7.c. Musical features
i. Text-music relations
1. Phonology of Middle Chinese and Melody
The following table listed out the four masterpieces of Huang, which I would analyze shortly from the aspects of the relationship between text and music, music structure, harmony and the role of the piano.
These four songs were specifically chosen because of the following reasons:
(1) well-known and representative;
(2) texts include both modern and ancient poetry;
(3) embodying music features of China and the West (which was further explained later).
For an overview of musical analysis on scores, please refer to the chapter 10.c. Score Analysis
For recording and interpretation, please refer to the chapter of he chapter 10.b. Recordings and Interpretation
(to the previous page - 7. Research and Analysis)
ii. Mode
iii. Musical form
iv. Harmony
i. Text-music relations
Huang Tzu's music fully demonstrates the careful design and coordination of poetry and music. He once commented on the text-music relations: "to make the music more interesting through rhythm, syntax, etc., the music should match the lyrics without any deviation". Let's look into the way Huang Tzu considered the characteristics of the Chinese language in composing music, and the concept of “word-painting” from the West to highlight specific words or poetic ideas.
1. Phonology of Middle Chinese and its Melody
In the early 20th century, the Chinese language system underwent rapid changes (see the chart above), and modern Chinese (Modern Mandarin) was gradually established. Though the system was very complex at the time and varied in different regions, Huang's friend and composer, linguist Yuen Ren Chao (1892 - 1982) proposed specific practical methods in order to avoid confusion. The Chinese language has different tones, and these methods are based on tonality characteristics.
Among which there were two methods:
- Evolved tones (The pattern of Modern Mandarin)
- Ancient tone pattern
(1) The pattern of Modern Mandarin
Huang Tzu inherited both methods. Taking a look into the 2nd phrase of "Ascending the Tower - To the Tune of Rouged Lips”, he composed completely according to the pattern of Modern Mandarin.
Literal translation:
(Come )To ask her (Spring) to stay, I offer my best wine.
試來把酒留春住
Among these seven characters, "come to (D-F#, 來)" is in 2nd tone, so it should rise quickly; "her (E-D, 春)" is in the 1st tone, so it should be high and plain; the word "stay (D-A, 住)" belongs to the 4th tone, so it should be a falling tone.
The melody was exactly handled in such a way: "come to" was placed in 16th notes and in a rising motion. It is very active and with a certain direction. The phrase is an imperative syntax, so “come to" means a lot, its activities intensifies the tone of the invitation. The peak of this sentence lies in the word "her". The artistic conception of the poem also lingers here. He used the highest and longest note to express its importance. Afterwards, a natural phrasing ends at "stay”, with firstly a slide and fade out in a low note.
Singing interpretation were suggested (demonstration aside):
“come to": make the 16th note very active, brighter and inviting
"her": The interval from "wine (A, 酒)" to "her" is a five-degree (P5) jump, it is better to prepare the breath and also allow a smooth expansion of the line; anticipate more the consonant, and make the vowel more intimate and tender; after singing "her", continue to maintain the air flow to support it, and then reach "stay”.
"stay”: exaggerate the slide
(2) Ancient Tone Pattern
The second method is to divide chinese characters into two groups Level (平) and Oblique (仄), as shown below. The appearance of these two tones was produced in response to the writing rules of and reciting ancient poetry.
We can see how Huang used the ancient tone pattern in the song "A Flower in the Haze". The lyrics are based on a poem from Bai Juyi (772-846) in Tang Dynasty, depicting the philosophy of life: life is like a dream, by describing the natural images of fog, morning clouds, etc.
The first 2 sentences:
Not a flower, nor haze,
It comes at small hours and leaves at daybreak;
花非花，霧非霧。
夜半來，天明去。
The first half of the 1st sentence (3-characters) defines as all Level tone, and the second half (3-characters) has two Oblique and one Level in between. The first and the second half are symmetrical (3-3).
Huang kept the first half of the sentence on the A (Solfège: Sol / 5), and raised the second half of the tune by four degrees (P4) to keep it on the D (Do Solfège: Do’ / 1’), resulting a sequence, and a flow from plain and low, to high-pitched.
Based on the writing rules of Huang in terms of ancient tone patterns, a bright and steady timbre with less vibrato is better to be placed in the first half, and afterwards immediately drives into the second half with a slide without taking a breath in between “Flower (F)” and “Haze (D)”. A slightly slide is suggested to both “Haze” to have inflected feelings, for the word “nor”, I would sing it as plain as possible to have a contrast.
