Opera knowledge of Cantonese opera

Cantonese opera, also known as? Cantonese opera? Or? Big play? One of the traditional operas of the Han nationality, which originated from Southern Opera, is popular in Cantonese-inhabited areas such as Lingnan. Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty began to appear in Guangdong and Guangxi. It is a performing art that combines singing, reading, playing, musicians' music, stage costumes and abstract forms. The following is a little knowledge about Cantonese opera, welcome to read for reference!

I. Historical origin

Cantonese opera is a kind of drama formed by Guangdong artists absorbing the voices of other provinces' operas, singing in easy-to-understand language, and mixing with local ballads and minor tunes. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there were children of rural customs who lived by playing in all parts of central Guangdong. From Jiajing in Ming Dynasty, Yiyang Opera and Kunqu Opera appeared. During the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, Guangzhou had? Tuyou? Singing at the theatre? Wide cavity? . During the Qianlong period, local artists formed Qionghua Guild Hall, a peer organization, in Daji, Foshan Town. During the period from Qianlong to Daoguang-year, hundreds of other provinces' Waijiang Opera Troupes entered Guangdong, and the Guangdong Waijiang Liyuan Guild Hall was established in Guangzhou. The local class absorbed the artistic nourishment of Waijiang class in voice and performance, and gradually formed a performance style mainly singing Bangzi. In the fourth year of Xianfeng (1854), Li, a local class artist, took the children of Liyuan as the backbone and organized the Red Scarf Army to fight against the Qing Dynasty. The Qing government banned local classes from performing, so artists had to switch to Waijiang classes or pretend to be Peking Opera. In the early years of Tongzhi, the local class rose again. In the fifteenth year of Guangxu (1889), the Bahe Guild Hall was established in Guangzhou. At this time, local classes also absorbed the Er Quan tune, which can be dominated by Bangzi and Er Quan tune, and can also perform Eighteen Books of Jianghu, Eighteen Books of New Jianghu and Eighteen Books of Big ostentation and extravagance in major (localized Yiyang tune and Kunqu tune). The performing roles are divided into ten categories: Wushu, Zheng Sheng, Xiao Sheng, Xiaowu, Zongsheng, Gongjiao, Zheng Dan, Hua Dan and Jingchou. Wushu is a southern Wushu evolved from Shaolin Wushu. When the original "Six Kingdoms Seal" was performed, there were more than 100 people, colorful and mixed with local sounds, which was quite different from other operas. Early Cantonese Opera Troupe, get a special rental? Red boat? Shuttle back and forth in the Pearl River and perform in various ports, so it is also called Cantonese Opera artist? Red boat disciple? . At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, theaters were built in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macao and other places one after another. The local class newly called Cantonese Opera gradually changed from a rural soil stage to an urban theater performance, and then the provincial and Hong Kong large classes moved between large and medium-sized cities. In order to meet the needs of urban audiences and theater performances, there have been masters who write plays as their profession, and most of their new plays are gorgeous and ingenious. However, Xia Sifu Class, which performed in western Guangdong, is still good at performing the original works featuring Wu Sheng and Xiao Wu, maintaining a rough and simple artistic feature. During the Guangxu period, state political classes who left their hometown and Hong Kong one after another performed in some overseas countries.

Before and after the Revolution of 1911 (19 1 1), influenced by the trend of democratic revolution, some Cantonese opera artists participated in the League activities advocated by Sun Yat-sen. Some people in the society organize volunteer classes to promote the idea of democratic revolution through activities to improve Cantonese opera. After that, influenced by the improvement of Cantonese opera and the need to compete with emerging innovative films, various factors of Cantonese opera comprehensive art have undergone major changes. The content of the play covers ancient and modern Chinese and foreign themes, with thousands of cutting-edge screenwriters. Xiao Sheng and Xiao Wu changed from singing falsetto to singing the true voice. Bangzi, Huang Er, Yiyang, Kunqu Opera and other vocal cavities are very different from the original sound. Bangzi and Huang Er created new plates and sentence patterns, and applied popular folk songs such as Muyu, Nanyin, Yuefu and Banshu to vocal music. Through the combination of tuning and plate changes, they comprehensively used a variety of voices, which were also in the original national accompaniment instruments. The performing arts absorbed Peking Opera works and northern martial arts, and drew lessons from the performance methods of film and television dramas that pay attention to reality and are close to life, and formed a performance system with Wu Sheng, Wen Wusheng, Xiao Sheng, Andrew Hua Dan, Hua Dan and Ugly Students as the pillars, resulting in singing styles of life, Dan and Ugly. In 1930s and 1940s, the stage of Cantonese opera was full of stars, and five schools emerged, namely Xue Juexian, Ma Shiceng, Bai Jurong, Liao Xiahuai and Guangxi, which dominated the reform direction of Cantonese opera and created many excellent tracks. Stage scenery has changed from one table and two chairs to plane, three-dimensional and even institutional scenery, and lighting has developed from water lamps and headlights to electric lamps and colored rotating lamps.

