Week 4: Ancient Chinese Music

It's pretty funny how the Westerners find the performance authentic, because they are outsiders and don't really have an experience to judge what is or isn't authentic. In a sense, the foreigners want to believe they've had an authentic experience, which causes them to be so easily convinced. The foreign travelers come to these remote regions in search of authenticity of ancient traditions. The musical experience is something completely different from Western music and this exotic character makes the experience seem more distant and therefore more ancient and authentic. Visitors forget that this is still a performance set up especially for them and the implications of this context. Since these performances are aimed at a foreign audience, it must differ from its origin forms. The article mentions that performance music has deviated from its rural cousins due to their need to appeal to tourists. Reese mentions that the performances demonstrate a trend towards more focus on Naxi elements rather than Han influences. This deliberate effort to create more "authenticity" for the tourists' sake, in a way, actually reduces it.

Many Western scholars criticize the loss of authenticity in modern Chinese orchestras. They say the large orchestra with its standardized instruments, which often includes a Western cello, bass, and sometimes keyboard, resembles more of Western romantic orchestras than the grass-roots traditional Chinese folk versions. I think that although these traits may make modern Chinese orchestras less like their traditional folk counterparts, these traits don't make it any less Chinese. The modern incorporation of Western influences, while maintaining Chinese elements, demonstrates the music's ability to adapt to the changes in society. Of course there is value in preserving old traditions, but there is also value in creating new forms over time. I think it is strange that the complaints are coming from non-Chinese. Despite deviations from traditional forms, non-Chinese should not be able to tell Chinese musician what is Chinese music. Chinese music is what the musician makes of it and no one should be able to discredit them.