Chinese art songs performed for Italian audiences
Edited by Ma Yue. Subtitles by Ma Yue.
Chinese art songs made their debut at the Teatro Sociale Como in Italy this week when Chinese baritone Liao Changyong joined German pianist and music professor Hartmut Höll for a concert at the 212-year-old theater.
In the "Chinese Spring • Traditional Lyrics And Melodies" concert, Liao and Höll transformed 16 Chinese art songs into a flowing Eastern scroll, showcasing both the poetic fusion of Chinese music and literature, and the profound philosophical reflections within them.
Liao Changyong (right) and Hartmut Höll perform at Italy's Teatro Sociale Como.
Art songs, by their narrowest definition, are vocal compositions in a classical format usually written for one singer and piano accompaniment. In China, they refer to classical poetry set to song.
"For foreign audiences, even if they may not understand the lyrics in Chinese, they are often deeply moved by the distinctive lyricism and profound emotional resonance of Chinese art songs," said Liao.
"Our performance becomes a dialogue that invites sincere responses from listeners, dissolving boundaries of time and culture," he added.
Next, Liao and Höll are heading to Germany and Finland to introduce Chinese art songs to more international audiences.
