Qupai in Chinese Music

This book explores qupai, melodic models upon which most traditional Chinese instrumental (and some vocal) music is based. It explains qupai as a musical system, exploring its historic development, structural organization, influence on ensemble and solo repertoires, compositional usage in Kunqu classical opera, and appearance with other qupai and non-qupai tunes in formation of the great suites of North China. This is the first Western-language study on the background of the qupai tradition, its structural characteristics, and the methods by which melodies have been varied in creation of repertoire. It makes an important contribution to East Asian music, ethnomusicology, and music theory.