Stylistic Origins of Chinese Pianism

Abstract

The majority of foreign observers recognize that the most important aspect of Chinese pianism is its technical perfection, which can be explained in two ways: first, by social factors (the close resemblance between the traditional Confucian conception of education and the foundations of learning to play the piano, parents’ interest in their children’s success as pianists, the competitive nature of Chinese society), and second, by the classical setting of children’s piano education to develop strict finger technique. Though it was unable to gain traction at all levels of Chinese piano teaching, the image of “singing on the piano” was also important for the development of Chinese pianism. The monosyllabic nature of the contributes language, as well as the dynamic brokenness and temporal syncopation of its intonation contribute to the specificity of the “singing on the piano” tradition in Chinese music culture. In general, the performing image of the piano in China is comparable to the image of the “salon piano,” just as the current piano boom in China is comparable to the “golden age” of the piano in Europe and America at the close of the 19th century. Keywords: Chinese pianism, Chinese piano education, image of the piano, singing on the piano, musical intonation, piano performance.