Week 4 discussion - japan, china, south korea
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How do attitudes toward traditionality and modernization affect music differently in China than they do in Japan and South Korea?
Attitudes toward traditionality and modernization in China are vastly different from those
of Japan and South Korea. While Japan and South Korea have made efforts to separate traditional music from modern music, China chose to “improve” and “modernize” their traditional music. Due to this, traditional Chinese music struggles to remain relevant. New, modernized music is pushed to the forefront to represent Chinese music to the rest of the world. According to Hon-Lun Yang, the complex musical interactions between the West and China over
many years and today have influenced the changes in Chinese music. Musical interactions between China and the West date back to the eighteenth century, a significant period in time when European missionaries settled in southern China to spread Christianity. Western music and musical practices were introduced to the Chinese imperial court by missionaries who served as government officials. Over the years, western music continued to permeate China through different means in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Following the New Cultural Movement of China in 1919, western music continued to gain popularity and eventually
became commonplace in Chinese cities, especially among the elite. Chinese intellectuals traveled
abroad to study western music. According to Yang, following intellectuals’ return from studying abroad, “Western music programs were founded at different universities in major cities and the establishment of the National Conservatory of Music in Shanghai in 1927 contributed to a large-
scale musical Westernization, regarded by intellectuals… as routes to modernity.” As of the 1930s, “Western music, also known as ‘new music,’ has coexisted in competition with traditional
Chinese music” (Yang, 2017). In all, China’s embrace of western music as and music practices as “new music” has helped shape their attitudes toward modernization and traditionality.
In contrast to China, traditional South Korean music is kept separate from modern music. Due to political strife, occupation by Japan, World War II, the Korean War, and the division of Korea into a north and south region, some traditions were lost. However, much of the traditional music continues to be preserved in musical museums of certain government institutions and the education system. The P’ansori
Narrative - “Song of Spring Fragrance” in our week 4 required reading is an example of a traditional Korean “folk song.” P’ansori
is a narrative song style that incorporates sing, storytelling, dramatic gestures, and drum. It seemed that the vocalist used different rhythms and tones to cycle through different moods and conjure different emotions. This adds to the drama in the story being told. To me it is reminiscent of opera. In 1964, the Ministry of Culture and Information elected performers of P’ansori
to be “holders of artistry or intangible cultural assets.” After all the hardships Korea faced and the different influences from outsiders, it seems that preserving their musical traditions and culture were a priority. On the other hand, Korea did desire to modernize its society regarding media, art, film, and recordings. The government did this by creating new rules and campaigns to change framework of Korea’s popular culture. They did this by regulating popular songs, implementing cultural new standards,
and banning some popular songs while simultaneously launching campaigns to make and disperse k
ŏ
nch
ŏ
n kungmin kayo
, which translated as “healthy national popular songs.” The song lyrics and musical styles in this newly promoted music aligned with the goals of the government to modernize by promoting self-reliance and national pride.
Japanese traditional music is well-defined and kept separate from modern music. Traditional music, including Japan’s court music Gagaku
and Bugaku
, and Sanyoku
continue to be preserved and sought out by people from all over the world. The Gagaku
Court song, “Etenraku,” in this week’s required listening showcases the medieval, ancient nature of Gagaku
court music. It has a range of wind, string, and percussion instruments and has an elegant, majestic melody. Traditional Japanese music such as Gagaku Court music is greatly different from Japanese modern music. Modern Japanese music has a great deal of western influence. In fact, one of the biggest genres in modernized Japanese music is known as J-pop. J-pop, much like western pop music is an umbrella under which different sub-genres fall, including R&B, dance, and cutesy band music. This type of modernized Japanese music is widely embraced, both
inside and outside of Japan. References
Gorlinski, Virginia. "p’ansori". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Nov. 2013, https://www.britannica.com/art/pansori. Accessed 30 June 2022
.
Lee, Jung Min Mina. "Singing its Way to Prosperity: Shaping the Public Mind through'Healthy Popular Music'in South Korea." Music and Politics 14.1 (2020).
Miller, Terry E., and Andrew Shahriari. World music: A global journey. Routledge, 2020.
Yang, Hon-Lun, and Michael Saffle. China and the West: Music, representation, and reception. University of Michigan Press, 2017.
China:
Traditional music is modernized
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South Korea:
Traditional music is separate from modern music
Traditional music preserved (museums, events), korean war
South korea: some traditions lost due to occupation by Japan
South korea: traditions preserved in museums, “ethnographic” villages, government -
sponsored cultural institutions, and the educational system.
Modern Korean art is derived from traditions, but traditional and modern are kept separate
P’ansori is one of the types of music that has been preserved through government support
o
Mostly found at concerts and institutionalized settings
Korean musicians have built new kinds of music while keeping the old alive. Today one finds orchestras of traditional instruments, the mixing of Korean and Western instruments, and various kinds of popular music that sound more or less Korean.
Japan:
Japan has tended to preserve its traditional music, theater, and dance separately from new
developments, offering visitors the opportunity to experience archaic forms much as they were hundreds of years ago.
Tradition is well-defined
Sankyoku: Three instruments—the koto (zither), the shakuhachi (flute), and shamisen (plucked lute)—are essential in Japanese music.
Folk music, festival and dance music, bhuddist chant, taiko drum associated with traditional ritual practices