The Aria In The "Li School" Of Pingtan

Pingtan, a form of Southern folk art adopting the Suzhou dialect, embraces a long history. It combines two genres, “pinghua” and “tanci”. In contrast to “pinghua”, which only involves speaking without singing,“tanci” involves both speaking and singing, with the two primary accompanying instruments of the form being the “sanxian” and “pipa”. Because of their shared performance style, “pinghua” and “tanci” have merged together after 1949. Among numerous Pingtan schools, the female tanci school, “Li”, originated in the work of Xu Lixian during the 1950 s. The “Li School” inherited Pingtan traditions of tuning and other musical techniques. After refining and reorganizing many musical resources, the “Li School” gradually emerged with its own unique characteristics. These characteristics include the integration of modern musical elements like the chorus and duet, making the “Li School” distinct from other schools. In the present, the “Li School” continues to serve as a learning model for many artists.This paper examines the history, musical characteristics, and influence of the “Li School”. It discusses the historical development of changes in repertoire and the greater emphasis this school placed on singing. In closely studying the aria in particular, this paper provides an overview of the singing techniques, modes, and tonality imported from the West.