Cross-Cultural Elements in Paul Rudy’s Fantasie Composition

This article explores a single instance of cultural syncresis, the Fantasie for erhu (Chinese fiddle) by American composer Paul Rudy. I am using the definition of syncresis put forward by Kartomi, namely, “the result of contact between at least two music cultures and the consequent transformation of the styles in context into a new synthesis of syncretic style.”104 Rudy’s composition was written in 2000 in fulfillment of a commission from the New York based performing group Music From China. It combines elements of musical genres from several cultures (including traditional Chinese and folk American) and explores the similarities of different fiddle styles. The work stands at a point of intersection in both migration studies and studies of cultures in contact, vividly endorsing Wang Yiyan’s observation that “migration is an intensified cross-cultural experience” offering creative advantages to both the host society and the transplanted or migration society.105