Pitch Construction in Regional Contexts: A Study on the Ethnic Characteristics of Pitch Materials in "Light of Northern Xinjiang"

Abstract

Taking the a cappella choral cycle Light of Northern Xinjiang as the research subject, this study systematically explores how the work constructs a pitch system possessing both regional identity and artistic tension through the creative transformation of traditional Mongolian musical elements, from three dimensions: tracing the ethnic origins of its pitch materials, analyzing their morphological characteristics, and mapping their cultural connotations. The study finds that the pitch materials of the work are deeply rooted in traditional genetic sources such as Mongolian urtyn duu (long song), Khorchin storytelling tunes, and chuur music. Using the core intervals of the fourth and fifth as its skeleton, and through modal variations, modular expansion of pitch sets, and onomatopoeic pitch design, the work achieves a musical interpretation of the natural landscapes and humanistic spirit of Northern Xinjiang. This research provides a practical path worthy of reference for the transformation of ethnic elements in pitch organization within contemporary a cappella choral composition.