Tyzen Hsiao’s Piano concerto in C minor, op. 53 in the context of Taiwanese musical culture

Van Tsiyue ORCID: 0009-0007-9469-9279 Postgraduate student; Department of Music History; Rostov State Conservatory named after S. V. Rachmaninov 17/2 Mikhail Nagibin Ave., Rostov-on-Don, Rostov region, 344038, Russia 1354909848@qq.com

The relevance of the research topic is determined by the significance of the piano work of Xiao Taizhan (1938-2015), one of the most representative Taiwanese composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries, for the culture of the East Asian region.

The composer was born in Taiwan during the period of Japanese colonial rule, and his career coincided with a period of acute political and socio-economic transformations in the province. During his life, the composer lived in Taiwan, Japan and the USA. The composer's fundamental academic education, rich life experience, and love for the national culture of Taiwan significantly influenced the formation of his distinctive style. Xia Taizhang received a professional musical education.

In 1956, he entered the Music Faculty of Taiwan State Normal University (National Taiwan Normal University), and then continued his studies at Tokyo Musashino Academy of Music (Musashino Academy of Music). During his brilliant career, Xiao Taizhan has been awarded numerous national awards: The Award for Achievements in the Humanities from The Taiwanese-American Foundation (The 6th Taiwanese American Cultural Exchange Foundation's Humanities Award); The Golden Bell Award for Best Composer (The 10th Golden Bell Award for Best Composer); The National Award in the field of arts (The 8th National Award for Arts); The National Cultural Award of Taiwan (The 28th Executive Yuan Cultural Award), etc.

Even during his studies at the Taiwan Pedagogical University, Professor Xu Changhui noted Xiao Taizhan's creative abilities, suggesting that he find his own individual style (cit. according to: ^{[1, p. 81]}). The professional advice of the teacher prompted the young pianist to seriously study composing techniques of various musical styles and trends and, subsequently, to form his own author's approach to creating works synthesizing elements of Taiwanese folk music with forms of academic tradition.

The composer is called "the first representative of the Taiwanese national school." The Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op. 53 represents the pinnacle of Xiao Taizhan's piano work. It remains to be regretted that to date, due to the inaccessibility of the score, this work has not received wide coverage in research papers, and existing works rarely delve into the compositional features of the Concert.

Despite a long series of studies, in one way or another, affecting the problems of stylistic characteristics and compositional features of the Concert, the degree of scientific elaboration of the topic is low. The article by Chuang Wenda ^[2] contains only a brief description of the work, while the works by Huang Wanshu ^[3] and Chang Linmin ^[4] focus more on performance interpretation. Along with this, Huang Wanshu casually reports on the use of elements of Taiwanese musical culture in the concert's music, and Chang Linmin compares Xiao Taizhan's composition with S. V.'s Second Piano Concerto. Rachmaninoff, revealing similarities and differences in the composer's techniques.

The monographs of Lin Hengzhe ^[5], Cai Mingyun ^[6] and Yan Huarong ^[1] are biographical in nature. They record the composer's life and creative path. These studies are arranged chronologically and describe both the aesthetics of the composer and the compositions created by him during certain periods of his work. Lin Hengzhe's monograph deserves special attention, in which the study of the composer's work is based on a large amount of materials (music criticism articles, statements by Xiao Taizhan and his contemporaries). Sun Shuwen ^[7], analyzing Xiao Taizhan's piano compositions from the point of view of compositional technique, provided the theoretical basis for this article. The author focuses on the textual analysis of Xiao Taizhan's piano compositions, the history of their creation and compositional techniques. The monograph also examines various styles that influenced the composer's work.

