聽覺現代性：聲音科技、雜種美學與上海流行音樂，1927-49

Abstract

本論文的研究對象為一九二七至一九四九年間以上海為發展中心的中國早期流行音樂，如何以聲音形式，在傳統與現代之間辯證角力，帶來文化與聽覺的啟蒙。本論文以聲音形式呈現一時一地的都市景觀，探討聽覺感官受到的現代性衝擊，並試圖在重構上海流行歌曲發展史的同時，深究音樂手法與美學品味的嬗變，與其內在的文化意涵。 本研究以黎錦暉作為研究的切入點與音樂發展的基準點，挖掘他以流行歌曲示範現代生活中，從愛情到愛國情操等各種面向。黎氏不僅奠定了上海流行音樂在多種傳播媒介中的運用方式，也奠定了音樂語法中的文化秩序與審美價值。表面上看，黎錦暉在歌詞方面衝撞禮教，喜好描述女性的身體美，與情欲感官的享樂，在曲調方面時常挪用外來元素，而他創辦的歌舞表演組織－－明月社，有如新型「表演公司」，旗下女歌手有著尖扁細高的獨特唱腔歌唱，時人稱之為「小妹妹聲」。然而深究起來，黎錦暉的歌詞承襲才子佳人小說，在曲調上慣用傳統技法，以致招惹來「淫樂」惡名；明月社的營運類似於傳統戲班，明月社歌手的尖銳發聲方式更可上溯至清末的京戲全女班。本論文認為，如是的「小妹妹聲」挑釁重陽輕陰的家國與性別價值觀，從此成為了上海流行歌手的用嗓基調，而黎錦暉的音樂創作中外新內舊的模式，也深植在樂種的風格核心之中。 本論文嘗試將上海流行音樂以黎錦暉的美學秩序為規則，按其發展分為四個時期。隨著樂風的成熟，古典背景白種樂手、所謂「爵士樂」風格、舞曲節拍等外來元素的使用越是頻繁熟練，外新內舊的音樂手法也就越顯隱晦難辨。上海流行音樂以崇洋媚外的假動作，追求現代性的手法背後的意義在於，它以失誤性的模仿建立起音樂的主體性，好鬆動外來力量的權威與規訓，是為聲響上的殖民學舌（Colonial Mimicry）。 上海流行音樂既仰賴聲音機器存在與散佈，它便不只在音樂內容上為聽眾造成衝擊，製造與傳播這種音樂的聲音技術也形塑了聽覺現代性。錄音技術打破了時空限制，為上海的聽眾帶來了前所未見的內在時間與身體時間，讓聽者在聆聽當中成為「聽眾」，一種新的文化群體。聲音技術又回過頭改變了流行歌手的聲音表演；隨著技術發展，歌手逐漸掌握了機器特性，歌聲中的親密感也逐漸增加，以聽覺為中心的共同體由是形成。 這份研究亟欲釐清的核心問題，是上海流行音樂中元素混用手法的規律法則，與其中的文化意涵。本論文視音樂為複雜文化網絡中的一部分，企圖呈現上海流行音樂與彼時文學、文化、思想、美學之間的互文性，並以這樣的概念，重新審思流行音樂史的寫作方法，由聲音的角度重構與認知時代的文化結構和美學秩序。

This study reconstructs the sound and cultures of early stage of Chinese popular music, which was formed and developed in Shanghai during 1927 to 1949. I delineate the changing process and the cultural meanings of music technique and aesthetics, also discuss how this genre brought the cultural and hearing enlightenment by the form of sound. In my analysis, Jing-hui Li, the pioneer of Shanghai popular music, set the aesthetic standard and demonstrated the way of ‘modern life’ via multiple media before 1936 by his popular songs. In name only, Li’s erotic lyrics violated traditional ethics, his melody appropriated foreign music elements, his ‘Bright-Moon Song and Dance Troupe’ functioned as a modern ‘performing company,’ and the ‘little sister voice’ of all his songstresses of ‘Bright-Moon’ was scorned by contemporary intellectuals. The first chapter of this research examines those viewpoints, identifies a mode of ‘outward modernity with inward tradition’ as the core style of Shanghai popular music. In the second chapter, I divide Shanghai Popular music into four periods. While music composing techniques reached maturity after 1946, the borderline of imported and domestic music elements of this so-called ‘blend of Chinese-Western’ music was getting obscure. This genre tended to wrongly imitate and appropriate foreign music styles, it sounded like other Western genres, but not quite, just like what Homi Bhabha called ‘colonial mimicry.’ I suggest the reason of this sonic colonial mimicry is not to ‘copy’ other genres, but to establish a cultural subject with an unique sound. This study also exhibits how the sound technology formed a cultural ‘acoustic mirror,’ which constructed a new perception of cultural Self and imagined community. In the third chapter, I propose that Shanghai popular music subtly shaped the ‘I’ and ‘we’ of this imagined community, and the sound of technology not only affected the mass hearing, but also influenced upon the singing style of songstresses. This dissertation aims to reveal the cultural meanings of the composing technique in Shanghai popular music. I regard music as part of polyphonic cultural network, and attempts to show the intertexuality between Shanghai popular music and literature, culture, philosophy and aesthetics. From this perspective I re-define the methodology of popular music history, and reconstruct and seize the cultural structure and aesthetic order by music sound.