Cantonese Opera
Cantonese Opera, also known as Drama or Guangdong Drama, originated from Southern Opera. It began to appear in Guangdong and Guangxi during the Jiajing Period of Jiaming Dynasty. The performing arts of costumes, abstract forms, etc. Each profession in Cantonese opera has its own unique costumes. The language used in the initial performances was Zhongyuan phonology, also known as theater Mandarin. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, intellectuals changed the singing language to Cantonese in order to facilitate the propaganda of the revolution, making it easier for Guangzhou people to understand. Cantonese opera was included in the first batch of 518 national intangible cultural heritage items announced on May 20, 2006.
History
Before the Yuan Dynasty
The origin of Cantonese opera can be traced back to the rise of Chinese folk Qiyan folk songs. The earliest can be traced back to the "Book of Songs" in the pre-Qin Dynasty, but this is all of China Banner-style operas such as Peking Opera and Cantonese Opera, as well as poetry-type operas such as Shanghai Yue Opera and Huangmei Diao have the same origin.
Chinese Qiyan style folk songs developed into the Middle Ages, that is, the Wei, Jin and Tang dynasties, reaching an unprecedented peak and forming a generation of literary style - Tang poetry. These folk songs in Qiyan style, which emphasize smoothness and order, not only formed the content of storytelling in the folk performances of Buddhist temples in the Tang Dynasty, but also added the rhythm of wooden fish. However, due to its long-term status in the lower class of society, and the fact that banquet music (or Yanyue), which was influenced by foreign music, was always appreciated by the ruling class in the Tang Dynasty, it did not develop very much. The poetry and music developed from banquets passed through the Tang and Song Dynasties and formed operas with rhythms and palace tunes.
Yuan Dynasty
In the Yuan Dynasty, Zaju became the most popular type of drama. At that time, a play was called a play. From now on, if you choose to perform only one act of a play, it will be called an excerpt. Many plays of Cantonese Opera are handed down from the Yuan Dynasty Zaju, and even some traditional Cantonese opera plays are exactly the same as Zaju, such as "The Romance of the West Chamber" (known as the crown of Yuan Zaju), "The Injustice of Dou E", "Walking in the Snow to Seek Plum Blossoms" ”, “A Chinese Girl’s Lost Soul”, “The Orphan of Zhao”, etc.
Ming Dynasty
Volume 9 of "Zhuangqu Yishu" compiled by Gui Youguang of Ming Dynasty records the "Edict to the People" written by the imperial envoy Wei Xiao in the 16th year of Zhengde in Ming Dynasty (1521) , which contains sayings such as "In a house that promotes excellence and service, children are not allowed to send students to Du University without permission." "It is not allowed to compose and sing obscene songs, reenact the emperors of the past dynasties, slander the past and present, and offenders will be questioned." This can be said to be the earliest written record of drama in Guangdong. According to the "Xinhui County Chronicle", in the early years of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty, "many local children did not stick to their own profession and engaged in drama to make a living." "Guangdong Tongzhi" in the 40th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1561) recorded that in Guangzhou Prefecture, "acting plays are often performed for fun in the city in February, and the proverb goes that "it is difficult to perform operas, but it is difficult to play strings". There is a common saying that "virtuous", so "when an actor from Jiangsu and Zhejiang comes, he will call himself a villager and reject them at all times." This proves that drama was already prevalent at that time.
By the Ming Dynasty, the Yiyang tune of Nan Opera had become popular in Guangdong, and Kun Troupe, Hui Troupe and Jiangxi and Hunan troupes often performed in Guangdong. According to "History of Cantonese Opera", a female actress named Zhang Qiao appeared in Guangdong. She was from Nanhai and was an actor in Tsing Yi. Originally from Suzhou, she was born in Guangdong. Because her mother was a Kunqu Opera performer in Suzhou, she was recorded as a female performer in the Kunqu Opera Troupe. It can be seen that people from theater troupes from various places began to take root in Guangdong. [2] Although Cantonese people began to learn acting due to foreign influences, during the Chenghua period, learning opera was still not accepted by conservative people. There was a family motto in the Shiwan Taiyuan Huo family genealogy that prohibited children from good families from learning opera. Later, theater troupes with local people as the main body gradually appeared, and the transition to theater troupes with local people as the whole. To distinguish the two, the former is called the "Waijiang class" and the latter is called the "local class".
