GAO, XIN, D.M.A. Project China: a Resource of Contemporary Saxophone Music Written by Chinese-Born Composers
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GAO, XIN, D.M.A. Project China: A Resource of Contemporary Saxophone Music Written by Chinese-born Composers. (2016) Directed by Dr. Steven Stusek. 122 pp. In recent years, performances of newly composed Chinese music have become more common at national and international saxophone conventions. However, saxophone works by Chinese composers are still rare, and this body of work is largely unfamiliar to Western saxophonists. Moreover, no specialized and compiled reference material exists about these works, making them difficult to find. Chinese saxophone music deserves a higher level of Western exposure both for its high quality and for the skillful use of contemporary saxophone techniques its composers have utilized to express traditional Chinese musical elements. This document is a bibliographic resource that includes contemporary saxophone music written by living Chinese-born composers from 1952 until 2015. The Londeix guide to the saxophone repertoire, 1844–2012 by Jean-Marie Londeix and Bruce Ronkin is used as a model to make it convenient for readers to browse for contemporary Chinese saxophone works. Each entry contains available information, including dedication, program notes, instrumentation, level of difficulty and publication information. My resources for collecting the repertoire and its information include the Londeix guide, programs from major saxophone conferences, and personal networking with the composers. In addition, the essays on selected works offer a stylistic overview of contemporary Chinese saxophone music, giving a basic introduction to readers regarding various compositional styles that exist in this genre, as well as performance suggestions. The ultimate aim of this study is to promote contemporary saxophone music written by Chinese-born composers and to bring these composers and their works to a higher level of Western exposure. PROJECT CHINA: A RESOURCE OF CONTEMPORARY SAXOPHONE MUSIC WRITTEN BY CHINESE-BORN COMPOSERS by Xin Gao A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Musical Arts Greensboro 2016 Approved by _________________________________ Committee Chair © 2016 Xin Gao APPROVAL PAGE This dissertation written by XIN GAO has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Committee Chair ______________________________________________ Committee Members ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ____________________________ Date of Acceptance by Committee _________________________ Date of Final Oral Examination ii DISCLAIMER In this document, I will define the term Chinese-born, as a group of people originating from areas that share similarities in language and collectively represent a great majority of the inhabitants within the set perimeter of China and Taiwan. I have chosen to use the term Chinese-born because I do not wish to make claims about who identifies as “Chinese” or not. I realize the term used in this document might bring discomfort to certain people for the following reasons: 1) Chinese-born individuals, according to the definition in this document, who have immigrated to another part of the world and have changed their citizenship, may not wish to be labeled with the term “Chinese.” 2) Because of the present controversial political status around the south coast of China, people born in Hong Kong and Taiwan also may not wish to be labeled with the term “Chinese.” 3) There are people not born in China who would identify as Chinese. I consider that the word Chinese-born not only refers to the region now recognized as the People’s Republic of China, but also encompasses all areas that have been influenced by ancient Chinese culture. The following composition collecting process disregards the current controversial political status of the southern coast of China, and includes the region of Hong Kong as well as Taiwan. The focus of this research is to illuminate the influence of the deeply developed ancient Chinese legacy that has existed for thousands of years. The above areas all share a similarity of language, characteristics and cultural customs. By defining this term, I hope to avoid confusion of different understandings of the term Chinese-born. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................1 II. COLLECTION PROCESS AND SOURCES .......................................................5 III. ESSAYS .................................................................................................................9 Introduction ..................................................................................................9 Chinese Ancient Dances ............................................................................11 Monologue (Impressions on the True Story of Ah Q) ................................14 Agravic .......................................................................................................17 If I'm Lost – Now ........................................................................................20 Memories of Xiaoxiang ..............................................................................24 Open Secret ................................................................................................26 Let Us Create Man .....................................................................................29 Sunshine on Taxkurgan ..............................................................................35 The Summer of Grassland ..........................................................................41 Conclusion .................................................................................................46 IV. INDEX BY COMPOSERS ..................................................................................48 Abbreviations .............................................................................................48 Example .....................................................................................................50 Music Publishers ........................................................................................51 Bibliographic Format .................................................................................52 V. INDEX BY INSTRUMENTATION ...................................................................69 Solo Saxophone .........................................................................................69 Soprano Saxophone and Piano...................................................................69 Alto Saxophone and Piano .........................................................................69 Saxophone and Orchestra or Chinese Orchestra ........................................69 Saxophone and Chinese Traditional Instruments ......................................70 Two Saxophones ........................................................................................70 Three Saxophones ......................................................................................70 SATB Saxophone Quartet..........................................................................70 iv SATB Saxophone Quartet with Orchestra .................................................71 SATB Saxophone Quartet with Strings .....................................................71 SATB Saxophone Quartet with Chinese Instruments ................................71 Reed Quintet ..............................................................................................71 Multiple Saxophones .................................................................................71 Saxophone and Flute ..................................................................................71 Saxophone and Brass .................................................................................72 Saxophone and Violin ................................................................................72 Saxophone and Bass ..................................................................................72 Saxophone and Cello .................................................................................72 Saxophone and String Orchestra ................................................................72 Saxophone and Percussion .........................................................................72 Saxophone and Guitar ................................................................................73 Saxophone and Harp ..................................................................................73 Saxophone and Voice ................................................................................73 Saxophone and Electronics ........................................................................73 Chamber Music with Piano ........................................................................73 Unspecified Instrumentation ......................................................................74 VI. COMPOSER BIOGRAPHIES ............................................................................75 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................106