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British Forum for Ethnomusicology

Review: [untitled]
Author(s): Carole Pegg
Reviewed work(s):
Folk Music of China: Living Instrumental Traditions by Stephen Jones
Source: British Journal of Ethnomusicology, Vol. 7 (1998), p. 154
Published by: British Forum for Ethnomusicology
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3060714
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154 BRITISH JOURNAL OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGY VOL.7 1998 154 BRITISH JOURNAL OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGY VOL.7 1998
hostile world"
(19))
owes much to the
concept
of
"homology", although
as a
historian
Erenberg
takes care to stress
more material factors
(e.g.
the role of the
microphone
in
determining
the crooner's
vocal
style).
At other times, his
statements veer towards a
faintly
patronising
idealisation of
popular
culture
("Free improvisation
let
girls
and
boys
break
through
sentimental
fagades
and fixed roles to more
independent
selves"
(51))
which also assumes the idea
that vernacular culture "encodes"
larger
social realities. Adomo
thought
the same,
and both intellectual
positions deny
a
degree
of
autonomy
to the
people
on the
dance-floor. On the other hand,
there is
something touching
about
Erenberg's
empathy
with his children of the
(swing)
dream,
and when he
regains
a more
objective
tone to describe their denouement
as the
paranoic
insecure
"grown-up"
of the
Fifties, we feel that we have borne witness
to a small
generation tragedy.
As for the
musicians, Erenberg
noticeably underplays
the
irony
of such a
hierarchical institution as the
swing
band
(one
recalls the
story
of Fletcher
Henderson's wife
trying
to "train" Lester
Young
to
play
more like Coleman
Hawkins) becoming
a
symbol
of social
egalitarianism.
Then
again
-
your
leaders
get paid
more than
you; you
do as
you're
told for most of the
time,
but
every
so
often
you get
the chance to stand
up
and
express your
views...?
Perhaps
there
couldn't be a better
representation
of
democracy
in action!
DAVID OWEN
Goldsmiths
College, University
of
London
hostile world"
(19))
owes much to the
concept
of
"homology", although
as a
historian
Erenberg
takes care to stress
more material factors
(e.g.
the role of the
microphone
in
determining
the crooner's
vocal
style).
At other times, his
statements veer towards a
faintly
patronising
idealisation of
popular
culture
("Free improvisation
let
girls
and
boys
break
through
sentimental
fagades
and fixed roles to more
independent
selves"
(51))
which also assumes the idea
that vernacular culture "encodes"
larger
social realities. Adomo
thought
the same,
and both intellectual
positions deny
a
degree
of
autonomy
to the
people
on the
dance-floor. On the other hand,
there is
something touching
about
Erenberg's
empathy
with his children of the
(swing)
dream,
and when he
regains
a more
objective
tone to describe their denouement
as the
paranoic
insecure
"grown-up"
of the
Fifties, we feel that we have borne witness
to a small
generation tragedy.
As for the
musicians, Erenberg
noticeably underplays
the
irony
of such a
hierarchical institution as the
swing
band
(one
recalls the
story
of Fletcher
Henderson's wife
trying
to "train" Lester
Young
to
play
more like Coleman
Hawkins) becoming
a
symbol
of social
egalitarianism.
Then
again
-
your
leaders
get paid
more than
you; you
do as
you're
told for most of the
time,
but
every
so
often
you get
the chance to stand
up
and
express your
views...?
Perhaps
there
couldn't be a better
representation
of
democracy
in action!
DAVID OWEN
Goldsmiths
College, University
of
London
STEPHEN JONES,
Folk music
of
China:
living
instrumental traditions.
Oxford: Oxford
University Press,
1998. xxvii
+
428pp.,
39
plates,
33
figures,
3
maps,
musical exx.,
glossary-index, notes, bibliography.,
STEPHEN JONES,
Folk music
of
China:
living
instrumental traditions.
Oxford: Oxford
University Press,
1998. xxvii
+
428pp.,
39
plates,
33
figures,
3
maps,
musical exx.,
glossary-index, notes, bibliography.,
CD. ISBN 0-19-816718-0.
(pb $29.95).
This revised edition of Steve Jones'
book, available now in
paperback,
has
two
important
additions (for a
comprehensive
review of the hardback
version see BJE 1996:
168-70). First, it
adds Chinese characters to the index.
Second,
and
perhaps
most
importantly,
it
includes a CD of
recordings
from the
archives of the Music Research Insititute,
Beijing,
and
by
the author as well as
commercial
recordings.
These
comprise
15 extracts from the two CD set
published
in 1995.
The
availability
of these sound
recordings
with the text
emphasises
the
inadequacy
we have had to live with so
long,
that is, having
to
rely
on notation as
a means of
trying
to communicate about
sound. Now that CD
production
has
become so
simple
and
cheap,
there is no
excuse for not
illustrating
books on music
in this
way.
Whoever would have
guessed
from the staff notation
(125)
that the
presto complex
metre liushui
(section
of
the Shanxi
sheng-guan piece)
would have
been so vibrant in texture and
glorious
in
its
energy?
These
examples bring
to
life
the
"living"
instrumental folk traditions of
the Han Chinese, whether we are
listening
to the
resounding
shawm bands of
rugged
north-eastern China or the sweeter-
sounding string
ensembles of the south-
eastern coast.
They
add
multiple
extra
dimensions to an
already superb
book.
References
China:
folk
instrumental traditions. 2
CDS,
AIMP/VDE Gallo VDE CD 822-823, 1995.
CAROLE PEGG
Department of
Social
Anthropology
University of Cambridge
c.pegg@newgrove.co.uk
CD. ISBN 0-19-816718-0.
(pb $29.95).
This revised edition of Steve Jones'
book, available now in
paperback,
has
two
important
additions (for a
comprehensive
review of the hardback
version see BJE 1996:
168-70). First, it
adds Chinese characters to the index.
Second,
and
perhaps
most
importantly,
it
includes a CD of
recordings
from the
archives of the Music Research Insititute,
Beijing,
and
by
the author as well as
commercial
recordings.
These
comprise
15 extracts from the two CD set
published
in 1995.
The
availability
of these sound
recordings
with the text
emphasises
the
inadequacy
we have had to live with so
long,
that is, having
to
rely
on notation as
a means of
trying
to communicate about
sound. Now that CD
production
has
become so
simple
and
cheap,
there is no
excuse for not
illustrating
books on music
in this
way.
Whoever would have
guessed
from the staff notation
(125)
that the
presto complex
metre liushui
(section
of
the Shanxi
sheng-guan piece)
would have
been so vibrant in texture and
glorious
in
its
energy?
These
examples bring
to
life
the
"living"
instrumental folk traditions of
the Han Chinese, whether we are
listening
to the
resounding
shawm bands of
rugged
north-eastern China or the sweeter-
sounding string
ensembles of the south-
eastern coast.
They
add
multiple
extra
dimensions to an
already superb
book.
References
China:
folk
instrumental traditions. 2
CDS,
AIMP/VDE Gallo VDE CD 822-823, 1995.
CAROLE PEGG
Department of
Social
Anthropology
University of Cambridge
c.pegg@newgrove.co.uk

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