Among the studies devoted to the problem of the formation and history of the development of Taiwanese piano music, articles by Liu Keting ^[8], Liang Maochun ^[9], Zhao Guanhui ^[10], Wang Qiyue ^[11] and the monograph by Liu Yuxiu "The History of Music in Taiwan" ^[12], published in 2003, should be noted. In his work, Liu Yuxiu systematizes historical materials on Taiwanese music. The first part of his book is devoted to the musical life in the province and introduces the reader to the most important musical events that took place during the long historical period of its development. The second part traces the transformation of Taiwanese music in historical retrospect from an acoustic point of view. This work contributes to the understanding of the cultural phenomena of Taiwanese music and serves as a source for the study of the cultural and historical context and conditions of the creation of Xiao Taizhan's Concert.

The articles by Western researchers Schudson ^[13] and Sangren ^[14] devoted to the problem of cultural integration agree in recognizing the dynamic and interactive nature of this process, but their accents differ significantly. Shudson, considering the issue from a macrosociological perspective, emphasizes that culture, through such public institutions as the media and the education system, acts as an active force for the integration of national societies, thereby revealing the institutional path of cultural integration. Focusing on the Chinese context, Sangren draws attention to the practical orientation and two-way nature of cultural synthesis, showing that integration is not limited to the simple dominance of one tradition over another, but represents a constant dialogue and mutual influence. Taken together, both works allow us to conclude that the essence of cultural integration lies not in assimilation, but in a long process of dialogue and reconciliation between different cultural levels and groups. This view opens up additional perspectives for the study of integration mechanisms in a particular musical culture of Taiwan.

The works of Xiao Di ^[15], Hu Bin ^[16], and Li Wenjun ^[17] approach the traditional musical practice of ethnic groups from different perspectives. Xiao Di places the music of national minorities in the context of multicultural integration, analyzing the ways of its development and the difficulties that arise along this path in modern society. Hu Bin, in turn, remaining within the framework of the musical-anthropological approach, considers the creative act itself as a product of cultural identity, emphasizing that musical utterance is always rooted in a system of collective values. Li Wenjun goes even further, using postcolonial theory to understand the problems of reconstructing the national spirit; he argues that in the context of globalization, marginalized cultures can resist the leveling pressure of uniformity only through rethinking their own subjectivity. Despite the differences in disciplinary approaches and theoretical foundations, all three works agree on one fundamental conclusion: the true viability of a tradition is ensured not by its isolation, but by its ability to engage in dialogue and renewal.

Even a brief review of the above-mentioned sources gives a clear idea that the research of both Western and Chinese scientists considering the problems of cultural synthesis, national style, ways of formation and development of Taiwanese piano music, the history of the creation of the concert in the context of the development of Taiwanese culture, does not affect the specifics of the formation and musical style of the Concert itself. In this regard, the priority tasks of our research are: analyzing the Concert in terms of its compositional features, substantiating the role of elements of the Taiwanese national tradition in the musical language of this composition, determining the author's approach that allowed Xiao Taizhan to create a work of art in a romantic style and at the same time preserve a pronounced nationality.

Methodology and research methods. A study of the specifics of the refraction of Taiwan's national musical traditions in the Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op. Xiao Taizhan's research required the use of methods of historical, source studies, textual, musical-theoretical and comparative analysis. Methods of cultural studies and ethnomusicology were also used in the research process.

The main part.

Taiwan is an island where various cultural traditions intersect, and is an administrative province of the People's Republic of China. Until the 17th century, Taiwan's musical culture was mainly represented by the traditions of the indigenous peoples – Paiwan, Bunun and others. Their music was inextricably linked with everyday life and ritual ceremonies. It is distinguished by the conciseness of melodic constructions, the simplicity of rhythmic structures, and the performance is often accompanied by movements of the whole body. Musical instruments were made from a variety of natural materials, such as the harp and the nasal flute. In the period from the 17th to the 19th century, both Western church music (due to the invasions of the Dutch and Spaniards) and the musical culture of Han Chinese immigrants became widespread in Taiwan. In 1895-1945, during the era of Japanese colonial rule, there came a turning point in the modernization and Westernization of Taiwanese music. At that time, academic music education was initiated, primarily in the primary and secondary school systems. After 1945, the first higher musical educational institutions began to appear (not as independent conservatories, but as part of integrated universities). In these difficult political conditions, music developed, maneuvering between various influences. Since the 1960s, composer and musicologist Xu Changhui and his colleagues have launched the "Folk Song Collection Movement" and organized creative teams of teachers and students to create modern academic music. It was from this time on that awareness of one's own identity began to awaken in the musical culture of Taiwan, and a synthesis of the musical traditions of indigenous peoples, the musical heritage of the Han Chinese, and Western composing techniques gradually formed ^{[11, p. 81]}.

