Research Of Microtone

The research range of this paper involves three pieces of contemporarycompositions------《Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima》( KrzysytofPenderecki) ,《Ramifications》(Gyorgy Ligeti) and《Cassandra's dream song》(Brian Femeyhough), which related to microtone; the research focus is on the different using methods and purposes of the microtone, and at the same time, to explore the music composition concept and technique which could likely impact the Chinese's music composition positively in the field of microtone.As we all know, there is a large number of various microtone with different tune and character exist in Chinese and foreign traditional music, its pitches, sound states is an indiscerptible part in the west and Chinese music. Using microtone in composition is the composition method which was born at the end the 19th century, prospered on the 20th century and continued expanded till now. Because it breaks through the fixed pitch quantity limited by general codex, using microtone becomes one of the instrument that composers could use to obtain more pitches, sound effects and changes. But counteracted by factors such as the hearing ability, musical instruments performance capability, the microtone is restricted for further development.This research will administer to exploring the possibility and limitation of contemporary composition; and also will be effective effort on the complementarities of microtone theory in China.