There are different opinions about the emergence and formation of Cantonese Opera. However, it is generally believed that Cantonese opera began to sprout in the middle of the Ming Dynasty and was bred in the local class. Generally speaking, the origin of local classes is quoted from Mai's A Brief History of Cantonese Opera. Yongzheng succeeded to the throne? At that time, the famous actress in Beijing, Zhang No.5, was the fifth player in the stands. Escaped to Guangdong and lived in Dajiwei, Foshan Town? Award the children of Red Boat Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, change the organization and expand the scale. Qionghua Club was established? As a record of the origin of Cantonese opera local classes, it actually greatly shortened the history of Cantonese opera local classes, and Qionghua Guild Hall was not founded during Yongzheng period [3]. According to historical records, as early as Jiajing to Wanli in Ming Dynasty, the local class had established Qionghua Guild Hall as an industry organization in Foshan and Guangzhou. After continuous development, Yiyang and Kunqu Opera are combined with popular local folk tunes such as Nanyin, Dragon Boat, Muyu, Yue Opera, Salty Water Songs and Guangdong Instrumental Music. Until the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, it gradually evolved into a combination of North and South, Chinese and foreign vocal music, singing in vernacular, thus forming a local opera with distinctive Lingnan characteristics-Cantonese opera. Cantonese opera is different from other provinces' operas. It belongs to the category of China's freehand brushwork drama, which has a light, smooth, innovative and changeable personality. Southern red beans? The reputation of.

Second, performing arts.

1. Sing and play

The performing skills of Cantonese opera actors can be divided into four basic categories-singing, doing, reading and playing.

Singing refers to singing, and different roles have different singing methods, including flat throat and split throat. Flat throat is a common tone of voice, and generally male characters are performed with flat throat. The infralarynx is eight octaves higher than the flat larynx, and often plays a female role in falsetto. In addition to classification by scale, it will also be classified by sound characteristics. Loud voice is the use of coarse voice. At the same time, Cantonese opera will also absorb the unique vocals from various places, such as Guangdong Nanyin and Muyu from Fujian, as well as local folk songs in Guangdong, such as Yuefu and Banyan.

Doing refers to doing work, also known as figure, that is, physical performance. Including gestures, catwalk, walking, closing eyes, making hands, drawing, sleeves, badminton, martial arts, water hair, abstract performance, traditional kung fu and so on.

Reading refers to reading white, that is, reading lines. Explain the plot, the thoughts and feelings of the characters in words.

Fighting refers to martial arts, such as: dancing sleeves, water hair, playing with fans, using knives and guns, playing with sticks and waving flags, etc.

Step 2 sing

Create a unique Cantonese opera aria? Horse cavity? Ma Shiceng.

Create a unique Cantonese opera aria? Horse cavity? Ma Shiceng.

In the early Qing Dynasty, the Waijiang class introduced Geyang and Kunshan dialects to Guangdong. During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, local classes appeared gradually, but the singing was still dominated by bangzi. Later, with the decline of Kunqu opera and the influence of Huiban, Xipi and Huanger sang mainly. During the Revolution of 1911, Shi Zhi Class changed the mandarin of the opera studio into vernacular, also called new tune. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, old masters who studied Cantonese opera and developed their own vocals emerged constantly.

