John Powell - The Spirit of Great Oak

JOHN POWELL AND
THE HAN PEOPLE OF
CHINA
The Han People
The “Han People”?
• Western Hemisphere Bias: refers to the people China as a single
denomination, the Chinese.
• Reality of China’s ethnic group make up: Han, Zhuang, Hui ,
Manchu, Uyghur, Miao, Yi , Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai
(1.9 million), Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, and Dai.
• “Han”- in homage to the past Dynasty.
The “Han” People? Historical Backing
• Origin from The Han Dynasty ( 206BCE-220CE)
- Rivaled that of the Roman Empire
- considered a golden age: Arts, politics and technology
• Liu Bang (202 BCE)- first head to the Han Dynasty after the Qin Dynasty fell to
his siege
-first emperor to be of commoner background
• Emperor Wu Di’s (r. 141-87 BCE) achievement- the opening of the Silk Road.
• Fall Of an Empire: With natural disasters and Warlords sieging the empire, the Han
Dynasty falls with the dis-unification of China ( wouldn’t be reunified for 30 years)
• Left behind to this day : Calligraphy and Confucianism , Eurasia trade, respect,
traditions
Demographics Present Day
• The Han People are both the largest ethnic group in China, as well
as the world
• With a population of over 1.16 billion ( 19% of the world pop.)
• Found all throughout the country of China, as well as world (for
sake of specification, this PowerPoint will be focusing on the
Chinese affiliation, as it pertains to the largest accumulation)
• Mainly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River
(Huanghe), the Yangtze River(Changjiang), and the Pearl
River(Zhujiang) as well as the Songliao Plains.
The Han People of China
Culture: “Han Language”
• Language: Traditional Chinese characters and simplified Chinese
Characters.
• Commonly referred to as Mandarin Chinese: actually based on
Beijing-based dialect of the Han language
• Most widely spoken Chinese in the world!
Beliefs:
• Today: Gov. supported Atheism
• Various Christian denominations
• Confucianism
• Taoism - living in harmony, All the gods, including Laozi, are divine
emanations of celestial energy.
Confucianism
• Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism were the main religions of
Ancient China
• Confucianism: held onto today for the traditional beliefs.
• Over 2,000 years!
• Why so important?
• Greatly influenced Chinese Culture
ex. Family : 1. Eldest male is considered head of household
2. Respect given to elders
3. remain close to immediate family and extended
Confucianism and Music
• “Personal cultivation begins with poetry, is made firm by rules of
ceremonials, and is perfected by music.” - Lunyu, in the chapter “Tai
Po”
• Music in Confucianism is regarded as a device for self-cultivation, a
vehicle of self-expression, a force of social stability, a political tool,
and a medium of communion between man, nature and
supernatural powers.
• Meng Zi,: for whom all aesthetic activities must begin with human
virtues. He declares that the socio-political meaning of music will
function successfully when the enjoyment of music is “sharing with
people”. Accordingly, he introduces the new idea that modernpopular music is as ethically valid as traditional-classical music.
Lantern Festival : Yuan Xiao Jie
Festivals :
The Spring festival : The old New Years
A New Year to Take in Surplus Fortune.
A Fine Festival to Call in Eternal Spring.
Dragon Boat Festival: Duan wu Jie
Clear and bright festival: Qingming Jie
Double Seventh: Qixi Jie
Double Ninth Festival : Chongyang Jie)
Mid-Autumn Festival: Zhonqiu Jie
String Instruments From China
• The Lute Family
• Pipa – Four stringed, 30 frets, pear-shaped.
• Liuguin (small Pipa)
• Sanxian – Long necked lute, three strings, no frets
• Ruan- four stringed , moon-shaped lute with long neck and various
number of frets. Dated back before even the Qin Dynasty!
• Yueqin - moon-shaped lute ,shorter neck ,four strings, played with a
spectrum. Used for accompaniment at local operas!
String Instruments From China Cont.
• The Zither Family
• Guqin- seven stringed, without bridges. Over 3000 years of history.
• Zheng/Guzheng- Chinese zither with moveable bridge and 16-25
strings
• Harp Family
• Konghou- similar to harp, different as the bridge spanning the
strings looks similar to the guzheng.
