Emotional Analysis of the Performance of the Art Song "White-headed Chant"

Abstract:Chinese art songs, which are based on ancient poetry, are a type of art song with Chinese characteristics, drawing inspiration from Western composition techniques and forms while incorporating elements of ancient Chinese poetry culture.This paper takes Li Yan's work "The Phoenix Courtship" as the object and conducts an in-depth analysis of its historical background and performance emotions, aiming to contribute to the promotion of Chinese traditional culture.

The Background of the Lyrics of "White-headed Chant"

"White-headed Chant" is a poem from the Music Bureau Collection, with a concise style but rich in charm. Zhuo Wenjun was beautiful and highly literate, while Sima Xiangru was a well-known local literary talent and a charming man. According to "Records of the Grand Historian", Zhuo Wenjun married at the age of seventeen, but her husband died shortly after, and she returned home to live alone. By chance, she met Sima Xiangru at a banquet hosted by her father, Zhuo Wangsun. Sima Xiangru was charmed by Zhuo Wenjun and won her favor with a song called "The Phoenix Courtship". Later, Sima Xiangru's poetry was appreciated by the imperial court, and after achieving success in his career, he had the idea of taking a concubine. Hearing this, Zhuo Wenjun wrote "White Hair Lament" out of grief and anger.

The Performance Emotions of "White-headed Chant"

The lyrics of "White-headed Chant" express Zhuo Wenjun's love and resentment towards Sima Xiangru, as well as her brave pursuit of love and her loyalty in love. In the performance, the tone should be initially described in a narrative tone, truthfully depicting a scene. At the climax, the tone should be appropriately adjusted to express the inner emotions. The overall emotional tone of the piece is one of sadness and slight anger. "White-headed Chant" not only expresses the sorrow towards Sima Xiangru but also praises Zhuo Wenjun's determination and bravery. The entire piece is filled with a sense of depression, oppression, and anger. The song conveys a sense of sorrow, and the words "snow" and "moon" evoke a feeling of desolation. "Sorrowful and sad, no tears at the wedding." If only I was engraved in thy mind, Old and grey not left behind. When Wenjun was first married, she believed that if a woman married a sincere husband, she needn't cry or be sad. She only wished to be with Sima Xiangru for life, growing old together and never parting. But now, you have two minds and want to take a concubine. The mood here is persistently low, and the voice is even more sorrowful and helpless. To convey this change in emotion, when singing, carefully design the intensity of the singing according to the meaning of the lyrics.

References [1] Wang Jun. Analysis of the Performance of the Art Song "White-headed Chant" from Ancient Poetry [J]. Yellow River Sound, 2022. [2] Gu Jinfeng. Artistic Characteristics and Singing Analysis of Ancient Poetry Art Songs "The Phoenix Courtship" and "White-headed Chant" [D]. Yunnan Normal University