llf@houxz.UUCP (L.FENG) (05/07/84)
Can anyone send me information on the difference between the "Western" scale and use thereof vs the oriental "Chinese" scale and use thereof? Is there some source where such information can be found? Is anyone interested in suggesting some good examples of "classical" Chinese music pieces/sources here in the US? (or folk music, for that matter) I always seem to have trouble finding anything other than the standard Western "classical" stuff. Lynda houxz!llf
gtaylor@cornell.UUCP (05/08/84)
Back when there was only net.music a few weeks ago, I posted a similar article on gamelans and southeast Asian recordings in general. I'll do it again, though. Sources of recording: There are really about 3 basic sources for most good good ethnic recording. Keep in mind, though, that a good number of them will have been made as a document rather than a performance. You may find some real ethno-buzzfests in this lot. First and foremost, I'd recommend the OCORA label (French-the label of RTF). They have a series on world/religious musics that I've yet to hear a clinker performance on. The pressings are uniformly excellent, and the quality of the recordings themselves really seem a cut above most of the similar recordings. OCORAs run a bit on the high side for cost, but they are, in my opine, worth every penny. For the mosre budget minded among you, I would suggest the "Explorer" series put out by the Nonesuch label. They are a real bargain, and some great care has been taken to choose the recordings in such a way as to give the listener a good sense of the "pattern" of non-western traditions. You may also find that the specific instrumental tradition you're interested in will be covered on a single album. Typically, these records run in the $5-$6 range if you can find a decent store-a real steal. The Folkways label, unknown to many, has invested a good deal of time and effort in documenting world musics. You'll find, I think , that many of their recordings are in the more obviously "ethnographic" realm. The quality of individual recordings vary widely, and the general tone of the recording series as a whole is more scholarly (ie: seven regional sample of noseflute styles in Western Borneo....)in its orientation. The nice part about Folkways stuff is that NONE of the catalog is out of print. Sources of reading material: You may want to check out a couple of excellent general introductions to world musics. Generally, these titles are written with an eye to givign the reader a general introduction to musical "families", and the common patterns and variations found in cross-cultural situations. For this, I'd recommend "Music of the WHole Earth (which looks like it was drawn by a bunch of aging hippies, but has a pretty nice sense of content to it) by Beck, or "An Introduction to the Music of the World" (whose author's name escapes me at the moment-in fact, I'm no that sure that tha's the actual title. Send me mail if you want the REAL title. There is also a recent scholarly publication on the techniques for the Chinese ch'in that's been making some waves in the journals. It's a reconstructed manuscript translated and pieced together. I hope that this is of some help to you. Feel free to give me a call if you've got any queries. Regards, gtaylor(Gregory Taylor)@cornell