Piano in Zhao Yuanren’s vocal compositions: features of texture and musical language
Zhao Yuanren is a Chinese linguist who is considered the ancestor of the modern Chinese language. At the same time, he was also a composer who contributed to the development of Chinese music. His compositional legacy is mainly related to the field of vocal music. The piano accompaniment of songs and romances by Zhao Yuanren deserves special attention. The study of its texture and musical language helps to reveal the features of Chinese music of the first half of the 20<sup>th</sup> century. This article analyzes the piano accompaniment of Zhao Yuanren’s vocal works in the matters of texture, the use of polyphonic techniques and other aspects. The article aims to gain a deeper understanding of Zhao Yuanren’s vocal works and Chinese piano music of that time.