Jiangnan Sizhu
“Jiangnan Sizhu” translates into music created with string and wind instruments of Jiangnan, an area north of Shanghai. The music was popularized by a famous quartet in the second half of the 20th century but is still considered to be a folk tradition and informal rather than professional. Of all the Jiangnan Sizhu repertoire, there are eight that are particularly popular, called the Eight Great Pieces (Ba Da Qu) (Wu). This investigation will be using “Walking in the Street” (Xing Jie 行街 ), one of the Eight Great Pieces as part of the comparison.
The music of Jiangnan Sizhu is quite busy, as instruments in an ensemble will play continuously and frequently use ornamentation (Miller). The Eight Great Pieces are fundamentally based upon the major pentatonic scale, although pieces often require an additional two tones to form diatonic scales. The music is heterophonic because instrumentalists play the same tune and vary it through ornamentation and other rhythmic variations (Wu).
The music of Jiangnan Sizhu is quite busy, as instruments in an ensemble will play continuously and frequently use ornamentation (Miller). The Eight Great Pieces are fundamentally based upon the major pentatonic scale, although pieces often require an additional two tones to form diatonic scales. The music is heterophonic because instrumentalists play the same tune and vary it through ornamentation and other rhythmic variations (Wu).
Gamelan
Gamelan is traditional ensemble music of the Java and Bali islands of Indonesia and its instrumentation primarily features percussion. Udan Mas in Pélog Barang, from the Java islands is the piece that has been analysed in this investigation.
Instruments of Gamelan Music, their functions and playing have been compared with those in Jiangnan Sizhu and similarities have arisen. Since Gamelan music is orchestral in conception and instrumentation, instruments have different roles. Some would play the principle melody, and others are known as Elaborating instruments (Lindsay).
Instruments of Gamelan Music, their functions and playing have been compared with those in Jiangnan Sizhu and similarities have arisen. Since Gamelan music is orchestral in conception and instrumentation, instruments have different roles. Some would play the principle melody, and others are known as Elaborating instruments (Lindsay).
* It is advised to listen to the recordings from Youtube on the Bibliography and Sources page so the musical elements that are discussed are contextualised. However, the transcriptions describe everything that is discussed as well.
* Transcriptions taken from Gamelan recordings are purely Western approximations of notes.
* Transcriptions taken from Gamelan recordings are purely Western approximations of notes.