Chou Wen-Chung: The Life and Work of a Contemporary Chinese-Born American Composer

(Hardback)

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Despite his original training as a civil engineer, Chou Wen-Chung came to America in 1946 to pursue music. He became a protg of Edgard Varse and spent several decades teaching, composing, and advancing modern concepts in contemporary compositions. Incorporating the teachings of his mentor, yet retaining his own identity, Chou is one of the few composers to successfully integrate images and ideas from both Eastern and Western culture. His unique synthesis of the two cultures has challenged the American musical community to recognize and celebrate cultural differences, setting Chou apart in contemporary American music as an exemplary of the Chinese musical idiom. His founding of the Center for United States-China Arts Exchange has furthered his exploration of cross-cultural pollination.

This book examines the composer's life and music, including biographic material, an in-depth cultural and musical analysis of his works, and receptions of his music. An assessment of Chou's unique contribution to contemporary musical synthesis, a hallmark in twentieth-century music, draws a direct link between his cross-cultural approach to composition and his family history and upbringing. His quest for an original style by widening his musical and cultural experiences - including consulting ancient Chinese sources on music and philosophy - helped to solidify his place in the musical patchwork of contemporary America. Also drawing a comparison between Chou's approach to musical synthesis and that of his Chinese colleagues, author Peter Chang's discussion generates interest in cross-cultural studies in contemporary music, promoting multicultural awareness in America and abroad, and enabling readers to understand different reactions to the Western impact on Chinese music and culture. The book's appendixes list Chou's compositions and recordings, and a chronology of performances.

Reviews

...this book does well to frame the reader's understanding of Chou's music within a cross-cultural and historical framework. In foregrounding human agency, Chang negotiates Chou's multifaceted roles and his ethical contribution to society in a rapidly globalizing world. * Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association *
Chou Wen-Chung is an important composer who deserves much more attention, and I hope that Chang's book will lead to more performances of and scholarship on Chou's music. Chou Wen-Chung: The Life and Work of a Contemporary Chinese-Born American Composer is...an imformative volume with many significant ideas. -- Spring 2008 * American Music *
He was supposed to be a civil engineer, but sometimes music does not allow that sort of thing. Chou Wen-Chung had no intention of pursuing his career as an engineer when he came to America in 1946. He already knew his real mission, and in the following years he was able to combine both his heritage of birth and heritage of choice in unique images and ideas from both the East and the West. Chang (music, Northwestern Illinois U.) provides an able biography as well as comprehensive musical and cultural analyses of Chou's compositions. He includes descriptions of Chou's studies of ancient Chinese musical forms and philosophy, facsimiles of Chou's working papers, and a range of photographs of Chou at work with a wide circle of friends and colleagues. Chang includes lists of Chou's compositions, recordings, and performances. * Reference and Research Book News *

Author Bio

Peter M. Chang is Associate Professor of music at Northeastern Illinois University, where he teaches music history and world music.