Structure/ form

In traditional Chinese music repertory, meaning takes precedence over form and structure – an inverse of Western music. In the pre 1950s, we could hardly find any Chinese traditional music that is absolute in nature and a large majority of them bears descriptive titles. Interestingly, this piece is entitled “1st Erhu Rhapsody” which mirrors titles we often finds in Western music (e.g. 1st Violin Concerto etc.), and this is also one of the earliest Chinese piece to be entitled in this manner.

Traditional music[1] are said to be especially difficult to compose. Concepts like the yin and yang are evident in music, with an introduction and concluding section, both of which are usually free in tempo, whereas the middle body is a highly mathematical structure based on lunar, moon, elements of earth etc., all in perfect balance. In other words, the form is usually rather balanced and symmetrical in a sense. However here, we see that it follows the rhapsodic form – something that is absorbed from the Western musical concept. Especially the employment of a presto section which steer the piece to a greater climax at the end is uncommon in traditional pieces.
Rhapsody allows more freedom in terms of structure, greater emotional intensity, and thus lending more room for expressivity.

This piece is written in the style of free rhapsodic form, rather than in conventional formal structure that is clearly demarcated by traditional harmonic and melodic gestures. Thus it is really difficult for listeners do discern the structure of the piece, as changes in sections are blurred out due to fluidity in terms of materials and scales used, connections that one can make in terms of motivic idea, although re-ordered and explored in a contrasting manner. In addition, ambiguity in terms of tonal center, as inherent in the limited transpositional scale employed furthered made distinctions difficult as listeners get a sense of the integrated and free flowing structure that features a range of highly contrasted moods, colour and tonality.

Tentatively, I think we could view the piece as consisting of 5 sections (but I'm not sure if this way of labelling is appropriate because motivically and harmonically, I'm having trouble deciding where to delineate a change in section or even if that particular motif should be seen as a variant or a new motif).

In the introduction, 4-17, which provides the seeds for which motifs and harmonic ideas of the whole piece are stemmed is introduced. This whole section corresponds to T2 (of the transpositional scale) and is rather stable tonally in D, although it is ambiguous whether it is in D major or minor, as inherent in the choice of set class.

Section A correspond music from bars 2 – 83, with tonal center around A (major/ minor). Based on 4-17, motif ‘a’ (bars 3 – 7) is created, which is subsequently re-presented with more movement and varied rhythmically and motivically, which I labeled ‘a1’ (bar 26 – 27).
Motif ‘b’ corresponds to bar 62 – 63. The use of triad is a prominent feature, both in the vertical (triadic harmony) as well as horizontal dimension (melodic movement that outline the triadic harmony). This contrasts with motif ‘a’, which is built upon 4-17. Here, there is an impression that the tonal center is in ‘D’, due to the consistent pedal, and more firmly rooted in D major with the introduction of F# and C# at bar 74, but the melodic contour still follows that of ‘b’. Thus this is labeled ‘b1’.

Bars 84 – 99 seemed to represent the transition, as there is a return to T2, with the juxtaposition of T0 in the left hand at bar 92.

Bars 100 – 265 seems to represent section B, with tonal center around G (major/ minor). The motivic ideas in this section also draw upon 4-17, which in a sense mirrors that in section A. However, in terms of soundscape, T1 is mainly used section A, while section B employed more of T0, T2, and T3, where T1 is employed to create harmonic contrast.
Motif ‘d’ is introduced from bars 100 – 103. Subsequently, variants of ‘d’ can be observed at bars 123 – 127 (d1), 151 – 158 (d2), and 191 – 192 (d3 in Ab major). This is followed by motif ‘e’ at bars 203 – 204, with tonal centricity around D minor and a short reminiscent of 'd2' (bar 211). It then moved through to D major at bar 223 and G major at bar 234.

In the Largo section, the motif is reminiscent of 'd2' and 'a' (if we think in octave equivalence). Thus, perhaps as 孙凰 suggested, it could represent section A’, although it is in the key of C rather than the home key of D.

The erhu cadenza at bar 266 represents a transition to the Allegro section, with ideas reminiscent of ‘a1’.

The last section (bars 267 - end) could be viewed as a coda because there is a recapitulation of motivic ideas in both section A and B, as well as the use of 4-17. For instance, bar 279 is reminiscent of d3, bar 211 reminds us of d2’, but there are now more extensive variation in this section, culminating in the Presto, which is the essence of a ‘rhapsody’ - that of spontaneous inspiration and a sense of improvisation. There is also a return to the original key of D and T2 of the transpositional scale employed.

[1] Chinese repertory into 3 categories. 1) Traditional music refers to pieces which we cannot ascertain who the composers are. 2) Modern music would be communist literature music (1949-1979). 3) Contemporary music