Music's Relative Autonomy In Relation To Lyrics In Suzhou Pingtan

Suzhou Pingtan originated in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China,centered in the regions of Jiangsu Zhejiang and Shanghai.The rich musical content of Suzhou Pingtan and its elegant singing style has been widely valued by its audiences.Sung in the Suzhou dialect,Suzhou Pingtan reflects the humanistic spirit of the water country of Chiang-Nan among its artistic and aesthetic values.Most scholars studying this practice have focused on the relationship between lyrics and music.As a spoken-and-singing art form,narrativity is essential to Suzhou Pingtan and to understanding the relationship between lyrics and music.This thesis examines this word and music relationship through the case study of “Jiang Diao.” The thesis is divided into three parts: first,it examines the tonal relationship between lyrics and music;second,it examines the rhythmic relationship between lyrics and music;third,it considers how the relationship between lyrics and music affects the depictions of different characters.This thesis will demonstrate that the use of music is regulated by lyrics but maintains a relative autonomy.It is desired that this research may help inform composers,singers,and audiences to a deeper appreciation of the musical and textual characteristics of Pingtan.