Cantonese Opera not only absorbs the characteristics of Yiyang Opera, but also has a blood relationship with Hui Opera (Anhui), Han Opera (Hubei), Hunan Opera (Hunan), Qi Opera (Hunan), and Gui Opera (Guangxi). Because the repertoire, singing, music, performance methods, etc. are roughly the same as Hui, Han, Hunan, Qi, and Gui operas. For example: the two dramas "Qing Wen Mending Fur" and "Exclusive Ownership of the Courtesan", "Shovel Chair", "Diving Platform", "Night Fight with Ma Chao" and other southern martial arts dramas, Gui opera and Cantonese opera are exactly the same.
Although it is said that the Waijiang class is close to the Anhui class and the local class is close to the Spanish class, in fact, in the early days of the establishment of the local class, the main difference was in the people who formed the class. Local troupes are composed of local people, mainly referring to professional theater troupes composed of local artists. But sometimes it can also include temporary troupes formed by farmers for seasonal performances.
No one in the theater world understands that "before there was Bahe, there was Qionghua". Qionghua Guild Hall was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. According to the "Foshan Zhongyi Township Chronicle": "There are thirty-seven guild halls in the town, and the Qionghua Guild Hall is the most beautiful guild hall in the world." At that time, the Qionghua Guild Hall was located in Dajipu (i.e. Hongqiang District, Foshan City) where "fine boats gathered at Jitou and wine shops abounded on the city's edge". At that time, there were four large pillars and a pavilion at the entrance of the guild hall. The plaque at the entrance of the hall reads "Guild Hall", and the entire hall is larger than the ancestral temple at that time. The whole museum is divided into three entrances: the first entrance is for bells and drums, followed by a temporary stage that can be disassembled and closed; the second entrance is the main hall of Qionghua Palace, in front of the main hall is the heavenly staircase; the third entrance is the clubhouse. On the occasion of Huaguang's birthday, theatergoers gathered in the main hall of Qionghua Palace to worship Emperor Huaguang. Near Qionghua Guild Hall is the Qionghua Water Port on the Dajiwei River in Foshan, which is convenient for actors taking the red boat to go ashore or perform in other places. It is said that the actors originally hired the purple cave boat as a theater boat. Later, they added sails, painted dragon scales and chrysanthemum patterns on the hull, and painted the bow red, so it was called the red boat.
Qing Dynasty
The center of the early activities of local theater troupes in Guangdong was Foshan. In the 15th year of Shunzhi (1658), a Huafeng stage was built in front of the Lingying Ancestral Temple. The stage was fully equipped with opera drums, tables and everything else. It was renamed Wanfu Stage during the Kangxi period. It is the most gorgeous and exquisite existing ancient stage in Guangdong and the largest in Lingnan, witnessing the development history of Cantonese opera. The stage is divided into two parts, the front and rear. The front stage is decorated with gold-lacquered wood carvings, which has a strong stage effect. The entire Wanfu Terrace also adopts an arch structure. No matter where you stand, the sound quality you can hear is basically the same.
During the Yongzheng period, "local elites" and "local classes" appeared in Guangzhou. There are records in the literature: "The Fan Bridge in Guangzhou Prefecture is the grove of the pear garden. There are many female actors, and the singing price is twice that of the male actors. ... Su Bai is good at Kun Opera, similar to Wu You. In addition, they both belong to Guangzhou Opera, and they can sing in harmony with each other. Every time there is a performance, the gongs and drums will be played for a long time before the performance... On the first day of the new year, the drama is performed by the Yulin native class. Originally, there were only White Rabbit, West Chamber and Fifteen Guan, but I don’t know what the story is.”
