Beijing Opera plays and Performance
Every Beijing opera troupe aims for a playable balance of role types. This balance is often described through analogy to a table whose top is supported by four beams that in turn are supported by four...
The Influence of Western Instruments on the Development of Chinese Music
At the beginning of the 20th century,western music pushed open China's gates,and the Chinese gradually accepted western music instruments and learned performance and composition of instrumental mu...
Entering the 20th century, Chinese music started a new era.
With the implementation of "rescinding keju (old education and talent-selection system of ancient China) and promoting schools" and other "new political measures" and the"Sugg...
The Rise of Contemporary Chinese Music Culture
China has undergone tremendous changes in the 20th century, including the culture of the whole society, social value orientation and people's way of thinking. This is also a phase of East-West cul...
Traditional Chinese music influenced by Zen Buddhism
Zen is a school of Buddhism in China. Its doctrine focuses on an enlightened mind, becoming a Buddha after sudden enlightenment, natural Buddhist nature, and relief. Zen highlights inwardness and sudd...
Taoism in traditional Chinese music
Ancient Chinese philosophy included two types of concepts about "heaven": One was "the Dao (natural way) of heaven,"which was to say, heaven was nature. Just as Laozi said,"Pe...
The Development of Chinese Music during the Song and Yuan Dynasties
The urban economic boom in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) led to the emergence of"goulan,""washe"and other entertainment places that catered to the cultural lives of the people.In the...
Music development in China during the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties
The Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC)saw the beginning of the transition of Chinese society from a primitive one to one of slavery. The music dances, previously for totem sacrifices,were used to extol monarc...
Propriety and Music in Confucianism
Confucius's ideas about music apparently had a conservative and retrospective color.He insisted on "being happy but not lascivious,and being sentimental but not mawkish."Music shou...
The 'Eight Tone' Instruments and Confucian Ideals
Zhou court scholars can be credited with inventing the world's earliest system of musical instrument classification. While many instruments are mnentioned in the Shijing (Classic of Songs, c.7th c...