For example: Xue Juexian? Xue Qiang? , chic and elegant, mellow charm. Ma Shiceng? Horse cavity? Half singing and half white, ghosts are popular. Little star's? Star cavity? , delicate feelings, low back, budding. Luo Jiabao? Shrimp cavity? The combination of true and false sounds is fresh and pleasant, and Xin Ruihong is sweet, crisp, round, moist and delicate. Red cavity? Sun Masi Zeng-Qing Yuelong? New horse cavity? , he Fan Fei? Where are the cavities? Fang Yanfen's? Fang Qiang? , Chen Xiaofeng? Wind cavity? Wait a minute.

stature

Through symbolic gestures and actions, actors interpret the characters' personalities and feelings, the changes of time and space and the development of the plot. The basic picture includes: standing posture, catwalk, seven-star step, palm of the finger, palm of the cloud, appearance, running around the stage, opening the door, pulling the mountain (cloud hand), getting on the horse and offering the back.

Xiao Sheng's catwalk is a T-step, so he should show his momentum. Hua Dan's catwalk is skimming, so it should be light. In order to make indecision, consider how to deal with such psychological States or find objects, find ways and other plots, which actors will use? Water wave The program to be expressed.

For example, martial arts, such as Jumping in the Big Frame (South School), Ma Dangzi, July 8th School (North School) and various kata knives and guns, etc. The jumping frame consists of a series of body movements, including the actor's coming to the stage, pulling the mountain (cloud hand), hanging one foot, coming out, seven-star step, kneading step (wrong step), smart step, cloud step, small jump, kicking, kicking armor (robe armor), car body, washing face, downwind flag, walking on the platform and so on. Among them, Wushu is Xugong's specialty. In the early days, Xugong's performance styles were diverse, and he used ten techniques to express carefree, happy, thoughtful, unexpected, surprised and shocked expressions, such as throwing, bouncing, poking, stirring, pulling, earning, hugging, rubbing, blowing and shaking.

Third, the classification of enterprises.

The role in drama is called occupation in Cantonese opera and Chinese opera. The original business of Cantonese opera is "one end (old students), two cleanliness addicts (painted faces), three Zheng Sheng (middle-aged male roles), four Zheng Dan (Tsing Yi), five Zheng Dan (male and female leading roles), six members (painted villains), seven primary school students (small five), eight sticks (two Hua Gang Dan), nine husbands (Lao Dan) and ten.

Later, it was simplified to a six-column system, namely, Wen Wusheng, Xiao Sheng, Andrew Hua Dan, Erhua Gangdan, Ugly Student and Wusheng. These are all classified according to the characteristics of roles, such as age, gender, personality and appearance. ? At the end? Represents the role of the elderly. ? Healthy? Represents a male role. ? Dan. Represents a female role. ? Net? Is a strong and violent male character. ? Ugly? It's a funny character.

Fourth, the performance venue

In the history of Cantonese opera, the performing places of Cantonese opera, like other operas in China, are constantly evolving. The performance places of Cantonese opera are generally divided into temporary theaters and permanent stages. In the Ming Dynasty, when people were well-off, big families would set up their own stage and recruit private troupes, while Huafeng stage in front of Foshan ancestral temple was a fixed stage for entertaining ordinary people. At the beginning of the 20th century (the early years of the Republic of China), Cantonese opera performances entered the theater. With the continuous improvement of facilities, the audience can enjoy Cantonese opera performances more comfortably. In the past, there were many famous theaters in Guangzhou, Foshan and Hong Kong, while there were Taiping Theatre, Goldman Sachs Theatre, Central Theatre, Puqing Theatre and Lee's Stage in Hong Kong, all of which witnessed the golden age of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong.

After World War II, playgrounds began to enter the life of Hong Kong people, and some famous playgrounds, such as Kai Tak Playground and Liyuan Playground, also became the performance venues of Cantonese Opera. When 199 1 demolished the Lee Stage and rebuilt it into the Lee Stage Square, Guangxin Theater became an important town of Cantonese opera. With the decline of Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong, Cantonese Opera Troupe mainly performs in Guangxin Theatre, Kwai Tsing Theatre and Gaoshan Theatre.