During the Qianlong period, Guangdong was relatively stable and trade was developed. Foshan is home to a large concentration of merchants and gangs, so it thrives due to its entertainment requirements, attracting more than a hundred theater troupes from other provinces to perform in Guangdong. These Waijiang classes mainly come from Jiangxi, Hunan, Anhui, Suzhou and other places. They cooperated to create the "Guangdong Province Waijiang Liyuan Guild Hall" in Guangzhou in the 24th year of Qianlong's reign (1759). The local troupes established the Qionghua Guild Hall, a troupe trade organization in Foshan, where they are concentrated, as a "place for actors to apply for competitions". In addition, the "Four Lower Prefectures" (referring to the four prefectures of Gaozhou, Leizhou, Lianzhou, and Qiongzhou) in western Guangdong have frequent performing activities. Every year, there are "acting performances to welcome the gods" for the birthdays of gods such as Emperor Guan, Tianfei, and Lady Xian. customs.
In the fourth year of Xianfeng (1854), Cantonese opera artist Li Wenmao responded to the Taiping Rebellion and led Liyuan disciples at the Jingtang Ancient Temple in Foshan to organize the Wenhu, Menghu and Feihu armies. In order to eliminate the forces of the three armed forces, the Qing government massacred artists, burned down the Qionghua Guild Hall, and banned Cantonese opera for 15 years. During the ban on performances, local troupe artists fled outside the province. In order to make a living, some Cantonese opera artists joined the Waijiang troupe of Hui-Han and other operas, and performed in signature performances of Pihuang opera troupes such as Beijing, Han, Hui, and Hunan, thus promoting the development of Bangzi and Erhuang. confluence. In the eleventh year of Xianfeng's reign, Li Wenmao and Chen Kai died successively. The Qing government's ban was slightly relaxed, and local flights were revived. In the ninth year of Tongzhi (1870), Gaoyao County gentleman Feng Guangwei and others petitioned for permission to perform night plays, and the county magistrate also agreed, which shows that the ban was relaxed.
At the same time, a large number of Chinese workers were deceived and sent overseas. With the emergence of a large number of overseas Chinese workers, Guangdong opera gradually spread overseas. "A History of Chinese Americans" records that Cantonese opera brought the folk culture on which the Chinese people depended for their survival. Young male actors invited from San Francisco (there were no female actors at the time) often traveled to mining areas such as Butte and Marysville, performing traditional dances and opera excerpts for local Chinese workers.
The reason is that in the 30th year of Guangxu (1905), Guangzhou built another theater after the first opera theater appeared in the 30th year of Daoguang (1850), and called it a "theater". The theater has changed the singing method of Cantonese opera, so that the original need to meet the requirements of outdoor singing and the need to overcome the strong wind and weak voice has been changed, making it possible to sing with a flat throat. However, the theater has reduced the flow of the audience and cannot Just like in the past, theater troupes took red boats to perform in different places. The consumption habits of the audience have also changed accordingly, and celebrity actors need to win over the audience. This time, the fledgling Zhu Cibo, because his original niche, Xiao Shengcong, was unwilling to perform in the last scene, so he took his place. He sang "Baoyu Crying Soul" in the flat-throat vernacular, and it was a hit. Singing in flat-throated vernacular became a fashion.
According to the research of Mr. Lu Feng, a Cantonese opera researcher in Guangzhou, the stage language of Cantonese opera singing changed from 1921 to 1927, and because of the flat throat white singing, it can not only absorb Guangdong rap music such as Nanyin and Muyu etc. The earliest record of combining Nanyin and Banghuang songs is the memory of "Bajiao Island" sung by Chen Xiaohan's father Chen Xinghan in 1924. Also because it is sung in flat-throated vernacular, the key of Cantonese opera has also changed to B flat.
Bai Jurong's main contribution was to establish a troupe in China with Qian Liju in 1917, changing the cross-word two-yellow to "eight-character sentence two yellow", which led to the emergence of a new musical form in Cantonese opera. And successfully introduced Cantonese vernacular into Cantonese opera and lowered the tone. Because all Cantonese operas were sung in the Zhongzhou dialect in the past, it was Jin Shanbing who first partially introduced the vernacular into Cantonese opera. Zhu Cibo and Bai Jurong also worked hard in the process of introducing the vernacular. As for lowering the tone, theatrical performances require high-pitched and loud singing. However, Tai Zi Zhuo, a young student at the same time as Bai Jurong, still sings from the sub-throat. Bai Jurong has begun to lower his tone and sing with a flat throat, creating a style of his own. Around 1920, the Mandarin in the theater was finally completely changed to Cantonese, and the singing with Zihou (falsetto) was changed to Pinghou (original voice). Bangzi and Erhuang both sing an octave lower, making Bangzi and Pihuang unified in style.