Taiwan's traditional music is an integral part of Chinese national culture, which is dominated by the Han Chinese heritage, which is exceptionally diverse and forms its own local characteristics in various regions. The concept of "Taiwanese traditional musical elements" encompasses a set of characteristics created and inherited by different ethnic groups in this land and endowed with a pronounced local flavor and national identity. This system is divided into the indigenous and Han branches. Stylistically, Han music is generally monadic, whereas the music of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan is much more multifaceted and includes rich harmonic and contrapuntal forms.

During the years of Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945) in Taiwan, the formation of a system of professional music education created favorable conditions for the birth of local composers. Xiao Taizhan (1938) was born during this period. His musical language, focused mainly on romantic aesthetics, organically combines Western compositional techniques and symphonic thinking with a deep penetration into the fret structures, melodic turns and song and folklore material of Taiwanese traditional music. The composer's legacy is distinguished by an exceptional variety of genres, from piano miniatures and vocal compositions to strings, wind works and symphonies.

Xiao Taizhan's work can be divided into three periods, namely: the early period (1967-1977), the middle period (1977-1985) and the period of creative maturity (1985-2015). In the period 1988-1992, commissioned by the Taiwanese Association of America, TAA-USA, the composer completed the creation of three concerts – a Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 50 (1988), a Cello Concerto in C Major, Op. 52 (1990) and a Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op. 53 (1992) – combining Taiwanese folk melodies and achievements of Western European musical culture of the 19th–20th centuries. These monumental works prove that Xiao Taizhan not only had a passion for the musical language of the romantic school, but also saw his mission as filling in this "gap" in the history of Taiwanese music. "In Taiwan," the composer noted, "the music of indigenous peoples (traditional Taiwanese music) developed, and then immediately there was a leap to avant–garde music. There is no three-hundred-year development of Western tonal music in the history of Taiwanese national music" (cit. according to: ^{[5, p. 30]}).

Therefore, the combination of Taiwanese national elements with Western musical language and their introduction to the international arena was the main motivation of Xiao Taizhan when creating these compositions. At the same time, personal circumstances also gave the composer a creative impulse: by that time he had been living in the United States for more than ten years, experiencing financial difficulties, and his mother was seriously ill at home. In addition, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Taiwan experienced rapid economic growth and profound social transformations; broad segments of the population showed blind admiration for everything new and foreign. Under these conditions, the composers had a noticeably increased sense of national identity, they called for respect for their own culture. Xiao Taizhan's works have become a kind of response to the spirit of the times.

In his compositions, the composer often quoted elements of Taiwanese musical culture. In the piano cycle "Memories of the Motherland" (1987), the composer uses traditional Chinese pentatonics, quoting the melody of the song of Shandong province "Zizhudio" and imitating the techniques of playing traditional Chinese instruments such as the zither, guzhen, etc. Xiao Taizhan's sensitive attitude to the music of S. V. Rachmaninov was manifested in the quotation in the penultimate issue of the cycle (No. 5 "Elegy") of the elements of the texture of the Prelude No. 1 by the great Russian composer. A similar technique is observed in his piano concerto.

