Application of Musical Narrative Theory in Chinese Piano Solo Pieces

Narrative theory, a well-established analytical approach in literature and film studies, has increasingly been applied to musical analysis with promising results. Musical narrative theory can help us uncover the emotional depth and cultural significance of compositions, enriching our interpretation, performance, and overall appreciation of music as a powerful storytelling medium. However, its application has predominantly focused on European/Western music, leaving a gap in the analysis of Chinese music. This dissertation seeks to address this gap by applying narrative theory, drawing on Byron Almén's framework, to three selected Chinese piano solo pieces: Zhao Zhang’s Ballade (2013) and Pi-Huang (1995), and Qigang Chen ’s Instants d’un Opéra de Pékin (2000). By analyzing these works with key parameters such as form, motives/themes, meter, and tonality, in this dissertation, I identify their narrative archetypes and provide interpretations of the emotion and narrativity of the music. This study expands the analytical methods applied to Chinese piano works, offering valuable insights for performers and listeners alike. Additionally, it demonstrates how narrative theory can assist listeners who are unfamiliar with the Chinese cultural references in these pieces in understanding their emotional trajectories. Even without prior knowledge of the cultural or thematic elements embedded in a piece, listeners can use narrative theory as a guide to navigate and understand the narrativities found in Chinese music. The dissertation includes an overview of the goals of the research, a literature review, and description of the methodology in Chapter One, followed by detailed analyses of the selected pieces in Chapters Two to Four. The final chapter presents conclusions and suggests areas for future research.

Author

• HAO, YIYAO

• Chinese Piano Works Analysis
• Narrative Archetypes
• Narrative Theory
• Trans-Cultural Music Analysis

Identifier

hdl:1920/14339

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:MARS:1920/14339