East Meets West: A Musical Analysis of Chinese Sights and Sounds, by Yuankai Bao

Abstract

In the wake of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-76) and with China’s new “Open Door” policy toward Western culture and Western music, Chinese composers have adapted Western compositional techniques. The new generation of Chinese composers have expressed in various ways of their research to the heritage of Western composers. Yuankai Bao is one of the new generations of Chinese composers. The topic of this paper is the integration of Chinese and Western compositional techniques in Chinese folk songs. The purpose of this research is to find out how Yuankai Bao connects Chinese pentatonic scale to Western harmony, and how he helps develop Chinese new music and applies some characteristics of Western music to his composition, Chinese Sights and Sounds-24 Pieces by Themes on Chinese Folk Tunes. This research will facilitate a better understanding to Western performers of Chinese folk songs and piano music and assist in the achievement of a more authentic performance