Having extensive performing experience in the 1990s, he embodied all his achievements in the field of piano development in the C Minor Concerto. Responding to the spirit of the time of that period, the composer used and reworked Taiwanese folk songs in the piano concerto in C minor, namely "Bitterness of the Heart" ("心酸酸"), depicting the hardships of early Taiwanese society, and "Dark Sky" ("天黑黑"), symbolizing the life of ordinary people, which had not previously been used in the works of composers. academic direction. At the stage of conception, the composer was already striving to go beyond the traditional model, in which the functions of the orchestra and the soloist were clearly separated, and the features of the structure and form of the piano concerto as an independent genre were established. He expressed his creative idea in the form of a metaphor: "The piano is like a swimmer in a raging sea, and the orchestra is the sea itself with its waves and wind. The swimmer then shows himself on the surface, then hides under the water" (cit. according to: ^{[5, pp. 71-72]}). This is how, for example, in the main part of the exposition of the first movement, the orchestra and the piano divide the phrase into two halves, merging and intertwining with each other.

In search of a model of the genre, Xiao Taizhan turns to the concerts of S. V. Rachmaninov. It is in them that he finds the idea of the interaction of an orchestra and a solo instrument in harmony with his ideas, the relationship of which goes beyond the tradition of the genre and where the instrumental nature of the piano is fully revealed. The overt influence of Rachmaninoff's music, so palpable in the Taiwanese composer's Concert, later became one of the reasons to call Xiao Taizhan the "Taiwanese Rachmaninoff."

The world premiere of the Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op. 53 took place on April 10, 1994 in Vancouver (Canada). "This concert," conductor Clyde Mitchell noted in an interview, –is designed in a romantic style. Listening to Xiao Taizhan's music, you immediately feel the unique composer's handwriting and the author's temperament" (cit. according to: ^{[5, p. 70]}).

The concert consists of three parts: Part I: Allegro moderato; Part II: Adagio; Part III: Allegro con fuoco. The first part of the concerto is written in sonata form. A short six-bar intro opens with a timpani beat. The piano part is based on arpeggiated chords in a triadic rhythm, preparing the appearance of the main part. The theme of the main part (c-moll) differs from the traditional presentation for concerts. It contains two two-stroke motifs (orchestral and piano), which are conducted in the form of a dialogue, creating a tense and full of internal conflict atmosphere (Example 1).

Example 1

The theme of the main part of Xiao Taizhan's Concerto is tonally and thematically related to the themes of the main and side parts of the first movement of the Second Piano Concerto by S. V. Rachmaninoff. Just as in the composition of the Russian composer, the theme is presented in the key of C minor. By the type of texture, it is close to the main part of Rachmaninoff's masterpiece, and by the nature of the melodic pattern, it is a side part. The similarity can also be traced at the level of thematicism (verses 14-16), which is marked by a direct borrowing of the material of the main part of the Second Concert (verses 39-55) (Example 2).

Example 2

The binding batch (vol. 35) is based on the material of the main one. Tonal development (C minor – E major – E flat major – G major) leads to C major. The theme of the side part in the exhibition (vol. 74) is light and calm with a touch of determination, it is performed by a solo oboe and turns into a piano part (Example 3). The first piano cadenza (vol. 107) is based on fast passages, acting as a link to the second theme of the side part.

Example 3

The final batch (vol. 138) is based on the material of the secondary. In the development, woven from various musical fragments, the theme of the side part is also used as the main element of the development. The thematic material is diverse, tonal shifts are rapid, and collisions of various sections are extremely intense. Based on the thematic material and the nature of the music, the development can be divided into five sections: Section 1 (volumes 152-164); section 2 (volumes 165-182); section 3 (volumes 185-202); section 4 (volumes 203-218) and section 5 (volumes 219-238). In the light, scherzosic first section, the composer uses expressive techniques (frequent and rapid change of clock sizes, ostinate figures, etc.) to demonstrate the virtuoso capabilities of the piano (Example 4).

Example 4

The second section is calmer, based on the development of the intonations of the side part and marked by the transition of the tonal center from g major to G minor. In the third section, the nature of the music changes rapidly: from harsh to lively and light, and then to excited. It is noteworthy that it is at this point in the score that the composer introduces the scherzo rhythmic motifs from the main part (Example 5), which form the basis of musical development and form a new character of musical imagery. The same scherzo motifs appear in the reprise (vol. 291-294), when moving to the coda.

