Vocal styles in Chinese musicals: classification experience

This article examines musicals, a genre currently extremely popular in China, and focuses on the classification of vocal styles within this genre. After analyzing and comparing existing classifications of vocal styles in Chinese musicals, the author proposes a classification based on three key stylistic dominants that define the specific characteristics of various types of singing in Chinese musicals and their differences. Particular attention is paid to defining the specifics of Chinese musicals in comparison with Western musicals and exploring the role of traditional vocal techniques in the Chinese version of this genre. The article also compares the Chinese and English terms for classical vocal style in musicals – legit and meitong – and explains the meaning of the term mintong. In accordance with the article's subject matter, the primary research method is classification. The need to compare Chinese and Western musicals also necessitates the use of a comparative cultural method. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the author's classification of vocal styles in Chinese musicals, based on identifying the stylistic dominants that define the characteristic sound of each type of singing. According to this criterion, vocal styles are divided into classically oriented (classical), ethno-oriented (ethnic), and pop-oriented (pop). It is also noted that the third of these styles predominates in modern musicals. The author emphasizes that each specific example of the genre may contain elements of different styles, which can be combined in different ways. Thus, the article notes the significant role of stylistic integration, but emphasizes that integration cannot be a definition of a particular style, as it is a general tendency for musicals.