Translating Cultural Symbols into Sound: The Creation and Transformation of the “Mantra Chord” in Zou Xiangping’s Images of Yalong River for Alto Saxophone and Piano

Authors

• Cehuai Zhang, University of North Texas

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6294-300X

Abstract

Abstract: Contemporary Chinese composers such as Zou Xiangping often engage Western compositional techniques to express Chinese cultural and spiritual imagery. In his instrumental solo work Images of Yalong River for Alto Saxophone and Piano, Zou effectively incorporates the Tibetan Buddhist six-syllable mantra “Om mani pedme hum” into a six-note sonority known as the “mantra chord.” Through transforming this chord, Zou aligns it with the descriptive and evocative program he created for the music. This article introduces the background of the creation of the “mantra chord,” examines its transformations, and explores how these adaptations engage with the composer’s program for each movement. Zou’s composition explores an approach of cultural translation, employing Western compositional techniques to evoke and express Eastern cultural symbols.

Recommended Citation

Zhang, Cehuai (2026) "Translating Cultural Symbols into Sound: The Creation and Transformation of the “Mantra Chord” in Zou Xiangping’s Images of Yalong River for Alto Saxophone and Piano," Gamut: Online Journal of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic: Vol. 13 : Iss. 1 , Article 1.

Available at: https://voljournals.utk.edu/gamut/vol13/iss1/1