Example 5

The fourth section continues to develop the intonation of the side part. The tonal center shifts to F major. The string band of the orchestra uses a rhythmic figure of trioles on one note, which gives the melody a smoothness (Example 6).

Example 6

The fifth section (F major) – arpeggiated piano chords combined with the syncopated rhythm of the orchestra create the effect of rhythmic compression and acceleration of movement. In verses 227-230, the theme of the side part reappears in the orchestra (Example 7). This is followed by a dynamic build-up leading to the onset of the reprise.

Example 7

In the reprise of Part I, the main themes are in the key of C minor. The second cadence (vol. 261) consists of two dissimilar constructions. The first (tempo rubato) creates a kind of mystical atmosphere and performs the functions of an introduction. In the second section (con passion), the chord compaction of the melodic line is widely used (Example 8), which is related to the piano texture of S. V. Rachmaninov's Second Concerto.

Example 8

The side part (vol. 275) is played in C minor, and its conducting (vol. 279) is entrusted to the oboe and flute. The reprise uses material from the third and fourth sections of the development (volumes 283-309), as well as elements of the main batch (volumes 291-294) (Example 9).

Example 9

The code (vol. 310) uses the musical material of the theme of the main part. Then, starting from bar 316, the opening theme is played in the orchestra (Example 10). Returning, the main motif of the main part reaches the climax of ff and part I ends with the same timpani beat as it opened.

Example 10

The second part (a-moll) is written in the form of a rondo. This romantic Adagio reveals the features of the piano ballads of F. Chopin and I. Brahms and is close in style and texture to the "Songs without Words" by F. Mendelssohn. The repetition of the theme of the side part establishes a connection with the first part of the Concert, however, unlike the first part, which lacks elements of musical folklore, Adagio quotes the theme of the Taiwanese folk song "The Heart is bitter" ("心酸酸"). The music expresses love for Xiao Taizhan's native land. The theme of the refrain, section A (verses 1-11), is presented first by the clarinet (verses 1-3), then by the string group (verses 4-8) and then by the piano, which creates the effect of a consistent accumulation of emotional saturation (Example 11). In the future, the theme of the refrain is repeated four times.

Example 11

In the first episode (B), in A minor (vol. 12-22), a new theme is played in the piano part, then repeated by the orchestra (Example 12).

Example 12

After the contrasting episode, the refrain A (verses 23-27) is played in E minor. The melodic pattern of the following episode C (verses 28-43) is close to the outline of the Taiwanese folk song "The Heart is bitter" (Example 13-14).

Example 13

Example 14. "My heart is bitter"

In this episode, the theme is led by the orchestra, while the piano part is given an accompanying role. The chromatic ascending trioles of piano passages stabilize the rhythmic pulsation and condense the musical fabric.

The theme of the refrain takes place in a transformed form and leads to the E minor Cadence I (verses 44-48). She is assigned to a solo violin, the sound of which is intended to express the composer's sense of nostalgia for his Homeland (Example 15).

Example 15

The rather large–scale episode D can be divided into five sections: the first is tt. 49-84, the second is tt. 85-110, the third is tt. 111-128, the fourth is tt. 129-135 and the fifth is tt. 136-149. In the first section (Allegro con moto), there is a modulation from E minor to G major, the metric increases – the size changes from 4/4 to 2/4, the rhythm becomes more elastic, the music acquires a scherzo character. In the second section (Allegro moderato – Andante), the theme is conducted by strings, two-part is replaced by three-part (from 2/4 to ¾), the rhythmic movement becomes more calm – all means are aimed at recreating the picture of carefree rural life and scenes of children's games ^{[5, p. 56]}. In the third section, the theme of the side part from Part I is repeated in the orchestral part (Example 16).

