| This dissertation aims to describe the differences in the musical culture of Mongolians on either side of the Mongolia-China border by examining the foremost emblem of Mongolian singing and 2005 UNESCO "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity," the Mongolian long song (Mongolian, urtiin duu; Chinese, chang diao). Until the last decade of the 20th century, fieldwork access to observe the performance practices of urtiin duu singers, their contexts and their audiences was limited in Mongolia, and even more so in China. This research takes the unique opportunity for fieldwork in 2000--2001 as a basis not only to appreciate Mongolian musicianship in comparison to our own, but also to hear how different Mongolian populations in two countries interpret and utilize urtiin duu for their own ends. My dissertation asks the following questions: what differences and similarities can we find in urtiin duu in Mongolia in comparison to how it is sung in China? How can we account for those differences and similarities? What does urtiin duu tell us about these two distinct Mongolian groupings?;To answer these questions, three sites in Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar, Mandalgov', and Olziit) and three sites in Inner Mongolia, China (Hohhot, Urad Qianqi, and Xilingol) were explored and documented for the musical activities of the Mongolian population. In each country, one urban location is contrasted with two other rural locales. The research insights of several ethnomusicologists are utilized: James Koetting and Thomas Turino in discerning the relationship between the urban and the rural; Helen Rees in taking a survey of the musical culture in each location; and Timothy Rice in understanding the trajectory of populations affected by Communist cultural policies. Fieldwork methods included event and concert analysis, participant observation, personal interviews, and surveys of media.;Urtiin duu in Mongolia differs from that in China. Rural populations in both nations utilize the morin huur in accompanying urtiin duu, as do urban singers in Mongolia, while in urban China the piano is preferred. Vocal ornamentation is different, as are the training techniques. Urban expressions of urtiin duu show a willingness to incorporate harmony, additional instruments and voices, and are often designed to appeal to foreign tourists. Rural performances are aimed at primarily Mongolian audiences in the context of more interactive settings, such as the yearly naadam (games) and the communal nair (feast). Using the insights of Inner Mongolian anthropologist Uradyn Bulag on the ethnic situation of Mongolians in Mongolia (Halh dominance) and China (Han dominance and the policy of minzu tuanjie), the differences between urtiin duu in these two countries are clearly illustrated in how musicians are trained in institutions of higher learning in administrative capitals: the Mongolian University of the Arts and Culture (MUAC) in Ulaanbaatar, and the Inner Mongolian Arts Academy (IMAA) in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. Urtiin duu musical style in urban Mongolia flows principally from one source: Dundgov' province, home of the famed female singer Norovbanzad (1931--2002). In urban Hohhot, China, urtiin duu musical style reflects a greater variety of Mongolian groupings from different locations in Inner Mongolia. |
