Chou Wen-chung and his music: A musical and biographical profile of cultural synthesis
The main point of Richard Waterman's theory of syncretism is that, when musical elements in two cultures are compatible, a synthesis would most likely occur. According to this, the seemingly incompatible nature of Chinese and Western musical elements could have prevented a fusion. Since Chou Wen-Chung's musical fusion is successful and is representative of the prevalent practice among contemporary composers, this study has especially been motivated to shed new light on this issue by seeking an explanation with an ethnomusicological perspective for Chou's success and its implications in contemporary music both in the East and the West.
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign