Most research on post-tonal pieces by Chinese contemporary composers has focused on exploration of Chinese melodic and rhythmic elements, and Chinese aesthetics. One Yun Sharing Three-Gong Systems is the only piece known to me that reflects a music theory concept well known in China. This piece combines Luo’s long-term research and practice of the Chinese modal system with the 12-tone method. In this paper, I combine analytical methodology from Chinese and Western music theory to offer a perspective on contemporary Chinese musical works.
In 1986, the concept of One Yun Sharing Three Gong-Systems was proposed by Xiangpeng Huang. According to this concept, the Chinese modal system can be divided into a three-leveled hierarchy. The first level is Yun, which is a septachord structure resulting from stacking fifths or fourths. The second level is the Gong system, which is an interval structure, similar to the Western notion of key. There are three Gong systems in a Yun. The third level is Diao, similar to the Western notion of pentatonic, six-note, or diatonic scale.
Luo applied the concept of complementary set-classes in this ensemble piece together with the concept of One Yun Sharing three Gong Systems. He divided the 12 tones into two set-classes 5-35 (02479) and 7-35 (013568T). 5-35 is mainly used as a pentatonic scale in the harp to provide a rhythmic background, while 7-35 is mainly used as a seven-tone scale in flute and viola voices. The seven-tone scale 7-35 can be treated as belonging to C, G, and F gong systems, making this 12-tone piece a multi-tonal piece from the Chinese modal system perspective.
Chinese elements in this piece are not just superficial imitations of rhythmic patterns and tunes in Chinese folk songs whose structures are based on Western music theory. Instead, Zhongrong Luo illustrated Chinese elements from a deeper perspective. Studying Luo’s piece as a blending of Chinese traditional and Western 12-tone strategies provides us a new way to analyze Chinese contemporary work, and a way to understand Zhongrong Luo’s style more completely.