Date of Award
2021
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Bachelor of Music Honours
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
First Supervisor
Dr Stuart James
Abstract
Asian music was an important influence upon some Western composers such as Claude Debussy, Giacomo Puccini, Maurice Ravel, Henry Cowell, Oliver Messiaen, John Cage and Lou Harrison. Since the 1960s, Australian composers such as Peter Sculthorpe, Anne Boyd, Richard Meale, and Julian Yu have similarly been influenced by music of Asia. In 2007, Chou Wen-chung wrote about today’s commercially oriented ‘world music’ environment, and addressed the need for Chinese composers to provide more meaningful contribution to the musical culture by writing music informed by knowledge drawn from their cultural heritage. As an Australian born Chinese composer, this exegesis was an opportunity for me to connect with my cultural heritage. This exegesis explored a compositional practice by analysing the techniques and devices of the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and exploring how such techniques can be employed to develop and enrich a compositional practice. The multimethod research involved firstly the analysis of the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto to establish the techniques attributed to a well known work of Chinese music. Secondly, this project involved the autoethnography and reflection over the creation of To Become Wind, a new six movement orchestral work exploring the techniques observed in the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto.
Recommended Citation
Yang, J. H. (2021). Exploring a compositional practice through the lens of The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto. Edith Cowan University. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/1560
Comments
Author also known as Jonathon Jie Hong Yang