Bow Stringed Instruments
• The Huqin Family ( Two Stringed)
• Erhu- two stinged fiddle. “Chinese violin”
• Zhong-hu (dev. 1940’s)- deeper-sounding timber to the Erhu,
suitable for singing melodies
• Jing-hu - accompanies the Beijing Opera
• Ban-Hu – accompaniment to northern tunes/ballads of local operas
• Gao-Hu- Cantonese folk melodies/operas. Vivid, brisk rhythms,
higher pitches
• Yehu- Coconut sound body
• Sihu- Four stringed huqin
• Zhuihu- story telling and operas. Fretless fingerboard
• Leiquin –modified version of Zhuihu
• Morin Khur(Ma-Tou-Qin) – Played like a Cello
Hammered String Instruments
• The Yang-Qin/ Chinese Dulcimer- near squared soundboard. Played
with two bamboo sticks
Winds:
• The Flute- Originally made of bamboo. Dates 7,000 year back
• Sheng – Reed Instrument. Series of bamboo pipes w/ various
lengths attached in circle to the base
• Guan- double reed instrument, Eight finger-holes
• Suona/dida/laba- double-reed wind instrument and middle section is
metal ball
• Dizi- bamboo, horizontally held vibration of a membrane.
Percussion:
• Metal
- Ba : flat piece of metal struck with malltet
-luo : a gong
• Hide
- da-gu : large drum
-tang-gu :
Wood:
-Bang-zi : wood clappers
-mu-yu : Wood block
Traditional Chinese Music
• Two Types : Classical and Folk
• Classical: Developed by the “scholars” of the past.
• Thematic, philosophical associations
• Typically played solo- qin, pipa, zither
• Lyrical dramas/ poetry linked – a poem without words in a sense
• Express human feelings/ spiritual elevation
• Required extensive mastery of the instrument
• Oral Tradition- Master to Student
• Scores from past impossible to play w/o intensive instruction
Classical Music Continued
• Type of people to play it: Wealthy and Monks
• Typically associated songs with self-cultivation ( Confucianism
ideal), Meditation, soul, union with nature, etc.
• Never performed in public
• Never associated oneself with “music profession”
- considered amongst lowest rank in class
- shameful to make a living from music
• Would only play for their family, friends, lovers.
Modern Classical Music
• Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) - classical music deemed
“bourgeois” and was outlawed
- spiritual connection washed away for “modern” ideology
• Anyone can play it now
• Classical Musical Professions are as common as ever though
Traditional Folk Music
• Many and varied due to the many ethnic groups
• Unlike classical, folk were often vocal/ instrumental ensembles
• Love songs, story telling, “silk and bamboo” ensembles, etc.
• Songs tend to inspiration towards the more contemporary pieces
• Easy to modify and enrich
Modern Chinese Orchestra
• Use of Chinese instruments
• Set up in the format of Western orchestral principles ( as well as certain
instruments, such as the timpani)
• Developed in the twentieth century
• Would use Traditional folk songs modified
• Advance techniques as well as incorporation of previously used solo
instruments
• Both Aspects of Traditional Chinese Music are incorporated with Western
ideals to create what Modern Chinese Orchestra is today
Reflections of the Moon on the Water of Erquan
• Orchestral piece that highlights the Erhu instrument
• Solo performance with orchestral backing, an Erhu Concerto! With
the Dizi responding on it’s own in a few instances
• Set at a nice andante of around 76 bpm
• Instruments included in this piece the Pipa, the Yangqin, the Dizi,
and the Ruan/ Zhongraun
• Subtle percussion during the middle of the phrase with the timpani
and cymbals help convey the more impactful middle part of the
phrase
• Piece begins and ends with the Erhu making a call
• Responded to by the strings and winds
JOHN POWELL
• British Composer
• John Powell was born on September 18, 1963 in London, England.
• First instrument: Violin at age 7
• British Composer
• Didn’t listen to pop music until his teens, preferring classical.
• Studied at the Trinity College of Music in London
• His father, Tuba player, encouraging musical influence in support.
JOHN POWELL: Musical Career Prior to 1997
• Tape operator at Sir George Martin’s after graduating
• Originally left college with pursuit of composing classical music for a
living, but reality soon hit
• First paid work as a composer came from ad jingles
• Mid-1990’s: technical expertise leads to him being referred to Hans
Zimmer
• Economic influence leads to Powell leaving London.
• Powell moved to Los Angeles in 1996, with Hans Zimmer as a mentor
figure
JOHN POWELL: Musical Career from 1997-2014
• First Feature Film appearance : Face/Off (1997)
• From then he’s composed for other popular films such as : The
Bourne Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum, Happy Feet, Shrek,
and How to Train Your Dragon
• Studios he’s worked with: DreamWorks, Hollywood Pictures,
Paramount, New Line, Universal Pictures, 20 th Century Fox, Warner
Bros, Showtime, Colombia, Touchstone Blue Sky Studios, Walt
Disney , and Illumination Entertainment
• Has won 25 awards since 1998, and has been nominated for at least
another 38
Musical Influences Through Composition Of
Movie Films
• Collaboration with Jonsi of Sigur Ros on tracks for How to Train
Your Dragon 2
• Jean Sibelius( a Finnish composer whom John Powell studied and
enjoyed)
• Travelled to the Amazon with the king of bossa nova, Sergio
Mendes (“a walking Wikipedia of Brazilian music”), for Rio 2;
• Conducting a choir of 600 in Australia for Happy Feet (2006).
