ISSN: 2222-6990
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This study investigates the expressive potential of piano techniques and their role in shaping emotional resonance in classical performance within the cultural and educational context of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China. While piano education in China has traditionally emphasized technical precision and examination-oriented training, limited attention has been given to how expressive techniques function as tools for emotional communication. Addressing this gap, the study adopts a mixed-methods research design to explore how pianists employ expressive devices, how listeners emotionally respond to these techniques, and how local cultural values influence pedagogical and performance practices. A convergent parallel mixed-methods approach is employed, integrating qualitative and quantitative data collected simultaneously. Qualitative data are gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, classroom observations, focused ethnography, and a mini case study involving pianists, music educators, students, and audiences in Nanchang. Quantitative data are obtained through listener-response surveys using standardized emotional descriptors adapted from the Geneva Emotional Music Scale. The qualitative data are thematically analyzed, while quantitative data are examined using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, with findings triangulated during interpretation. The results reveal that expressive techniques such as rubato, dynamic shaping, phrasing, articulation, and tempo modulation play a central role in generating emotional resonance. Both trained and untrained listeners respond more strongly to performances that demonstrate emotional coherence and interpretive intention rather than technical accuracy alone. Cultural values in Nanchang emphasize emotional restraint and refinement, shaping how expressivity is taught and performed. The study concludes that expressive piano performance is a culturally embedded, learnable process and calls for pedagogical models that integrate technical mastery with emotional communication to foster more meaningful performer–listener connections.
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