Sunday, March 22, 2015
Bibliography
Anderson, William M., and Patricia Shehan Campbell. "Music of East Asia." Multicultural Perspectives in Music Education, Volume III. 3rd ed. Vol. 3. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Pub. Group, 2011. 274. Print.
Campbell, Patricia Shehan, and Carol Kassner. "Music, Children, and Cultural Diversity."Music in Childhood: From Preschool through the Elementary Grades. 4th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Schirmer Cengage Learning, 2013. 480. Print.
"Fengyang Flower Drum." Confucius Institute Online. 30 Nov. 2009. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. <http://www.chinese.cn/culture/en/article/2009-11/30/content_40329.htm>.
Heritage String Band. Oh Susannah! Heritage String Band Productions, 2004. MP3.
Music Time. Feng Yang Flower Drum. Records DK, 2015. MP3.
"Oh Susanna!" Ballad of America. American Heritage Music, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. <http://www.balladofamerica.com/music/indexes/songs/ohsusanna/>.
Sabatella, Matthew. Oh Susanna! Matthew Sabatella and the Rambling String Band. Ballad of America, 2006. MP3.
Silk Road Music. Feng Yang Flower Drum. Silk Road Music, 2001. MP3.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
The Links
O Susanna and The Flower Drum Song are two pieces that represent distinct musical styles. O Susanna is a typical American folk song, while the Feng Yeng Flower Drum Song comes from traditional Chinese folk music. But despite their differences, the two pieces have indisputable similarities such as their basis in the major pentatonic scale, their conjunct melodic contour, and the repetitive form of the pieces.
Both pieces use the major pentatonic scale for the melodies. The beginning of O Susanna is an ascending line that directly corresponds with the notes of the scale. The Flower Drum song is also using the pentatonic scale as it only uses five notes throughout the song, leaving out the subdominant and the leading tone. The pentatonic scale is one of the defining characteristics of both Chinese music and American folk music. This exemplifies a clear musical link between two differing musical cultures.
The use of conjunct melodic lines also signifies a link between the folk music of these extremely different cultures. The largest interval jump in the Feng Yeng Flower Drum Song is a major 6th. The largest interval jump in O Susanna is a major 3rd. In both pieces, an easy to follow, singable melody is highlighted by the lack of disjunct phrases. This is a stylistic feature of folk music because it has to be passed down orally in a culture, so it must be easy to remember and easily sung. These two pieces clearly follow this idea, showcasing a connection between the two cultures and pieces.
Finally, the repetitive strophic form of the pieces ties them together musically. Both O Susanna and The Flower Drum Song are in AAA strophic form because they have a single melodic section that is repeated with different lyrics throughout the song. O Susanna differs slightly in that it has a chorus that interjects the verses, which the Flower Drum Song repeats the exact same verse three times in a row with no refrain. The form of these pieces is again a stylistic component that makes them folk music. The form allows for the songs to be easily remembered and passed to new generations, helping to build a cultural music identity.
Both pieces use the major pentatonic scale for the melodies. The beginning of O Susanna is an ascending line that directly corresponds with the notes of the scale. The Flower Drum song is also using the pentatonic scale as it only uses five notes throughout the song, leaving out the subdominant and the leading tone. The pentatonic scale is one of the defining characteristics of both Chinese music and American folk music. This exemplifies a clear musical link between two differing musical cultures.
The use of conjunct melodic lines also signifies a link between the folk music of these extremely different cultures. The largest interval jump in the Feng Yeng Flower Drum Song is a major 6th. The largest interval jump in O Susanna is a major 3rd. In both pieces, an easy to follow, singable melody is highlighted by the lack of disjunct phrases. This is a stylistic feature of folk music because it has to be passed down orally in a culture, so it must be easy to remember and easily sung. These two pieces clearly follow this idea, showcasing a connection between the two cultures and pieces.
Finally, the repetitive strophic form of the pieces ties them together musically. Both O Susanna and The Flower Drum Song are in AAA strophic form because they have a single melodic section that is repeated with different lyrics throughout the song. O Susanna differs slightly in that it has a chorus that interjects the verses, which the Flower Drum Song repeats the exact same verse three times in a row with no refrain. The form of these pieces is again a stylistic component that makes them folk music. The form allows for the songs to be easily remembered and passed to new generations, helping to build a cultural music identity.
O Susanna!
Published in 1848, O Susanna quickly became one of the hallmarks of American cultural music. The piece was written by Stephen Collins Foster at the age of 21 (American Ballads) and it kick started his illustrious music career of 37 years and over 200 songs. The song gained it's immense popularity during the California Gold Rush of 1849 and it retained its popularity throughout the Civil War Era. The song is about a man from the American South going to Louisiana to see his lover. Ever since its publication, O Susanna has been a staple of folk music in the American Appalachia and the country as a whole.
Version of the Song- https://soundcloud.com/kendall-gardner-3/oh-susannah
Online Version of the Song- MEdium- The instrumentation of this piece involves a dominant banjo part, a fiddle or flute in some versions, and voicing. The instrumentation is fairly thin, occasionally (like in the first example) it contains light percussion like a tambourine.
MEter- This song is in duple simple meter (2/4) in most instances. Occasionally it is written in common time.
