DOI: 10.36871 / hon.202102017

Authors

Chen Zekang
Russian State Specialized Academy of Arts, Moscow, Russian Federation

Abstract

The article introduces Jia Daqun's Concerto for Percussion and Symphony Orchestra "Fusion II" into Russian musicology for the first time. The work is considered as one of the illustrative examples of the inclusion of traditional Chinese percussion instruments in symphony orchestra. Following modern trends in unconventional ways of playing the tanggu solo drum, the composer achieves a timbre transformation which, along with rhythmic and dynamic qualities, allows to imitate the sound of Indian drums and African tambourines. The new sound created in this way becomes one of the indicators of the cross-cultural integration, which is accomplished not by mechanical borrowing of authentic musical material, but by developing a distinctive rhythmic pattern and sound production techniques. The combination of the timbres of Chinese gong and the vibrato of stringed instruments in Fusion II creates slowdowns and an "echo" effect typical for electronic music. In the Concerto all the features of the genre are observed, but the classical constant received a refraction in the light of modern processes, which required the composer to use new and sometimes harsh methods, almost completely eliminating the lyrical expression.

Keywords

traditional Chinese percussion instruments, sonorous technique, sound production techniques, timbre mixes, integration of musical cultures