The Folk Song from My Fatherland is a three-movement chamber piece written for string quintet, 3 percussionists and electronic sounds. The string quintet consists of 2 violins, viola, cello, and one contrabass. The electronic sounds requires a computer and music software which includes the play-list function to play the sound files. All the sound files in this piece were saved as AIFF files in 16bit/44.1kHz resolution. Electronic sounds are used in all three movements to create different effects. For example, they can mix with the instruments to create a new texture, enrich the harmonies, change the sonorities, or even create an illusion for the audience.; Parts of the first movement, The Voice of Dream Mountains, are composed quarter tones composition. However, the quarter-tone system is not really used as a scale form, but a way to create ornaments and tensions. The extra quarter-tone notes create not only a forward motion in the melodic direction, but also generate vertical harmonic tensions.; The second movement, Images of the Chinese Operas, is a monophonic composition and reflects the quality and tradition of the Chinese operas. Guitar slides and picks are used on all string instruments. The first violin takes the lead role and produces a voice-like singing quality. There are also a section which requires the string players to improvise the music based on the suggestions on the score. They produce dialog, responses, and arguments between the instruments.; In the third movement, a traditional Taiwan folk song was used indirectly. The materials of the folk song gradually unfold in the movement and finally reach one point where the folk song is heard entirely, and blended with the chromatic line which actually works as a cantus firmus used in all 3 movements as a fundamental structure.*; *This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD is availbale through Boston University only.
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