Regarding the 2nd sentence, the three characters "night (A)", "small hours (A-D)" are of Oblique, which are more melodious. Huang started with higher pitches and also in ascending motion. Then it comes with "comes at (B-A)" and "daybreak (F-E-D)", the melody is steadily turning downwards. Finally, the falling motion stops at “leaves at” at F#, which the phrase sounds still moving and lively.
Try to highlight the rising motion together with crescendo, also make a glissando in singing "small hours"...till "comes at", which should be sung as plain as possible. Then, make sure the falling motion is steady. When it reaches “leaves at” at F#, try to paint the syllable with a soft but bright and vivid (moving) timbre to have a contrast.
(Modern Mandarin in related to western solfège and duration)
Indication from top to bottom:
1st - Chinese text
2nd - IPA with Solfège
3rd - Ancient Tone
4th - Tone image
⎯ : Level; ~ : Oblique
5th - Sense-for-sense translation
Indication from top to bottom:
1st - Chinese text
2nd - IPA with Solfège
3rd - Direction image:
→ ↗ ↺ ↘ (1-4 tones in order)
4th - Sense-for-sense translation
ii. Word-painting
The reason why Huang Tzu's songs were so eloquent is that he attached great importance to the musical atmosphere under the combination of poetry and music. He combined western expressive technique “Word-painting” to highlight Chinese poetic ideas. This is a way to reinforce Chinese aesthetics with Western techniques. In addition to meticulously crafting each text and melody, his music was very exquisite in bringing out the realm, mood, picture and atmosphere of poetry from the whole, which recalls the aesthetic view of Chinese art: "the shared commonality, origin and artistic conception of poetry and music".
Let's look into the example from Longing for Home. The lyrics were written by Mr. Harold H.T. Wei (1906 - 1993) in 1932, when China was invaded by the Japanese Empire. People suffered from chaos and wars, their livelihood was miserable. Although this song is a song that describes wandering wanderers living in a foreign land and missing their hometown, but combined with the circumstances at that time, it was more about the mental heaviness of the disintegration of the country, and the disintegration of the people's families. Huang carefully designed each melody and rhythm according to the structure and function of the poem, showing the profound artistic conception contained in the poem.
mm. 4-6
Willow branches are turning green just after All Souls' Day,
柳絲系綠 清明才過了
The first two sentences (mm. 4-6) are of four-character and five-character respectively, which were used to describe the scenery and time. The melody of these two sentences is the relationship of "descending 2nd sequence", which could be interpreted as the progress of time, nature cycle and the sense of powerlessness.
mm. 6-8
I, a lonely soul, lean against the railing in silence.
獨自個憑欄無語
The melody of the next seven-characters "I, a lonely soul, lean against the railing in silence" is still descending (2nd sequence), but compared with the first two short sentences, it stretches more and broadens through longer text with more dynamics (cresc. and decresc). Here suggested a sigh-like descending, which matches the "in silence" in the lyrics.
Singing Interpretation
Try to make the sequence gradually intensify, with increasing volume. There is a natural phrasing in each sequence, trying to stretch into the upbeat. The music expands a bit on "the railing (B)", trying to crescendo. and reduce more active and exaggerated, start it in a soft tone without vibrato then gradually increase the volume with more vibrations. For the syllable “railing in (C-B)” , it has shorter 16th notes and 8th notes, try to make it as plain as possible since it is a Level tone as well, and add a slide in the word “silence (G-A)”.
mm. 10-12
Over and over saying: "Go home, go home!"
一聲聲道 不如歸去
Starting from mm. 10, Huang made a major 6th leap of the three characters "Over and over saying (G-E-E, 一聲聲)", using a more compact triplet rhythm pattern, as if begging, moaning, and whispering softly. Moreover, it stopped immediately after half a beat, and then performed two big jumps of minor 7th downward and perfect 5th upward, the melody line fluctuated vividly.
Finally, it ends with the word "Go (B, 去)", the tone is elongated, like a sigh, showing heavy but firm thoughts of looking forward to returning home.
Singing Interpretation
- "Over and over saying": aspirate more in the consonants
- "Home": add a slide, when it comes to the vowel, start it softer and then enlarge the volume, with slightly vibrato
- "Go”: make the sound brighter and projected till the end of the phrase
