Choral art

Author: Mao Kai, Yang Qiuyi (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: The development of choral art today can be broadly described in the following ways:
1. Form Classification
(1) Chorus: Refers to multi-part songs sung by adults, including unison chorus and mixed chorus.
(2) Children's Chorus: Refers to multi-part songs sung by children before puberty. Children's chorus can sometimes be considered a special form of "unison chorus."
(3) Small Chorus: Also known as "group singing," generally refers to a smaller-scale chorus performed by 8–20 people.
(4) Duet: Generally refers to multi-part songs sung by 2–6 people.
(5) Chorus: Usually refers to multi-part songs sung by several soloists.
2. Genre Classification
(1) Multi-movement large-scale vocal works
(2) Single-movement choral pieces
(3) A cappella choral songs
3. Style Classification: In terms of style (type), choral art can be broadly categorized as religious choral music, foreign art choral music, Chinese art choral music, foreign folk song choral music, Chinese folk song choral music, Sino-foreign children's choral music, and Sino-foreign popular choral music, etc.
Choral art is both an ancient, refined, and highly formal art form, yet it is also a young, evolving, and widely popular polyphonic vocal art with a broad. Its essence and prominent features are manifested in the control and shaping of the human voice—the control primarily lies in the mastery of dynamics, tempo, and expression in singing; while the shaping is mainly reflected in the combination of vocal parts, the use of timbre, and the selection of vocal ranges, etc. Since the 1940s, following the end of World War II, the creative approach of intertwining vocal and instrumental music has seemingly become a trend. During this period, professional choral composition not only made many successful and valuable explorations and practices in symphonizing choral art but also took encouraging and even commendable steps to truly liberate choral art from the shackles of technical virtuosity, enabling it to genuinely confront life and other aspects. Today, it seems that choral art is more of a way of life than an art. Let us experience life through choral art and recognize ourselves in the life of choral music.