Title: Theorizing Vernacular Intonation in Traditional Chinese Music: Is Kangxi 14-tone Temperament an Option? 

Speaker: Dr. Tse Chun Yan (Department of Music, CUHK)

Time: 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Venue: LG04, Hui Yeung Shing Building

Delivered in English, all are welcome

Synopsis:
In conventional Chinese music intonation theories, there are 12 tones within an octave, by which heptatonic and pentatonic scales are formed. However, vernacular intonation practices in some Cantonese music performances and kunqu performances with traditional dizi do not fit well with the 12-tone system. In these practices, sometimes labeled as 7-tone temperament, intervallic distances deviate towards 7-tone equal temperament, though not exactly. Some scholars postulate that a theoretical basis for this 7-tone temperament is the Kangxi 14-tone temperament, the official intonation theory for Chinese music since its promulgation in 1714 by Emperor Kangxi until the demise of the Qing Dynasty. This 14-tone temperament, using circle-of-fifths without end-correction to calculate lengths of pitch pipes, though labeled as erroneous by 20th century scholars, has attracted relooks by recent scholars. This presentation will give a brief overview of the 14-tone temperament and discuss why it is not an option for theorizing vernacular intonation.