HArmony- Both versions are homophonic, but at times the second version is monophonic. The instrumental accompaniment is repetitive in both selections. In the first version, it tends to echo the voice. In the second version it does not do this and the accompaniment has a continuous rhythmic pattern in the strings that only changes pitches. In the first selection, the voices sing in harmony typically in major triads throughout the song. The second version only has two voices, one tends to sing a fourth above the original melody.
MElody- The melody is based on the major pentatonic scale and the notes used in the first part of the song directly correspond to the scale (tonic, supertonic, mediant, dominant, submediant). The melodic line is conjunct and the contour is undulating for most of the song.
FOrm- This song is in Strophic form using the same tune, but different lyrics for each verse. Breaking up the verses is a refrain that comes back throughout the song.
STYle- The Strophic form, repetitive instruments, conjunct melodic structure, step wise motion, simple intervalic relationships, and major chords make this song extremely easy to sing along to. Folk songs were transmitted orally and were used in popular culture, so they had to be easy to sing. These components of O Susanna mark it as a traditional folk song.
Feng Yang Flower Drum Song
The Flower Drum Song originated under the Ming Dynasty in China's Anhui Province. Originally, the song was sorrowful as it was used by the Chinese people to beg in the streets after floods and droughts plagued their region. Traditionally, the song is sung by a young woman who simultaneously beats a drum decorated with flowers that is attached to her waist. She is accompanied by a man on a percussion instrument, sometimes a small gong (Music in Childhood). The combination of performers was typically a husband and wife or siblings (Chinese Culture website). Because the song became so popular, it evolved throughout modern history and now includes dances and other forms of theatrical performance. The Flower Drum Song has become a symbol of Chinese culture, it even inspired an American Broadway musical about China under the same name.
Instrumental Version of the Song- https://soundcloud.com/kendall-gardner-3/feng-yang-flower-drum
Version with Vocals (Including an English translation)- https://soundcloud.com/kendall-gardner-3/feng-yang-flower-drum-vocals
MEdium- Both versions of the song include cymbals, gongs, drums, Chinese flutes (such as possibly the Dizi), and strings. Typical string instruments in China that could have been used in the song are the Erhu (Chinese violin), the Guzheng (plucked zither), and the Pipa (Chinese lute).
MEter- This song is written in common time (simple quadruple meter)
HArmony- The Flower Drum Song has a major tonality and uses instrumentation to echo the vocal line. It has a major tonality and is structured around the pentatonic scale built around the tonic, supertonic, mediant, dominant, and submediant of the chord.
MElody- As previously stated, this song is based on the major pentatonic scale. This allows for a conjunct, easily singable melody. There is an undulating melodic contour because every time the melodic line descends, it is balanced out by a consequent ascending melodic line. The largest interval in the song is a 6th, from the tonic to the submediant in the "Drr piao" section.
FOrm- The vocal and instrumental versions of the piece are both written in strophic (AAA) form. The instrumental version is slightly different in that A section is altered the last time it is played because it has a faster tempo and altered pitch and rhythm structures to add interest for the end of the piece. The vocal version of the song still follows strophic form, but in each section there are two parts. One is sung in Chinese and the other in English. Then at the end of the piece the Chinese singing is layered over the English for a finale effect.
STYle- This piece is a traditional Chinese folk song. It is Chinese because of its instrumentation, language, and pentatonic basis. The folk categorization of this piece comes from the conjunct and repetitive nature of the melody. This allows for it to be easily singable and passed down from generation to generation.
Instrumental Version of the Song- https://soundcloud.com/kendall-gardner-3/feng-yang-flower-drum
Version with Vocals (Including an English translation)- https://soundcloud.com/kendall-gardner-3/feng-yang-flower-drum-vocals
MEdium- Both versions of the song include cymbals, gongs, drums, Chinese flutes (such as possibly the Dizi), and strings. Typical string instruments in China that could have been used in the song are the Erhu (Chinese violin), the Guzheng (plucked zither), and the Pipa (Chinese lute).
MEter- This song is written in common time (simple quadruple meter)
HArmony- The Flower Drum Song has a major tonality and uses instrumentation to echo the vocal line. It has a major tonality and is structured around the pentatonic scale built around the tonic, supertonic, mediant, dominant, and submediant of the chord.
MElody- As previously stated, this song is based on the major pentatonic scale. This allows for a conjunct, easily singable melody. There is an undulating melodic contour because every time the melodic line descends, it is balanced out by a consequent ascending melodic line. The largest interval in the song is a 6th, from the tonic to the submediant in the "Drr piao" section.
FOrm- The vocal and instrumental versions of the piece are both written in strophic (AAA) form. The instrumental version is slightly different in that A section is altered the last time it is played because it has a faster tempo and altered pitch and rhythm structures to add interest for the end of the piece. The vocal version of the song still follows strophic form, but in each section there are two parts. One is sung in Chinese and the other in English. Then at the end of the piece the Chinese singing is layered over the English for a finale effect.
STYle- This piece is a traditional Chinese folk song. It is Chinese because of its instrumentation, language, and pentatonic basis. The folk categorization of this piece comes from the conjunct and repetitive nature of the melody. This allows for it to be easily singable and passed down from generation to generation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)