National Discourse and Subjectivity Expression in Chinese Symphonic Creation

Abstract

Taking Chinese symphonic works from 1978 to the present as the research object, this paper explores how this Western art form carries and continuously reshapes the cultural subjectivity of Chinese music. It is argued that in this historical process, the construction of Chineseness unfolds primarily in the tension of three forces: cultural root-seeking centered on nationalization, grand narratives supported by national projects, and aesthetic strategies shifting toward individualization and cross-cultural dialogue in the context of globalization. Through a combined method of musical text analysis and cultural-political criticism, this paper outlines the evolutionary trajectory of Chineseness—from a relatively stable "cultural marker" to a symbolic "national symbol", and ultimately to a diverse and fluid "dialogical strategy". It further reveals the complex interactive relationships underlying this evolution between national discourse, composers' subjectivity, and the pressures of globalization.