Technology and Cultural Art - Report Example

TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURAL ART: CASE OF TAN DUN Name University Course Tutor Date Technology and Cultural Art: Case of Tan Dun Case Background Information Tan Dun is a multifaceted and conceptual composer reputable for making a significant mark on the global scene of music. Tan boasts of a creative repertoire that has managed to cross boundaries of Western traditions, multimedia performance, Eastern cultures, and classical music. Tan's outstanding career draws a substantial illustration from his prestigious honors that are inclusive of the Oscars Award of the Musical of America that was The Year's Composer, Grawemeyer Award for classical composition, alongside Grammy Award1. In addition, his music is played on a global scale by leading opera houses, orchestras, television, radio, and international festivals. During his journey of his careers as a composer, Tan has been leading the most renowned orchestras in the globe that are inclusive of BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, alongside others1. A brief history of the artists reveals that he was born in the Chinese province of Hunan. In his childhood, Tan exhibited great fascination in ceremonies and rituals that took place in his home village of Changsha; notably, most of these ceremonies were lit up of music consisting of such natural objects as water and rocks. However, the Cultural Revolution saw the enactment of bans which discouraged Tan from pursuing music; consequently; he found himself in the Huang Jin commune working in rice fields. However, with time he became conversant with traditional string instruments (of the Chinese culture), upon joining other commune residents' ensemble. It can be argued that his career began to take course after a ferry accident in which a number of a Peking opera troupe's members lost their lives. _________________ 1. Tang, P., 2008. "A Study of Tan Dun's Chinese Music Has to Relay On Folk Music to Be International." (Chinese Music, no. 3, pp.8-31). After the accident, Tan became an arranger and a violist. As a result of some outstanding performance, Tan earned a position in the orchestra from which he proceeded to Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music for studies2. During his stay in the Conservatory, the artist maintained close contact with such composers as Isang Yun, Toru Takemitsu, Alexander Goehr, and George Crumb, hence an immense deal of influence on his musical style sense3. As it the case with other popular, cultural figures and entities today, Tan owes his success to a humble beginning in the face of traditional methods4. Unlike in the contemporary world, modern technology was absent at the time Tan developed a passion for music. This has the implication that Tan adopted modern technology in the course of his career development. Therefore, this case study aims at analyzing Tan’s approach to emergent media and technology and the ways in which this affects his work. ____________________________ 2. Cook, A. & John S., 1999. The Defination of Chu: The Ancient China's Reality and Image. (Honolulu: Hawaii University Press). 3. Dickinson, P. & John, C., 2006. CageTalk: Dialogues with and about John Cage. (Rochester, NY: Univ. of Rochester Press). 4. Lee, C., 2006. “The First Emperor World Premiere." (Opera New 71, no. 6 (53), pp.16-20). Tan’s Evolution to use new Technologies Tan kicked off his career with the creation of his first opera while at the Columbia University. This was a constituent of the Nine Songs, which were a setting of QuYuan's nature poems. Ideally, contemporary English and Classical Chinese have been used to sing these poems. It is worth noting that these poems initially used Chinese instruments and a small ensemble of Western instruments. Indeed, some of the instruments used in the performance of these poems include specially built combination of wind, ceramic percussion, and string instruments the design of all these instruments borrows significantly from Potter Ragnar Naess5. Tan’s crude beginning is also indicated by the adaptation of ‘The Peony Pavilion’ opera which is Tang Xianzu’s work of 1598. In this particular opera, Tan adopted performance in English with one character being trained in Kung Fu or Peking style6. This opera made use of a six musicians’ ensemble performing Chinese and electronic instruments. With respect to style, this music is a combination of Chinese Opera and Western avant-garde. Up to this point, Tan’s career was characteristic of works that employed organic instruments. Ideally, these refer to instruments made of such material as stone, paper, ceramic, and water. Indeed, in the opera ‘Tea: A Mirror of Soul’, the factor of organic instruments was prominent with respect to the opera’s structure. Each act’s title exhibited much correspondence with the material that had been used to make the instruments in use. __________________________ 5. Li, J., 2008. "The Eastern and Western Elements of Music in the World of the Misssing Moon"( Journal of Tonghua University, pp.83-85). 6. Lipsyte, R. & Lois B., June 26, 2005. "Tan Dun's Opera: A Special Delivery from the Spirit World." (The New York Time)s. Effectiveness of the use of new Technology The effectiveness of technology use by Tan draws a substantial illustration of his successful use of film and multimedia. The works "Hidden Dragon' and ‘Crouching Tiger' saw Tan earn an immense deal of attention, indeed winning a BAFTA Award, an Academy Award, and a Grammy Award7. This was a milestone in Tan’s success in the film use, with other film credits being inclusive of Feng Xiaogang’s ‘the Banquet’ and the ‘Fallen’ by Gregory Hoblit8. After composing the film score for ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', he did a rearrangement of the music to come up with ‘Crouching Tiger Concerto' for the chamber, cello, alongside video orchestra9. This work is characteristic of edited footage, sourced from the film, thus reversing the music’s role in the film via secondary treatment of videos. Tan, later on, made the application of this same technique on ‘The Banquet' and ‘Hero' film scores. The result of these applications was the ‘Martial Arts Cycle'10. _____________________- 7. Liu, D., 2013. "The Characteristics of Chinese Piano Music That Are Based on Hunan Folk Songs." Art, no. 4, pp.33-35. 8. Shao, Y., 2007. A Study on Chinese Modal Operas. Ph.D. diss., Northeast Normal University, 2007. Changchun: Northeast Normal University Press. 