Later, Xue Juexian took the lead in introducing new makeup techniques and Western musical instruments. During the same period, the rise of the provincial and Hong Kong troupes, and the fierce competition between Xue Juexian and Ma Shitsang, promoted the reform and prosperity of Cantonese opera. For example: Xue Juexian collaborated with violinist Yin Zizhong to design "Xue Tune". Lv Wencheng from Shanghai changed the silk strings of the northern erhu to steel strings and created the gaohu, which has a high-pitched and bright tone. The famous actress Chen Feinong invited Liang Yizhong to serve as the music leader of his troupe. At that time, famous screenwriters such as Lu Yourong and Liang Jintang appeared. They wrote many famous dramas for Ma Shitsang and Xue Juexian. Their techniques were also very close to the popular movies and dramas at the time.
In fact, according to historical records, there were more than 40 large-scale Cantonese opera troupes in Guangzhou in 1925, each of which could have more than 150 people. Ten major theaters appeared in Guangzhou, including "Haizhu", "Leshan", "Taiping", "Baohua", "Folk Music" and "Henan". At the same time, the five major schools of "Xue Ma Gui Bai Liao" began to emerge. At that time, the income of the big bosses was quite considerable. When one yuan could buy two dan of rice, their annual salary could be as high as 18,000 yuan. Therefore, many people believe that performing Cantonese opera can lead to fame and fortune, and people flock to it. According to incomplete statistics, there were more than 100 professional and artist screenwriters active in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao during this period, and there were as many as 4,000 to 5,000 new screenwriters. It can be said to be the golden age of Cantonese opera!
In the 1930s, the Legislative Council of Hong Kong had a law prohibiting men and women from co-starring in the same class. Therefore, Cantonese opera has only been divided into all-male classes and all-female classes over the years. Later, Sir Law Chi-jin proposed in the Legislative Council that since men and women can sit together, why can't they be in the same class? So in the autumn of 1933, Hong Kong Governor Bei Lu lifted the ban on co-ed classes. Although there was a "Hong Kong Music Band" with both men and women in Guangzhou, and the performance was banned by the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau after only ten months, Guangzhou also followed Hong Kong in lifting the ban around October 1936. Chen Feinong and Ma Shitzen left the Taiping Theater Company because they accepted appointments in Vietnam and Myanmar.
Yuan Xingqiao, the leader of the Taiping Theater Company, took the opportunity and hired three female artists, Tan Lanqing, Shanghai Mei and Mak Qianqing, from the original troupe (Ma Shitsang, Ban Ri'an, Feng Xingzheng, Feng Xiahun, Yuan Shiwo, Xie Xingnong, Feng Yujun) to serve as the troupe. Hua Dan was a refreshing sight for the audience and was very popular for a while. Other classes also hired female Hua Dan, so male Hua Dan was gradually eliminated, which was one of the major changes in the history of Cantonese opera.
Since then Cantonese opera has become very popular in Hong Kong. At that time, performances were mainly concentrated in old theaters such as Lee Stage, Kosheng Theatre, Taiping Theater and Sunbeam Theatre. Different plays are performed almost every seven days of the week. At that time, Cantonese opera was not only popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau and other places, but also because many Chinese immigrated overseas, Cantonese opera was performed in areas where Guangdong overseas Chinese concentrated in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and America. In Southeast Asia, there are some Cantonese opera artists, fixed theater troupes, guilds and performance venues that have been passed down from generation to generation. For example, Singapore's "Qingweixin" and Kuala Lumpur's "Puchangchun". In addition, overseas Chinese's demand for Cantonese opera has attracted many Cantonese opera troupes to perform overseas. However, the number of large-scale opera troupes often exceeds 100 people, and the huge expenditures lead to the reduction of manpower, and small Cantonese opera troupes consisting of about 50-70 people began to appear. This also prompted the formation of the "six-pillar system" in the theater troupe.
