Musical study of The Butterfly Lovers violin concerto by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang. Tracing its cultural background in China, analyzing in terms of the concerto's form, melody, scale, mode, harmony, and orchestration and discussing the more unusual technical demands of violin playing made by this concerto.

This study demonstrated that the piano, a typical Western instrument, became the Chinese composer's tool for expressing the sound ideals and tone qualities that are intrinsic to Chinese music. A new musical idiom was created in these piano compositions, an idiom that combined Western compositional techniques and traditionally-based Chinese ideals.

This documents aims at the identification of the sources of influence upon the styles of selected 20th century Chinese composers. Personal influences are reflected as well as those general influences specific to the different stylistic periods discussed. Most important, however, is the description of the methods by which these composers employ contemporary compositional devices to project musical gestures that are uniquely Chinese: elements of culture which are fundamentally programmatic and intimately related to the lives of the Chinese people. The introduction of Western music and musical instruments to China in the early 17th century and cultural exchanges with Japan served to gradually westernize the musical environment and training. The establishment of decidedly Western schools was accomplished at the beginning of this century, with the founding of Peking University and Shanghai National Conservatory. Music theory was taught, as well as history and composition, but with an emphasis on the practices of the 18th and 19th centuries. Compositions from this period reflect Western techniques from these eras, with some use of the pentatonic scale. In the 1930's, nationalism arose, a mirroring of the 19th-century European nationalistic trends. This philosophical conception has remained essentially unchanged to the present, as composers have aimed to utilize Western techniques to create artistic works and compositional styles which are uniquely Chinese. The musical works examined are limited to works for piano solo, as it is believed these are often more immediately revealing of compositional techniques and stylistic idioms.

Ng, Ka Chai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 199-216). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i-iii / Acknowledgements --- p.iv-v / List of Plates --- p.vii / List of Examples --- p.viii-x / List of Tables --- p.xi / List of Abbreviations --- p.xii-xvi / Chapter Chapter One --- "Introduction: Mission, Liturgy, Music, and the Study of Catholic Church in China" --- p.1-14 / Chapter Chapter Two --- Overview of the History of Chinese Catholic Church: Evangelization and Indigenization --- p.15-28 / Chapter Chapter Three --- Catholic Liturgy and Music in China: Between Orthodoxy and Participation --- p.29-57 / Chapter Chapter Four --- "Vincent Lebbe's Experiences, and the Formation of his Ideas towards Liturgy, Music and Monasticism" --- p.58-75 / Chapter Chapter Five --- "The Chant Books of Lebbe: Sources, Structures and Liturgical Practices" --- p.76-110 / Chapter Chapter Six --- Stylistic Features of Lebbe's Arrangements of Gregorian Chant for Chinese Language --- p.111-154 / Chapter Chapter Seven --- Conclusion: Receptions and Cultural Representation of Vincent Lebbe's Chinese Gregorian Chant --- p.155-170 / Appendices / Notes to the Appendices --- p.171 / Appendix A - Contents of Lebbe's Chant Book for the Divine Office --- p.172-192 / Appendix B - Contents of Lebbe's Chant Book for Benediction --- p.193-195 / Appendix C - Contents of Lebbe's Chant Book for the Mass --- p.196-198 / Bibliography --- p.199-216