Pedagogical conditions for the formation of Chinese bel canto and its integration into the repertoire of vocalists with «Shijing» national imagery

Abstract

The article examines the pedagogical conditions for forming the Chinese school of bel canto as a synthetic vocal system that integrates Western «beautiful singing» technique with the national musical-aesthetic tradition. Particular attention is paid to introducing works based on the ancient poetic monument «Shijing» («Book of Songs») into vocalists' repertoire. Experience has shown that the successful formation of Chinese bel canto requires simultaneously addressing three tasks: restructuring curricula (organizational aspect), immersing students in the cultural context of the «Shijing» (cultural-educational aspect), and selecting special didactic techniques (methodological aspect). A comparison of Western and Chinese vocal training models, supplemented by empirical observations in conservatories of the PRC, has made it possible to identify the main barriers and outline ways to overcome them. Priority is given to organizational-pedagogical measures (adjusting curricula, launching interdisciplinary modules), cultural-educational solutions that build a holistic image of the «Shijing» in students, and methodological-didactic principles – gradual increase in material complexity, intonation-semantic unity, and others.