Rigidity and Flexibility: A Comparative Study of Traditional Chinese and Western Music from the Perspective of Complex Information System Theory

Donghe Li,Gengxian Cao

doi:10.3390/is4si-2017-03971

Abstract

Through discussion on the increments of unordered elements in the transition of 20th century western contemporary music, this paper investigates similarities between 20th century western music and traditional Chinese music. Analyzing chaos in Tradition Chinese Music scripts and inheritance and comparing the fractal features of Chinese and Western music, it also views, from the perspective of philosophy, the value and philosophical meaning of Chinese and Western music.

Highlights

Western music has the advantages of graceful melody, ordered rhythm and pleasing sound but its expression is greatly restricted by rhythm and stress
The modality of traditional western music cannot express the complexity of world and inner thinking
Science provides us with means to investigate into the complex world and the sensitive musicians were starting to breaking the traditions and orders in traditional western music that had been in place for hundreds of years, expressing the complexity of world and changes in human think

Summary

From Ordered to Unordered—Transition of 20th Century Western Music

Western music has the advantages of graceful melody, ordered rhythm and pleasing sound but its expression is greatly restricted by rhythm and stress. Science provides us with means to investigate into the complex world and the sensitive musicians were starting to breaking the traditions and orders in traditional western music that had been in place for hundreds of years, expressing the complexity of world and changes in human think. They broke traditions, gave up classics and replaced them with extension in music expression. Western musician in 20th century reduced and even gave up the principle of rigidity in composing and turned to the flexibility as in Chinese music They changed their focus in creating new music to the secondary creation by performers and learners. The establishment of new musical space-time concept and model must take into consideration the combination of the space-time view and value of both eastern and western music and contemporary science and philosophy. [1]

Fractal and Chaos Theory

Chaos in Traditional Chinese Music Scripts and Inheritance

Comparative Analysis of Traditional Chinese and Western Music

Comparative Analysis of Traditional Chinese and Western Music Score Scripts