9. Shi, Z., 2006. "The Works and Artistics of Tan Dun Imagery." Art, no. 6, pp.22-25. 10. Shi, Z., 2005. "The Harmonisation that exists in Nature and Humans Within the work of Tan Dun." Art, no. 6, pp.36-38. The experimentation of multimedia technology by Tan continued in the ever with the work the ‘The Map’. This work has documentary footage touching on the lives of minorities from China’s Dong, Miao, and Tujia ethnicities11. The performance has, on stage, musicians who exhibit interaction with onscreen musicians for recorded and live performance. The commissioning of this work was done by Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra12. ‘Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women' is the latest multimedia work by Tan. Ideally, this refers to the work of 13 movements for orchestra, video, and solo harp. This work is reputable for capturing Nushu script sounds as a result of Human ethnomusicological research that took several years. Effect of Multimedia use on the audience’s experience The use of multimedia has significantly impacted the experience of those who have been following Tan’s work, from the beginning to date. For instance, the use of multimedia has transformed the experience of the audience from organic music to Orchestral Theatre series, which are characteristic of an enhanced relationship between the audience and the performer. The audience was first exposed to Orchestral Theatre series in the 1990s as Tan began to work on his orchestral pieces13. These pieces had the capability of analyzing the relationship between the audience and the performer. _____________________ 11. Wang, Y., 2010. "Religion behind Dances." Sichuan Drama, no. 5, pp.129-31. 12. Xiong, W. & Ting, L., 2009. "An Elaboration with the Actual Meaning of Xiang-Chu." Old east, no. 9, pp.95-96. 13. Yang, H., 2002. "The Development og Creative Thoughts of Zheng's Art." Ph.D. diss., Tianjin Conservatory of Music. Ideally, the use of multimedia by Tan enhances the ritual concept via the involvement of the audience. For instance, the orchestral series are split with percussion, strings, and brass onstage, where else; the audience is surrounded by the woodwinds14. In addition, there ought to be two conductors because of the score-ideally, one of the conductor faces the audience while the other faces the stage. The use of technology has also exposed the audience to the access of Tan’s work over the internet and other digital media15. The year 2008 saw the commissioning of Tan by YouTube and Google with the objective of writing the YouTube Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural symphony. __________________ 14. Zeng, M., 2012. "The Reasoning of Hunan Folk Tone inside Tan Dun and Eight Watercolor Paintings." Journal of Art College of Inner Mongolia University, 32nd ser., 9, no. 2, pp.107-11. 15. Shi, Z., 2009. "The Shamanistic Culture behind Tan Dun's Music." Art, no. 1, pp.38-41. Opinion on any Changes Technology is ever changing implying that Tan alongside other cultural figures and entities ought to adopt the latest version. Therefore, a number of changes in Tan's approach of technology could be useful. In order to enhance the accessibility of his work, by his audience, it is necessary to enable online shopping of his products via a website. However, online access of his work ought to significantly be via a personal website, with access via such platforms like YouTube and Google being limited. This is to ensure that his work remains more profitable and original. It is also recommendable that the progress in multimedia is concurrent the development of organic music for the purpose of conservation of culture. Ideally, the musician established himself as a cultural figure implying that the Chinese cultural aspect of his work ought not to be completely wiped out. Therefore, there ought to be an immense deal of integration of organic music and multimedia music by Tan Dun. Future Prospects The popularity and reputation of composer Tan Dun are expected to be on an upward trend in years to come. This already draws a substantial illustration from his progressive career, since his humble beginning. Starting with organic music, he has made effective use of modern technology to make an indelible mark in the music world. With already more than 15 million accessing his work via the internet, the composer will most likely create a larger fan base in years to come. There are also prospects that in years to come he will be able to employ the latest technology thus advancing to greater ranks. As a result of his technological approach, the composer is also expected to come up with more works, and perhaps collaborating with other world class artists. Bibliography Cook, A. & John S., 1999. The Defination of Chu: The Ancient China's Reality and Imagery. Honolulu: Hawaii University Press. Dickinson, P. & John, C., 2006. CageTalk: Dialogues with and about John Cage. Rochester, NY: Univ. of Rochester Press. Lee, C., 2006. “The First Emperor World Premiere." Opera New 71, no. 6 (53), pp.16-20. Li, J., 2008. "How Tan Dun Combines Western and Eastern Music Elements in Missing Moon." Journal of Tonghua Normal University, pp.83-85. Lipsyte, R. & Lois B., June 26, 2005. "The Opera of Tan Dun: A Speciality of Spirit Delivery." The NY Times. Liu, D., 2013. "The Hunan Songs based on the Features of the Piano of China." Art, no. 3, pp.33-35. Shao, Y., 2007. A Study on Chinese Modal Operas. Ph.D. diss., Northeast Normal University, 2007. Changchun: Northeast Normal University Press. Shi, Z., 2005. "The Harmonisation between Nature and Humans in Tan Dun Creativity." Art, no. 33, pp.36 38. Shi, Z., 2006. "The Artistics in the Tan Dun Title's Works." Art, no. 3, pp.22-25. Shi, Z., 2009. "The Shamanistic Culture behind Tan Dun's Music." Art, no. 1, pp.38-41. Tang, P., 2008. "A Study of Tan Dun's Chinese Music Has to Relay On Folk Music to Be International." Chinese Music, no. 3, pp.8-31. Wang, Y., 2010. "Religion behind Dances." Sichuan Drama, no. 5, pp.129-31. Xiong, W. & Ting, L., 2009. "An Elaboration of Xiang Chu True Meaning." Old East, no. 3, pp.95-96. Yang, H., 2002. "The Realistic Thoughts of Developing the Zheng's Art." Ph.D. diss., Tianjin Conservatory of Music. Zeng, M., 2012. "Hunan Folk Tone in TanDun's Memories of Eight Watercolor Paintings." Journal of Art College of Inner Mongolia University, 32nd ser., 9, no. 2, pp.107-11. Read More