The early days of the People's Republic of China
In the 1950s, not long after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the People's Republic of China actively explored excellent dramas and inherited the Cantonese opera tradition. It also made comprehensive innovations in art and cultivated a group of new artists. In 1958, the Guangdong Cantonese Theater was officially established. In 1960 and 1962, Guangdong Cantonese Opera School and Guangdong Cantonese Opera School Zhanjiang Branch were founded respectively. This is the first time in the history of Cantonese opera that there is a comprehensive vocational school to train successors.
At the same time, movies began to flourish, and the appeal of Cantonese opera was greatly reduced. However, the Cantonese opera films created later brought Cantonese opera into cinemas again, allowing Cantonese opera to regain its former glory. Famous Cantonese opera films at that time include "The Crab Beauty", "The Lord of the Three Palaces", "Huang Feihu's Rebellion at Five Passes", "The Moon Beyond the Pipa Pass", "Shiro Visits His Mother", "Lotus Lantern", and "Twin Immortals Moon Worship Pavilion" , "Matchmaker", "Luminous Cup", "Mermaid with Thousand Faces", "Xiangluozhong" and so on.
At the end of the 1950s, the situation of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong was not good. At that time, the popular actress Fang Yanfen retired because of her marriage. Zeng was not very keen on performing. Fortunately, Mak Bingrong and the Phoenix Girls later organized the class-leading "Big Dragon and Phoenix Troupe". Tan Lanqing joined and Lam Jiasheng acted as the niche. They performed many famous plays such as "Returning from a Hundred Battles to Welcome Cai Feng", "Unruly Marshal Mang General", "Cai Feng" "Feng Ronghua Double Worship", "Unresolved Enmity in Feng Pavilion", etc. Soon, Chen Haoqiu and Lin Jiasheng established a new troupe, the "Dalongfeng Theater Troupe". Later, new theater troupes emerged one after another, including Yu Jia's Qing Hongjia Theater Company, Ho Feifan's Feifan Xiang Theater Company, and Lam Jiasheng's Qing Xinsheng Theater Company.
During the Cultural Revolution, Cantonese opera was devastated. Many of its music scores were almost burned. Countless artists had their homes confiscated. Many artists fled to Hong Kong and Macau, but the entire People's Republic of China only had models. Only then can the play be performed. After 1976, Cantonese opera was able to be reborn. The accompaniment absorbed Western instruments based on folk music, especially jazz instruments, including electric guitars and saxophones. In terms of scripts, some are excellent works adapted from plays or movies. For example: "Guan Hanqing", "The Peony Pavilion", etc.
During this period, due to the Korean War, the price of rubber soared in Singapore, which led to an increase in income and a booming entertainment industry. The local Cantonese opera also benefited a lot. During this period, Cantonese opera actors who came to Singapore to perform on stage include Chen Xiaofeng, Liang Ruibing, Luo Jianlang, Xin Haiquan, Feng Feng, Chen Huiyu, Xu Yingxiu, etc. In 1952, Xue Juexian organized the Juexian Traveling Theater Company to come to Singapore for the second time. In the late 1950s, many Hong Kong Cantonese opera artists performed in Singapore. For example, Su Shaotang, Ye Kunlun, Guan Dexing, Shi Yanzi, Qin Xiaoli, Yu Lizhen, etc. Due to its fame, ticket prices have increased several times. By the 1960s, various new entertainment industries were springing up in Singapore, and movies and television soon became mainstream. The pace of life became fast, and audiences began to be reluctant to watch lengthy local operas.
In 1968, Singapore's local professional Cantonese opera troupes could no longer survive, and many professional Cantonese opera troupes also folded.
