THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN EASTERN AND WESTERN GARDEN DESIGN

Garden and music are based on two different art systems, and both of them have their own development. Nevertheless they do have an inseparable relationship. For thousands of years, they affect each other, progress together and perfect both characters.
In fact, for most of the society the special characters of art existed from the very beginning, presented in many different art forms. This point can be found step by step between garden and music. Features in music were impressed in gardens of the same cultural area, with respect to the layout, the gradation, the visual focus, and the composition of the garden. The whole arrangement reflected a musical metaphor, such as the different balance, and the distinct temperament in Western and Eastern music, and so on; there are plenty of arguments to be proved in there. Just as the Eastern melody was accurately used in their winding road and uneven building in gardens; the Western melodies also were utilized in their regular paragraph arrangement and rigorous formation. That is one of the reasons why we try to transfer some research attention from the visual surface to the integration between garden and other categories of arts.
This article takes music as an example to partly explain the root of distinction between Eastern and Western garden design. It also addresses possible reasons for different aesthetics’ reflection in gardens. By analyzing the relationships with another form of Art - Music- this article intends to unfold a new thread for garden research.