Up to this point, Tan’s career was characteristic of works that employed organic instruments. Ideally, these refer to instruments made of such material as stone, paper, ceramic, and water. Indeed, in the opera ‘Tea: A Mirror of Soul’, the factor of organic instruments was prominent with respect to the opera’s structure. Each act’s title exhibited much correspondence with the material that had been used to make the instruments in use. __________________________ 5. Li, J., 2008. "The Eastern and Western Elements of Music in the World of the Misssing Moon"( Journal of Tonghua University, pp.83-85). 6.

Lipsyte, R. & Lois B., June 26, 2005. "Tan Dun's Opera: A Special Delivery from the Spirit World." (The New York Time)s. Effectiveness of the use of new Technology The effectiveness of technology use by Tan draws a substantial illustration of his successful use of film and multimedia. The works "Hidden Dragon' and ‘Crouching Tiger' saw Tan earn an immense deal of attention, indeed winning a BAFTA Award, an Academy Award, and a Grammy Award7. This was a milestone in Tan’s success in the film use, with other film credits being inclusive of Feng Xiaogang’s ‘the Banquet’ and the ‘Fallen’ by Gregory Hoblit8.

After composing the film score for ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', he did a rearrangement of the music to come up with ‘Crouching Tiger Concerto' for the chamber, cello, alongside video orchestra9. This work is characteristic of edited footage, sourced from the film, thus reversing the music’s role in the film via secondary treatment of videos. Tan, later on, made the application of this same technique on ‘The Banquet' and ‘Hero' film scores. The result of these applications was the ‘Martial Arts Cycle'10.

_____________________- 7. Liu, D., 2013. "The Characteristics of Chinese Piano Music That Are Based on Hunan Folk Songs." Art, no. 4, pp.33-35. 8. Shao, Y., 2007. A Study on Chinese Modal Operas. Ph.D. diss., Northeast Normal University, 2007. Changchun: Northeast Normal University Press. 9. Shi, Z., 2006. "The Works and Artistics of Tan Dun Imagery." Art, no. 6, pp.22-25. 10. Shi, Z., 2005. "The Harmonisation that exists in Nature and Humans Within the work of Tan Dun.

" Art, no. 6, pp.36-38. The experimentation of multimedia technology by Tan continued in the ever with the work the ‘The Map’. This work has documentary footage touching on the lives of minorities from China’s Dong, Miao, and Tujia ethnicities11. The performance has, on stage, musicians who exhibit interaction with onscreen musicians for recorded and live performance. The commissioning of this work was done by Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra12. ‘Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women' is the latest multimedia work by Tan.

Ideally, this refers to the work of 13 movements for orchestra, video, and solo harp. This work is reputable for capturing Nushu script sounds as a result of Human ethnomusicological research that took several years. Effect of Multimedia use on the audience’s experience The use of multimedia has significantly impacted the experience of those who have been following Tan’s work, from the beginning to date. For instance, the use of multimedia has transformed the experience of the audience from organic music to Orchestral Theatre series, which are characteristic of an enhanced relationship between the audience and the performer.

The audience was first exposed to Orchestral Theatre series in the 1990s as Tan began to work on his orchestral pieces13. These pieces had the capability of analyzing the relationship between the audience and the performer. _____________________ 11. Wang, Y., 2010. "Religion behind Dances." Sichuan Drama, no. 5, pp.129-31. 12. Xiong, W. & Ting, L., 2009. "An Elaboration with the Actual Meaning of Xiang-Chu." Old east, no. 9, pp.95-96. 13. Yang, H., 2002. "The Development og Creative Thoughts of Zheng's Art." Ph.D. diss., Tianjin Conservatory of Music.

Ideally, the use of multimedia by Tan enhances the ritual concept via the involvement of the audience.

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