Example 16

The fourth section (Andante cantabile) returns to the theme of episode B. The fifth section performs a connecting function: arpeggios, trills and trioli of the piano part prepare cadenza II. In the cadenza (vol. 150-154), the high-pitched piano sounds recreate the waves spreading across the water from a falling drop, metaphorically depicting the composer's emotional excitement and his memories of the past. In vols. 155-157, the theme of section A (in A minor) is repeated. Then, in verses 163-171, the theme of the side part from the first movement takes place in the orchestra part. In volume 172, the coda begins – Recitative lento (in A minor). In the upper voice of the piano part, descending movements appear on a reduced fifth, which stop at the dominant third chord (with a missing septima) in the key of A major (Adagio). After a free tremolo built on a tritone, the dynamics gradually fades to pp and the second part ends (Example 17).

Example 17

The third part (Finale) is written in three-part form with a dynamized reprise (ABA1) and a coda. The introduction, as in the first part, opens with timpani. The piano part is represented by chords with wide jumps (vol. 2) and arpeggio passages in the rhythm of the sixteenth (Cadenza I), which gives the texture a high degree of virtuosity. In section A (in C minor), the orchestra conducts the main theme, which is a new version of the melody of the song "The Heart is bitter", which acquires a marching character with an elastic rhythm and a powerful, decisive sound (Example 18).

Example 18

In verses 34-41, the composer preserves the marching character of the music by using the material in section A in rhythmic magnification. The texture is based on powerful chords and octave doublings, similar to the texture of the piano part of the aforementioned S. V. concerto. Rachmaninoff. 42-55 introduces a connecting episode and a concluding theme. The final theme is designed in a romantic, free fantasy style and a slower tempo (Example 19).

Example 19

The main key of section B (verses 56-119) is in E-flat major. Here, the theme is conducted sequentially, first by the solo flute, and then by the piano. In the process of development, the character of the theme becomes agitatedly rapid (agitato), and then gradually calms down (molto espressivo). Interestingly, Cadenza II, introduced in this section, was written by Milton Stern, a lecturer at Xiao Taizhan at California State University in Los Angeles. The intonations of the second section of the Finale served as the material for Cadenza II. The composer does not do without folklore tunes in Part III either – in the connecting episode (vol. 103-119) he uses the melody of the Taiwanese song "The Sky is getting Dark" ("天""(Examples 20-21).

Example 20

Example 21. "The sky is getting dark"

Section B ends with several episodes that prepare for the reprise. In the first (verses 120-144)– the theme "The heart is bitter" is varied using an ascending fifth movement. In the second (vol. 145-159), the theme of the introduction from the second part develops, expressing homesickness. In vol. 160-163, the rhythmic motif from the introduction to part I is used; its four-fold repetition with a steady dynamic increase leads to a reprise in vol. 164.

With the onset of reprise A1, the material of the first section returns with a repetition of the theme "The heart is bitter" and the connecting episode. In verses 193-229, the composer introduces a three-step coda, where at the first stage the theme "The heart is bitter" continues to develop (Example 22).

Example 22

At the second stage (vol. 219-222), the theme of the main part from the first part returns, ensuring the thematic unity of the entire work. In the final fragment (verses 223-229), the orchestral texture thickens, the dynamics increase, and the Concert ends with a rapid fff of the entire sound (Example 23).

Example 23

Despite the variety of thematic elements used in Xiao Taizhan's concert, his language remains predominantly romantic. The noted direct quoting of theme elements and the use of a number of techniques (the key of C minor, changing the major and minor of the same name to achieve unexpected tonal contrasts) brings the concert of the Taiwanese composer closer to Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto. In the field of harmonic structure and sound coloring, both works widely use chords in close arrangement and dense texture, in particular, octave doublings in the piano part. This compositional method, in which melody and harmony organically merge into a single whole, is one of the most characteristic features of Rachmaninov's work.

