Phonetics as a means of nationalising art songs: a comparative music-phonetics study based on Zhao Yuanren’s New Poetry Collection

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamic equilibrium between music and language within art songs, as exemplified in Zhao Yuanren's New Poetry Collection. Zhao Yuanren, a modern musician with a strong background in both phonetics and music theory, serves as the focal point of our research. Our primary objective is to explore how the fusion of new poetry and melodic compositions in Zhao Yuanren's works imbues art songs with a vivid sense of national identity. Through the provision of quantitative data, this study contributes to the evolution of Chinese art songs in the contemporary era and offers insights into the cultural implications of the genre. To analyze the structural characteristics and phonetic elements presented in the melodies of the New Poetry Collection, we employ visual image analysis. Additionally, we conduct acoustic data analysis, focusing on parameters such as frequency (Hz), intensity (dB), and pitch (st), which enable us to visually represent the speech sound aspects embedded in musical compositions and vocal performances. Our findings suggest the following: (1) Quantitative linguistic methodologies, as applied through the lens of linguistic musicology, offer a valid theoretical framework for the examination of Chinese art songs. (2) The subset of art songs under scrutiny in this study demonstrates adherence to specific linguistic constraints in various ways. (3) The phonetic elements identified in this research hold the potential to nationalise art songs and may have broader applications in other artistic domains. This study injects a rational, empirically grounded approach into the traditional realm of musicological cantorial relationships, thus providing valuable empirical data for the nationalisation of art songs. These findings underscore the practical significance of Chinese culture as a national treasure and lend support to the flourishing of Chinese art songs while preserving their cultural identity.