Piano etudes by Lo Maisho: trends in the development of the genre

Abstract

In the modern professional piano art of China, the genre of piano etude is an important part of musical culture and occupies a special place in the history of Chinese music. The first samples of etudes for piano by Chinese composers date back to the 20s of the last century and were created as pieces for the development of the pianist's technical skills. During the development of the genre, the artistic value of the sketches has increased: from a play of a technical nature, the sketches have become independent, dramaturgically constructed compositions. The composers rely on the intonation features of national music, use the melodies of traditional Chinese songs, and resort to modern writing techniques. However, innovation is usually limited to this. The young Chinese composer Luo Maisho created a series of etudes in which, on the one hand, he inherits traditional methods of composition, on the other, he violates the established foundations. For the first time, the metrorhythm region becomes a donor for structural transformations. The author of the article introduces the work of the young composer, offers an excursion into the history of the development of the piano etude genre in China, provides an analysis of the metrorhythmic organization of Lo Maisho's etudes. Thus, the purpose of the study is to analyze new trends in the development of the piano etude genre in China, the subject is the metrorhythmic organization of the musical fabric. In piano studies, Lo Maisho reaches a new level in the progression of the genre. He identifies new trends in Chinese piano music, introducing elements of folk songs, imitation of the sounds of traditional musical instruments, reflecting the imagery and various cultural characteristics of the peoples of various regions of China, introduces new techniques of metrorhythmic organization. The composer does not limit himself to the use of pentatonics, but resolutely strives for innovations in the genre of etude. It is noteworthy that the author departs from the established tradition, which is based on the use of Western European techniques combined with the intonation culture of Chinese melodies, he offers new forms of compositional solutions.