Chinese Music and Translated Modernity in Shanghai, 1918-1937.

Abstract

This dissertation examines how early twentieth-century Chinese of Shanghai “hosted” the musical West in their discourses on music, and in their musical production. Theorizing the processes involved as ones of “musical translation,” this dissertation analyzes how the Chinese “musical hosts” asserted their cultural values and political agendas in their understanding and adoption of Western musical theories and practices. Chapter 1 introduces Shanghai, and the sources and methodology of the dissertation. Chapter 2 explains the concepts of musical translation and modernity. Chapter 3 re-constructs the musical world of Shanghai, tracing how Chinese musical translations emerged from the modernizing city where Chinese had unprecedented contacts with Westerners in semi-colonial conditions. The complex musical network of Shanghai cut across colonial boundaries, shaping participants’ translated and modern practices. Chapter 4 traces how the intellectual and musical lives of major participants were tied to the socio-political network of Shanghai. Chapter 5 examines the ways in which Chinese intellectuals and musicians negotiated translated musical knowledge, including the discourses of technology, Chinese history, morality, and national essence. Through these discourses, Chinese projected their national needs and values on the Western music theories and practices they “hosted.” Chapter 6 examines five modern Chinese musical compositions as cases of translational creativity, demonstrating their different translational levels and aspects. The five cases include a Chinese art song composed by Yuen Ren Chao, an erhu solo work composed by Liu Tianhua, a Chinese piano piece composed by He Luting, a sizhu ensemble piece arranged by Liu Raozhang, and a new Peking Opera play performed by Mei Lanfang. This dissertation concludes by addressing the problem of the continuity of translated modernity in the subsequent Communist era of Chinese history the need for future research on reception aspects of Chinese musical modernity.