Eastern elements,western techniques——an analysis on the thematic materials and their technical treatments from Chen Yi's Ning,a work for mixed trio.
LI Song-wen · 2007
Among the works composed by the contemporary Chinese composer Chen Yi, it is not difficult to realize that achieving a perfect blend between eastern and western cultural sources is always at the center of her artistic pursuit.Her chamber musical works Ning for mixed trio(violin,pipa,cello) is convincing evidence in this regard.The works portrays a scene of Nan Jing massacre which occurred during the Japan's invasion to China in the World War II.The two source materials underlying in this works are the Japanese traditional pentatonic scale and Chinese traditional folk tune The Jasmine Flower representing the intruder and the intruded respectively.These two materials are put together with atonal technique.The author carefully analyzes the sources of the two materials and how they are used technique in the works,striving for giving a convincing explanation on how materials from different cultural backgrounds are blended into a musical works through proper technical merits.