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CS92PROD
Chinese Music and Theater
MUSC 114
Spring 2012 not offered
Crosslisting: EAST 114

This course explores a variety of musical and theatrical genres in Chinese culture. A combination of lectures and performance, the course is designed to lead students to comprehend the fundamental concepts of Chinese music and theater through both in-depth reading and hands-on musical practice. The goal of this course is not to master Chinese music and theater, but to cultivate a broad view to appreciate the musical and theatrical diversity in Chinese culture.
The course consists of three interrelated parts. It begins with a survey of music genres in Chinese culture, with a focus on sizhu (silk-and-bamboo) and modern orchestral music. Students will learn diverse musical styles, forms, and instruments not only from a number of audio and video examples, but also by playing some instruments such as dizi (Chinese flute), erhu (Chinese fiddle), and ruan (moon-shaped guitar). Then the course moves onto a section of music in Chinese wuxia (knight-errant) and kunfu movies, exploring how traditional music functions as an integrated part, facilitating the filmic narratives and the construction of Chinese identity and masculinity. The last part of the course highlights Peking (Beijing) opera, a representative form of Chinese theater. Initiated by a brief introduction to the genre, students will spend a great amount of time learning basic movements, acrobatic skills, combat conventions, as well as Peking opera percussion music.

Essential Capabilities: None
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA MUSC
Course Format: LectureGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None

Last Updated on MAR-28-2024
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