Peculiarities of the folk songwriting of China on the example of melodies of the northern province of Hebei and the southern province of Guizhou

Abstract

This article examines the melodies of the northern province of Hebei and the southern province of Guizhou as an example for considering the features of Chinese folk songwriting. This work can serve as a reference material for those who study culture, in particular the musical art of China, as well as the translation of Chinese folk art materials. The author focuses on the influence of cultural and social features of the development of society on the folk art of China, and notes that it is very diverse. The first song of Hebei is called "Little cabbage" and tells the sad story of a little girl who lost her mother. The second song "Sun is shining on Baiyan" first appeared in the southern province of Guizhou and depicts the development of the relationship between a man and a woman through symbols and images. This article is first to provides commented translations of the two Chinese folk songs in Russian and English. Based on the analysis of the melodies and lyrics of "Little cabbage" and "Sun is shining on Baiyan", the author draws the following conclusions: natural and socio-cultural realities strongly influence the tunes of songs; symbolism and the use of metaphors are a specific feature of the Chinese folk songwriting; folk songs, as well as musical art overall in China, are built on a pentatonic scale; Chinese folk songs are characterized by unison singing.