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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Pipa pai : concept, history and analysis of style Lin, Esther E-Shiun

Abstract

Imported into China about two millenia ago, the pipa, a four-stringed plucked lute, and its music, have become treasures in Chinese culture. Solo pipa music has continued to dominate Chinese music culture because of its close association with the pai ("school") tradition. The main focus of this thesis is upon the development of a comprehensive understanding of pipa schools through social, historical and analytical perspectives. In the Introduction, my purpose, methods and scope of the investigation and the relevant reference sources will be discussed. Chapter I is concerned with the nature, formation, gender identification and professionalism and amateurism of school tradition. Following this, Chapter II deals with the history of known pipa schools and their different concepts. Lastly in Chapter III, three detailed transcriptions of one piece, BawangXiejia ("The Warlord Removes His Armour"), will be compared to reveal characteristics of Wang pai, Pudong pai and Pinghu pai. Emphasis is placed on the form of each version and the performance techniques specific to each school. The form is analyzed under the following three categories: titles of sections, metered and free meter sections, and thematic content.

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