Modern
In order to strengthen Cantonese opera education in Hong Kong, [The Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong LTD], a subsidiary of the Cantonese Artists Association of Hong Kong, ] co-organized the [Cantonese Opera Training Certificate Course] with the [School of Continuing and Continuing Education of the Chinese University of Hong Kong] in 1996. In 1998, it was changed to co-organize the Evening Cantonese Opera Training Certificate Course with the [Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts]. In 1999, the [Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts] hired all evening course staff to organize a two-year full-time Cantonese Opera diploma course on the basis of the [Cantonese Opera Training Certificate Course] to train professional Cantonese opera actors. In order to improve the students' standards, we also co-organized advanced Cantonese opera courses in 2000. In 2004, due to cooperation considerations, [Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts] took the initiative to terminate its cooperative relationship with [Pat Wo Cantonese Opera Academy]. Only 12 students and two tutors from Pat Wo Cantonese Opera Academy continued to stay at Pat Wo Cantonese Opera Academy and moved to Sham Shui Po Tung Chau Street Park Squash Center continues to organize [Cantonese Opera Training Certificate Course. Due to the large loss of students, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council once considered terminating funding for the Pat Wo Cantonese Opera Academy. However, the Pat Wo Cantonese Opera Academy immediately transformed and not only launched gong and drum courses in 2004, but also launched Cantonese opera accompaniment courses and community Cantonese Opera academy quarters in 2005. For short-term courses, the number of students in the college has rapidly increased from 12 to more than 180, and Cantonese opera classes for children have also been opened. In 2006, we are also planning to open a Cantonese opera screenwriting class. Bahe College also has professional class student Gao Junxiang. Gao Juntao officially accepted the invitation of the Leisure and Cultural Department in 2006 to serve as a civil and military student, and performed "Lotus Lantern" and "Double Immortals Moon Worship Pavilion" with famous Cantonese opera actors Wang Chaoqun, Lu Hongguang and Ao Long.
In recent years, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council has allocated funds to provide Cantonese opera courses for children and teenagers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department sponsors the International Association of Performing Arts Critics to organize the "Cantonese Opera Cultural Envoy Scheme" to promote Cantonese opera to the community. Ken Sum Cantonese Opera Troupe also held a children's Cantonese opera promotion and education program called "Southern Red Beans Raising New Seedlings".
Modern Cantonese opera has become popular among foreigners. In order to allow foreigners to participate and continue to promote the overseas celebrities of Cantonese opera headed by founder Huang Zhanhua, English Cantonese opera with English as the performance language came into being. At the same time, Singapore's English Cantonese opera was pioneered by Huang Shiying.
In order to improve Cantonese opera, actors in the industry began to pay attention to whether the style and color of costumes, props and scenery matched the dynasty of the story. For example: Tongquetai performed by the Han Style Cantonese Opera Research Institute at the Grand Theater of the Hong Kong Cultural Center in November 2005.
Since Hong Kong society attaches great importance to the development of Cantonese opera, in addition to some folk opera research centers, various universities in Hong Kong have also established academic research centers on Cantonese opera. For example: the Chinese Opera Information Center of the Chinese University of Hong Kong was established on March 1, 2000, and the Chinese Cultural Center of the City University of Hong Kong was established in 1998. The Department of Music at the University of Hong Kong also offers courses on Cantonese opera.
[Professions]
Common styles of Hua Dan
The roles of Cantonese opera are originally Mo, Sheng, Dan, Jing, Chou, Wai, Xiao, Husband, Tie, Miscellaneous 10 major lines. Later, it was simplified into a six-pillar system, namely Wenwusheng, Xiaosheng, Zhengyindan, Erbanghuadan, Chousheng and Wusheng. These are classified according to the character's age, gender, personality, appearance and other characteristics. "Mo" represents the elderly character. "生" represents the male character. "Dan" represents the female role. "Jing" is a male character with a strong and violent personality. "Ugly" means a funny character.
[edit] Makeup
In the early days, thick makeup and thick powder were popular, but the cosmetics used were relatively simple. Young students don't put on rouge, and at most they blacken their eyes and eyebrows, while Hua Dan just applies powder. According to the industry's custom, all the old waiters do their own makeup in the mirror. Generally, in old-fashioned makeup, you first pull up the facial skin, tie your hair with a cloth strip, and draw a rough sketch with white paint to make sure the lines are symmetrical and fair, and then officially fill in other bright colors. For makeup with a clear angle (for example: Zhang He), the industry calls it "open face".