In handling the melodic line, Xiao Taizhan shows exceptional subtlety and sensitivity, leaving performing comments on the main themes of the concert ("espressivo" and "cantando"). The themes are clear, carrying an intense emotional load. Cantilence permeates the entire work. In addition, the Concert is distinguished by the richness of the harmonic palette. Xiao Taizhan widely uses chords at lower VI and VII steps, which not only corresponds in harmonic logic to Rachmaninoff's method of "expanding the subdominant function", but also inherits aesthetically his aspirations for drama and epic scope. In the cadence constructions, the concert uses a plagal turn (IV–I) characteristic of romanticism or an interrupted cadence in order to preserve the continuity of emotional development. To make modulation transitions, the composer often uses seventh chords, nonaccords, altered chords, and movements based on the sounds of the chromatic scale (volumes 201-202, I parts) (Example 24).

Example 24

Nostalgic notes are especially noticeable in the theme of the side part of the first movement, which runs through the entire work and serves as a leitmotif. Despite the presence of innovative elements, the overall structure of the work tends towards classicism. Structurally and in the orchestral composition, similar to Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, Xiao Taizhan chooses a standard three-part structure of the classical-romantic type and a double composition of the orchestra, which creates the basis for the monumental sound of the work. Rachmaninoff was the first to apply the technique of equal alternation of the leading role between the piano and the orchestra. The second concert is similar in type to a lyrical poem, and the element of "concertness" (like a competition between a soloist and an orchestra) is practically absent in it ^{[18, pp. 178-179]}. The Taiwanese composer inherited and developed this principle.

Along with the romantic features, the second feature of the concert's musical language is its pronounced national character, which makes up its identity. Its most striking manifestations include the processing of Taiwanese folk songs – "The Sky is darkening" and "The Heart is bitter" – the latter of which appears in parts II and III a total of six times. In some performances, it retains the lyrical, soulful character inherent in the original theme of the song, while in others it acquires a marching appearance. Among the elements of national culture used by the composer in the Concert, one should also mention the pentatonic (e-flat – fa – g– b-flat – do), on the basis of which, for example, the Third Cadence of the III movement is based (Example 25).

Example 25

Conclusion. Xiao Taizhan is one of the few modern Taiwanese composers who has managed to organically combine national and Western European musical traditions in the music of piano compositions. The central work in his legacy, the piano concerto, has a pronounced national character and a romantic style that conveys the nostalgic feelings of the composer who left his homeland. The creative approach based on the synthesis of Chinese and Western European musical traditions demonstrates the specifics of Xiao Taizhan's compositional thinking. Being Xiao Taizhan's most important piano composition, the Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op. 53, embodies the composer's central creative idea – the synthesis of Chinese and Western musical cultures and the popularization of Taiwanese academic music. The composer's citation of the Taiwanese folk songs "The Heart is Bitter" and "The Sky is getting Dark" defines national identity. The composer draws inspiration from Taiwanese folk songs, carefully processing them and organically weaving them into the fabric of the composition. The concert notes the influence of the music of S. V.'s Second Piano Concerto. Rachmaninoff, testifying to the importance of the legacy of the Russian composer in the development of academic musical culture in Taiwan. The introduction to the musical fabric of the concert quotes from the work of the Russian composer enhance the feeling of longing for the lost homeland.

Xiao Taizhan remains one of Taiwan's most popular composers. The composer's piano compositions have not lost their relevance, on the contrary, several decades after the composer created his famous compositions, listeners are able to appreciate their significance in the space of modern musical culture. Further study of the genre and stylistic nature of the composer's piano works will not only contribute to understanding his creative achievements, but can also serve as a guide for further study of Xiao Taizhan's creative legacy.

The article is published in its final version as approved following the last positive peer review recommending acceptance for publication. It incorporates revisions made by the author in response to prior negative peer review reports that did not recommend publication. All peer review reports, including initial negative reviews, are published in open access alongside the article. All versions of the author’s revisions are archived in the publisher’s repository and may be made available upon reasonable request in accordance with Elsevier’s editorial policies and applicable data availability requirements.
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