• His own moral standard :” You’ll notice there are types of film I
don’t do and never would – or maybe did earlier in my career and
regretted. Films that don’t bring anything good to the world.”
“Forbidden Friendship” –Nominated for best
soundtrack of 2010
• The marimba/xylophone
• Bells
• ethereal female voices
• sleigh bells
• extremely unique ambience.
• Celtic instruments include:
• Strings
• Set around a nice allegro pace
• Penny Whistle around 2:15, shortly after vocals are added
• Harpsichord around 2:30
• Harp
• chimes
Differences
“Forbidden Friendship”
“Reflections of the Moon on the Water of
Erquan”
• Allegro
• Andante
• Voices come and go
• Focuses on a single voice through
the entire piece, Erhu.
• Different voices hold the melody
• Constant percussion in background
• Low reverberating noise also constant.
Sampler patches. Chimes
• Vocals
• Timpani voice at the beginning of song
• Small use of percussion
• Call and response
• Orchestral Accompaniment
• Timpani more towards the middle
Similarities
“Forbidden Friendship”
“Reflections of the Moon on the Water of
Erquan”
• - Both the group and the composer take on aspects of different cultures
to emphasize their piece ( Moon= Timpani, and Forbidden Friendship=
Marimba)
• - Both focus on folk/ traditional music/qualities in their modern renditions
• -Both produce a calming ambience
• Both use a harmonizing of strings and counter melody throughout the
pieces
• End on a resolution
Secondary (Change the Title)
They’re both able to produce a calming sort of atmosphere, which is
crazy to think. Because the fact that these two scores of music were
made on different continents, using different resources, at separate
periods of time, yet can convey the same harmonic revelation of
serenity and and balance means that on a global scale, we are all
converging not only socially, nor economically, but through the arts
as well.
Primary
• Both the group and the composer take on aspects of different cultures to emphasize
their piece
• “Forbidden Friendship” uses the penny whistle, as well as what sounds like a low
marimba patch along with bells.
• “Reflections of the Moon on the Water of Erquan” uses the timpani as well as Western
set up during the orchestral seating as well as overall structure of the piece
• Together they both use timpani
• Overall this is conveying the further unification our world is experiencing as esteemed
composers begin to pick and choose different cultural aspects to be included in their
pieces, and even the government encouragement of what should be deemed the
musical modernization of China. Even a country whom in the past, had no correlations
and refused to be associated with capitalist, western beliefs have slowly begin to
converge on the bare minimum of the western arts.
• This can lead a person to what the future will hold. Will we one day reach a point in
time where there no longer can be a distinction between cultural music? And then will
it just stay in the arts, or will boundaries begin to blur as the age of technology only
bring us all ever so closer? Only time will tell.
Citations
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n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/nationality/han>.
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• EdwART. "Modern Chinese Orchestra." Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. N.p., 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://contemporary_chinese_culture.academic.ru/532/modern_Chinese_orchestra>.
• "Han Chinese, the Han, Han Language." Han Chinese, the Han, Han Language. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.chinatraveldepot.com/C184-Han-Chinese>.
• "History - Historical Viewpoints." The Influences of Confucius. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://history.culturalchina.com/en/182History5836.html>.
• "John Powell Interview: ‘I Sold Myself to the Devil, Just a Bit’." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 1 Jun e 2014.
Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/news/john-powell-interview-i-sold-myself-to-thedevil-just-a-bit-9466955.html>.
• "Library." Taoism Origins, Taoism History, Taoism Beliefs. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.patheos.com/Library/Taoism.html>.
• Shanghai Chinese Orchestra Teacher Guide (n.d.): n. pag. Lied.ku.edu. University of Kansas. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
<http://lied.ku.edu/documents/education/ShanghaiChineseOrchestraTeacherGuide2.pdf>.
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Chinese Music Instruments. Philmultic Management & Productions Inc., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.philmultic.com/home/instruments/>.
• "Traditional Festivals." Traditional Festivals. Tour Around China, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.tourroundchina.com/festival.htm>.
• Violatti, Cristian. "Han Dynasty." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 27 May 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.ancient.eu/Han_Dynasty/>.
• Wu, Annie. "The Han Dynasty." ChinaHighlights. N.p., 16 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/the-han-dynasty.htm>.