First draw the sketch with white paint, then paint black around the eyes and mouth, draw the eyebrows long and upward to show majesty, and paint red in other places to complete the entire "opening" process. Of course, different industries have their own unique makeup methods. Harlequins often have a large white spot in the center of their face. In fact, the main makeup colors are red, black, white, blue and yellow. Red represents bloody loyalty and bravery, black represents uprightness and loyalty, white represents evil and insidiousness, blue represents arrogance and ferocity, and yellow represents strength.
In the 1920s, Xue Jue first combined the makeup methods of Peking Opera, drama and movies with traditional makeup methods. Makeup tends to be light and simple, simple and natural. The most common makeup is "red and white face". First apply white foundation on the entire face, and then apply red rouge around the eyes and cheekbones. Sometimes I draw long eyebrows and use bright red lipstick.
Costumes
The early costumes of Cantonese opera mainly imitated the clothing styles of the Ming Dynasty and improved them into costumes. During the Qing Dynasty, Peking Opera became more and more popular, exchanges gradually increased, and the costume system was gradually influenced by Peking Opera. New plays at that time added the roles of court officials, and some costumes also had the style of Qing Dynasty official uniforms. Traditional Peking Opera costumes can be divided into: python, crotch, pleat, hem and robe. However, traditional Cantonese opera costumes can be divided into: python, crotch, pleats, open cloak, official robe, turban and robe.
Materials are mainly cloth, with film or copper mirrors added later to embellish the costumes. In the 1950s and early 1960s, sequined costumes became very popular. According to the description of costumes in "A Brief History of Guangdong Drama": "The Guangdong embroidery industry is very expensive, so money is more valuable, so it is more magnificent than those made in Beijing and Shanghai. Imported from European and American films, it shines like a mirror and makes flowers shine in the eyes. Famous actors in the Liyuan, Competition to adopt them, fancy dress, extravagant talk about modernity, fighting for beauty and beauty, gradually becoming more and more complicated." It shows how crazy he is. By the late 1960s, embroidered costumes began to gain popularity and are still the mainstream in theater circles today.
Different professions require different costumes. For example: Xiaosheng usually plays a gentle character and sometimes shakes his sleeves, so the long sleeves are called Wenxiu. When Xiao Wu needs to fight, short sleeves make it easier for the actor to move, so short sleeves are also called martial arts sleeves. Therefore, Wenwu sleeves will appear on the costumes of Wenwusheng (Xiaowu plus Xiaosheng).
Headwear
The main characteristics of Cantonese opera hair accessories are camouflage, hoods, buns, and accessories. There are also systematic camouflage, hoods, and plug accessories. Different types of headgear, buns, braids, and hair bags also have their own characteristics, usage, production methods, wearing and maintenance tools.
Basically all Hua Dan need headgear, among which the piece of stone is a must-have for Hua Dan. There are many types of headwear, and they are made of different materials. The headdresses worn by princesses and concubines can also be divided into Zhengfeng and Fengguan. Applying the film requires special tools, basic techniques and techniques, as well as techniques to use the film to improve the facial shape and make the film firm the face.
In fact, male characters also wear headgear, but not many, such as prince helmets. The prince's helmet is worn by Jia Baoyu in Dream of Red Mansions and Cao Zijian in Luo Shen. According to "Xiangjiang Liyuan: Cantonese Opera Wenwu Sheng Luo Jiaying", the prince's helmet is also known as the "Purple Gold Crown", which is used by the prince or young generals. On the top of the crown is a pattern of a cloud dragon swallowing a pearl, with a red ball tassel, and the pheasant tail is the commander-in-chief of the army.
[edit] Singing, Doing and Nianda
Singing refers to singing skills, and there are different singing methods for different roles, including flat throat and sub-throat. Flat throat is the tone of normal speech. The sub-throat is an octave higher than the flat-throat. Big throat is the use of a rough voice. At the same time, Cantonese opera will also absorb unique singing styles from different places, such as Guangdong Nanyin and Muyu from Fujian, and Guangdong's local folk songs Yuegu and Banyan.
