Youth
4. Of Beauty
5. The Drunken Man in Spring
6. The Farewell
Although it was his ninth symphony, was not numbered his ninth
Incorporates western ideas with eastern, Chinese influences
Contained flute passages that imitated Tang musical style
http://youtu.be/CJeRlfibzcs?t=23m12s (23:12 – 26:26)
The comparison
Das Lied von der
Erde
•Large, orchestral
•Lengthy six part
song cycle
•Incorporated the
used of voices
•Almost like an
opera, in nature
Similarities
• Similar flute
passages
• Both pay homage
to traditional
Chinese art style
• Melodic lines from
the woodwinds
sound similar at
time
Lady Meng Jiang
•Written to imitate
the style of
Classical Chinese
Chamber music
•Soloist piece
•Short piece
Works Cited
• http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/twen/mahler.html
• http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/classicalcomposers/p
/mahlerprofile.htm
• http://www.leonardbernstein.com/ypc_script_who_is_gus
tav_mahler.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Lied_von_der_Erde
• http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/mahler.php
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Bai
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty_art#Music
• http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/tang.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterophony
• http://www.philmultic.com/home/instruments