Abstract: Impressionist music emerged at the turn of the twentieth century as a significant reorientation of traditional functional harmony. Rather than prioritizing tonal stability and structural teleology, Impressionist composers foregrounded harmonic color, timbre, and atmospheric resonance as primary expressive elements. Drawing on existing scholarship on Impressionist harmony, this article examines how the use of whole-tone scales, pentatonic materials, blurred cadences, and pedal techniques reshaped conventional harmonic logic and rebalanced the relationship between function and sonority.... [Read More]

Abstract: As one of the most iconic works in the Chinese pipa repertoire, Ambush on All Sides presents a vividly dramatic musical narrative based on the historical Battle of Gaixia between Chu and Han. Using formal structure as the analytical starting point, this study traces the work’s narrative trajectory—pre—war, mid—war, and post—war—through a close examination of pitch organization, rhythmic design, timbral contrast, and articulation patterns. Particular attention is given to the interaction between sectional design and performative layering, demonstrating how tempo, dynamics, instrumental... [Read More]