The Significance of Chinese Art Songs by Huang Tzu (1904 - 1938)

Cho Hang Chu, Edmond

Chinese art song, a type of Chinese New Music, was a musical genre referring to the songs composed particularly in the 1920s. It is undeniable that it was a product of the real contact and fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. Imagine listening to music like Schubert or Puccini, you may suddenly realise that the language is not German or Italian, but an exotic language (Mandarin, also mixed with different Chinese dialects). Chinese art songs indeed had such characteristics. Its appearance was epoch-making. Before the 19th century, the gate of Chinese traditional culture was closed and self-sufficient, but due to the invasion of Western powers, this gate soon collapsed. Western culture also swept China along with the military trend in the early 20th century, causing earth-shaking changes in China, in which Western music was also introduced into China. Some intellectuals enlightened by modern thoughts and knowledge believed that in addition to learning western military and technology, they should also absorb their philosophy and culture, so that China could rise in all directions and catch up with Western powers. The theme of this research revolves around one of the intellectuals (composers) of this period, Huang Tzu (1904-1938) who challenged and responded to the culture shock through composing Chinese New Music. After studying in the United States in 1926, he returned to Shanghai, China. Like the intellectuals at that time, in addition to being proficient in various fields like science, he also dabbled in music. Many of Huang Tzu’s music revolved around the concept of "nationality". It refers to an approach: borrowing Western compositional techniques to highlight the values of traditional Chinese aesthetics. This research did not aim at describing the characteristics of music or literature in Chinese art songs itself. Yet, it finally allowed me to discover more about how intellectuals dealt with issues of cultural exchange between the East and the West a hundred years ago. What would be the effects if Western music elements, such as harmony, form, techniques and musical instruments were added to the Chinese traditional music language and habits? From a cultural perspective, what significance did this incur?

11. Bibliography

a. Primary Source, Memoir

Tzu, Huang. Music Appreciation. Shanghai Music Publishing House. Shanghai. 1990.
Tzu, Huang. Posthumous Works Collection of Huang Tzu. Anhui Publishing Group Co.,Ltd. 1997.
Tzu, Huang. How can the national music be composed?, The Art of Music. 1984.

b. Books

Chao, Yuen Ren. Character Text for Mandarin Primer, The Commercial Press, 1922.
Cha, Hongde. Rules and regulations of Rhythmic Poetry. Literary Review. 2020 (03). 160-168.
Ching-chih, Liu, and Caroline Mason. A Critical History of New Music in China. The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, 2010. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1pb61zn. Accessed 22 Nov. 2022.
Cizhao, Wang. Aesthetic Research of Chinese Traditional Music. People's Music Publishing House. Nov. 2019.
Guan, Jianhua. Cultural Vision of Chinese Music Aesthetics. Nanjing Normal University Press. 2013.
He, Jianhong. Research of the Development of Chinese Ancient Poems and Art Songs, Yŏnbyŏn Daehak Publisher. 2017.
Han, Guohuang. Three Musicians Studying in the United States: Information Album of Huang Tzu, Tan Xiaolin and Ying Shangneng. China Times Publishing Co. (Taiwan). 1984.
Kong, Xiangyong. Research of the Development of Chinese Art Songs and the Singing Method. Theatrical Publishing House of China. 2020.
Li, Wei. Research of Contemporary Art Songs. China Textile & Apparel Press. 2019.
Meiyan, Liu. Research on Huang Tzu. Chuan Yin Music Publishers, Co. 2015.
Xiaolong, Liu. Heartstrings with Chinese Music. Joint Publishing HK. 2014.
Wang, Ci. Aesthetic Research of Chinese Traditional Music. Beijing Book Co. Inc. 2019.
Wong, Chuen-Fung. Listening to and Enjoying Chinese Music. Hong Kong University Press. 2019.

c. Periodical, Journals, Research Paper

Chao, Yuen Ren. Collections of Music Journals by Yuen Ren Chao, China Federation of Literary & Art Circles Publishing Corp. Dec. 1994.
Cheung, Joys H. Y. Singing Ancient Piety and Modernity in ‘Song of Familial Bliss’ (1935): Musical Translation of Huang Tzu (1904-1938) in Interwar China. Asian Music, vol. 41, no. 2, 2010, pp. 4–58. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40930321. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.
Fei, Shi (1884-1959). On the Improvement of Chinese Music. The trend of Zhejiang. Jun 1903.
Jianzhen, Lu. A Study on the Characteristics of Huang Tzu's Art Songs and His Singing Style. Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Master Dissertation. 2006.
Jing, Li. An Analysis of Huang Tzu's Art Songs' Creation Features and Singing Style, Southwest University. Master Thesis. 2012.
Lin-Mengjun. Research on the Interpretation of Huang Tzu's Art Song "Longing for Home" - Interpretation of Chinese Art Songs Combining with Bel Canto and Traditional Chinese Singing Methods. National Academy of Arts Music Department of Taiwan. Master Thesis. 2001.
Mei-Wen Chen. A Study on the Compositional Techniques and Singing Skills of Chinese Art Songs''Chasing” and ''Red Bean”, Soochow University, Master Thesis. 2004.
Picken, L. E. R. “Secular Chinese Songs of the Twelfth Century.” Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, vol. 8, no. 1/4, 1966, pp. 125–71. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/901663. Accessed 18 Feb. 2023.
Qin, Zhao. Commemorating Huang Tzu's passing away for 60 years. Music Monthly. Vol:188. 1998.
Qing, Li. A Comparative Study on the Musical Features and Singing Styles of Huang Tzu and Qing Zhu's Art Songs. Shandong Normal University. Master Thesis. 2008.
Qian, Xu. A Study of Huang Tzu's Art Songs. Shandong Normal University. Master Thesis. 2006.
Yang-Dewei. Research on Chinese Art Songs in the May Fourth Era (1919-1937), Centering on the Works of Yuen Ren Chao and Huang Tzu, National Chung Cheng University. Master Thesis. 2005.
Yingchen, Zhou. The Aesthetic Experience of Modern Chinese Art Songs from Hong Yi (1880-1942). Cultural and art publishing house. Literature & Art Studies. Vol: 3. 2012
Zhenya, Wang. Research on Huang Tzu's Works. Music Art. Vol: 3. 1992.
Zhixi, Qian. New theory on the relationship between Ci and Yuefu: a comprehensive examination of the relationship between Ci and Yuefu, Lingnan Journal of Chinese Studies, ISSN: 1562-5915, Vol: 7, Issue: 1, 2017.

d. Song Books and Collections

Changyong, Liao. Collection of Chinese Art Songs in 100 Years. Shanghai Conservatory of Music Press. Vol:1-3. 2020.
Shuguang, Yang. Appreciation and Singing of Chinese Ancient Poetry and Art Songs. People's Music Publishing House. Jan. 2019

e. Internet Sources

Chaudhuri, Lucy. “What Are Lieder in Music?: Classical Music.” What Are Lieder in Music? | Classical Music, BBC Music Magazine, 15 June 2021, https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/what-are-lieder/.
“Music 101.” Secular Music-Troubadours | Music 101, Lumen Learning, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-musicapp-medieval-modern/chapter/secular-music-troubadours-e/.

Tip

Tip

a. Primary Source, Memoir

b. Books

c. Periodical, Journals, Research Paper

d. Song Books and Collections

e. Internet Sources