Gaoqiang Opera

01 · Historical Records

Gaoqiang is the collective name for a group of operatic genres distinguished by several vocal styles, derived in the course of evolution from the Yiyang qiang of the Ming dynasty and the later Qingyang qiang. Chenhe gaoqiang originates in Yiyang qiang, one of the four great vocal styles of Chinese opera; it developed during the Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns of the Qing dynasty. The old performer Du Fenglin formed Dahong, the earliest Chenhe gaoqiang troupe in western Hunan, which then toured various localities, and Chenhe gaoqiang began to reach the people and spread widely. In its long course of development and change, Chenhe gaoqiang formed a distinctive artistic style.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Over several centuries of evolution the branches of Yiyang qiang underwent great change, combining in varying degrees with local folk music, and so the gaoqiang of each locality came to have its own musical character. It has forty-eight Mulian plays as well as plays such as Huangjin Yin, Hongpao Ji, Yipin Zhong, Pipa Ji and Zhuangfeng Youguo, which have been performed for a long time in western Hunan and are deeply popular with the masses. Chenhe gaoqiang has a rich store of melodies, with more than five hundred tune patterns, suited to the expression of various different feelings and thoughts; its main tune patterns include Guichao Huan, Jiang Huanglong, Lang Taosha, Tao Jin Ling, Pu Deng'e and others. The vocal style of Chenhe gaoqiang is high and stirring and has a wide range; it can move among the high, middle and low registers, shattering gold and jade when it is bold and booming to the skies, and as fine as a gossamer thread, moving and appealing, when it is soft. The male voice is sung in a full, chesty register, which gives a sense of rugged abandon; the female voice, with its high-octave ornate melismas, is roundabout and clear, pleasing to ear and mind. The performance of the actors is plain and natural and carries a strong earthy flavour; it lays stress on vocal technique, sings many chuanqi stories in the gaoqiang style, and is skilled in performing Mulian plays. The instruments accompanying a performance include suona, dizi, jinghu, erhu, sanxian, big drum, small gong, yunluo, cymbals and small drum; the specially made gaoqiang suona has a high and beautiful tone that blends with the singing, and it plays an important part both in the chorus and in instrumental accompaniment. It achieved interaction between audience and performers early in theatrical performance, and has been called the earliest stream of consciousness art in the world. When performing abroad, Chenhe gaoqiang caused a sensation and was hailed as a treasure of Chinese opera. Measures need to be taken as soon as possible to change this situation.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Chenhe gaoqiang is a local operatic genre that comprises gaoqiang, danqiang and a small amount of Kunqiang, with gaoqiang as its main element; it is current in the area of the Chenhe River, a tributary in the middle and upper reaches of the Yuan River in Hunan Province, and reaches parts of Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. In its early period Chenhe gaoqiang divided its role types into eight — sheng, dan, jing, chou, wai, fu, mo and tie; after the late Qing and early Republican period it changed into four types, sheng, dan, jing and chou, with the sheng further divided into zhengsheng, laosheng, hongsheng and xiaosheng, and the dan further divided into zhengdan, xiaodan, yaodan and laodan. Chenhe gaoqiang completely preserves ethnic and regional characteristics and has a broad popular basis.

Other submitting regions for the same item: Gaoqiang Opera · Gaoqiang Opera · Gaoqiang Opera · Gaoqiang Opera · Gaoqiang Opera.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Owing to tight funding, a shortage of talent, and an audience that is both localised and ageing, Chenhe gaoqiang has now come close to being lost; only a few troupes continue to perform under difficult conditions of survival. Chen Gang (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): male, Han, born in 1957, a native of Chenxi, Hunan Province. Chen Gang joined a troupe and took up the profession in 1980, receiving careful training from his father Chen Shaoquan; he gradually developed a strong interest in the art of gaoqiang and, through rigorous training, inherited the performance skills of Chenhe gaoqiang. His technique is deft and seasoned, his performance style is humorous and witty, and he is known as Xiaohei; in the areas where Chenhe gaoqiang circulates, such as western Hunan, he enjoys a high reputation. Representative works include: Hu Lian Naochai, Zhujie Shan and others. Representative inheritor of gaoqiang (Chenhe gaoqiang), inscribed in the second national-level batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

• Yan Bangzhen 02-0430
• Wang Jiahui 02-0431
• Wu Chenji 02-0432
• Chen Chunlin 02-0433
• Jiang Xiaosong 02-0434
• Wang Qifu 02-0435
• Chen Gang 02-0436
• Xiang Rong 02-0437
• Gong Jinyun 02-0438
• Li Shaoxian 02-0439
• Wu Chenjun 03-0971
• Deng Qizhi 05-2310
• Wu Qinguo

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Gaoqiang Opera (Chenxi, Hunan) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Chen Gang · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