Li Shuangjiang Singing Art Research

Li Shuangjiang is a representative figure in the practice and exploration of“sinicization of bel canto” in the history of Chinese vocal music.His singing style is based on Western bel canto while inheriting the vocal refinement techniques of traditional Chinese singing.Through sticking to the key singing knacks in terms of“emotion”,“voice”,“pronunciation”,“aesthetics” and “style”,Li has constructed rich“singing imageries” and formed a unique singing style that combines Chinese and Western elements and has exerted great influence on the development of Chinese vocal music for a certain period of time.This singing style is rooted in the “cultural soil”provided by the historical and cultural backgrounds of Chinese and Western vocal music,and his technical feature is “harmony among breath,voice,music and connotation.” The language expression,vocal refinement,and emotional demonstration of his singing all manifest strong Chinese characteristics.Moreover,Li's “trinity” gestural performance and re-creation method,the audience's“expectation vision” and others reflect that the singing style's unique features meet the aesthetic taste of the audience.The creation and application of “singing imageries” in his performances demonstrates the novel aesthetic features of his singing style.Li extracts artistic essences from traditional Chinese operas,folk songs and even calligraphy to enrich his singing art.In addition,his inspirational childhood story,hard study in youth,and practice in the middle-aged period also helped enrich the “cultural connotation” of his singing.Furthermore,“truth” and “harmony” coexist in his singing art,of which “truth” overweighs “harmony”.The integration of “truth,goodness and beauty” constructed the “free realm” of his singing.