Doing means doing work, that is, performing. These include gestures, steps, walking positions, eye closing, hand movements, body postures, water sleeves, feather skills, water hair, abstract performances and traditional martial arts, etc.
Nian means reciting the lines, that is, reading out the lines. Use words to explain the plot and the thoughts and feelings of the characters.
Fighting refers to martial arts, such as: dancing with water sleeves, water hair, playing with fans, wielding swords and guns, playing with sticks, waving flags, etc.
Singing
In the early Qing Dynasty, the Waijiang Troupe introduced Geyang and Kunshan tunes to Guangdong.
During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period, local troupes gradually emerged, but the singing style was still dominated by bangzi. Later, with the decline of Kunqu Opera and the influence of Huizhou Troupe, it turned to singing tunes based on Xipi Erhuang. During the Revolution of 1911, the improvement of the Zhishi Troupe started with the singing language, and then changed the Mandarin into the Guangzhou dialect, also known as the new tune. During the Anti-Japanese War, famous old opera singers emerged one after another, each studying Cantonese opera and developing their own singing styles. For example: Xue Juexian's "Xue Qiang". Ma Shitseng's "horse accent". The "female accent" of the red line girl. Xinma Shizeng's "Xinma accent".
Body
The actors use symbolic gestures and movements to explain the characters and emotions of the characters in the play, the changes in time and space, and the development of the plot.
The basic steps include: standing, platform steps, seven-star steps, finger palms, cloud palms, appearance, running on the round platform, opening the door, pulling up the mountain, mounting the horse and carrying the offering. Xiaosheng's stage step is a T-step, which should show his majesty and majesty. Hua Dan's stage steps are skidding steps, which need to show lightness. In order to express psychological states such as hesitation and considering how to respond, or when searching for objects or finding a way, actors will use the "water wave" program to express them.
Different professions have their own unique basic skills. The martial arts students who put on the "big support" must know how to "jump the big frame". The big jump is composed of a series of body movements, including the actor's entry, pulling up the mountain, hanging one leg, appearing, seven-star step, water wave step, pinch step, small jump, kicking, kicking the armor, body, washing face, tailwind flag, walking Round platform and a series of actions.
Performance procedure
"Introduce yourself" is the self-introduction of the main characters in the opera when they appear. It consists of "introduction", "setting poem" and "sitting remarks".
The "Introduction" is when the protagonist comes on stage for the first time, half-reading and half-singing some words with a rhyme structure. This is called "Introduction". It simply describes one's mood, situation, identity, experience, and character, and expresses interests, ambitions, and emotions.
"Setting Poem" The four lines of poetry that the character reads after reading the "Introduction" are the setting poems. Most of the content is an introduction to specific situations in the play and the thoughts and feelings of the characters.
"Setting Speech" is a monologue spoken by the main character after reading the "Introduction" and "Setting Speech". The content is to introduce the character's name, place of origin, life experience, experience, psychology, etc.
"Dragon suit" "Dragon suit" refers to the attendants who play soldiers, husbands, palace maids and other attendants in operas. They are named after wearing special forms of dragon suits. "Walk-on" means playing these roles.
Talk
Talk can be divided into monologue and dialogue, and can also be divided into rhyming and non-rhyming. The rhymes include Shibai, Kougu, Bailan and Yunbai. The ones that do not rhyme include koubai, luogubai and langlibai.
Music
The singing music of Cantonese opera is mainly divided into three types: banqiang, qupai and poetry. In fact, this is all related to the development of opera and Cantonese opera. The poetry and praise genre is generally also called the rap genre.
The local opera music in Guangdong should be based on the rap-type Nanyin, Muyu, Dragon Boat, Banyan, Cantonese Gu, etc., because it is based on the language characteristics of Cantonese, and the language is divided into flat and oblique, sentence and sentence. On the basis of upper and lower divisions, Cantonese rap singing, lyrics and sentence patterns must be divided into two sets of upper and lower sentence patterns, because Cantonese is divided into yin and yang levels, which is different from the yin and yang levels of northern languages, and there is a big difference in pronunciation.
The basic feature of Cantonese singing music is Banqiang, namely Bangzi and Erhuang, commonly known as "Banghuang"