ABSTRACT
This chapter explores several representative ensembles and genres in China and Taiwan, focusing especially on traditions and practices in Taiwan that have not received as much scholarly attention in the past. In China, an example of music composed for erhu and orchestra affords a window onto music during the Cultural Revolution. A focus on the modern Chinese orchestra, illustrated through a song entitled “Dance of the Golden Snake,” offers insights into the interactions between Western art music and Chinese traditional instruments and the cultural discourse that develops around such exchanges. Turning to Taiwan, the chapter first introduces its complex social and political history. It then presents a series of case studies, including: wushi drumming (Lion Dance); an example of indigenous music among the Puyuma; and a soundwalk in downtown Taipei.
