Quzi Opera
01 · Historical Records
It derives from the folk popular tunes of the Ming and Qing; in the late Qing and early Republic local short operas of different styles formed in various places, such as Dunhuang quzi opera, Huating quzi opera, Xinjiang quzi opera and Ningxia quzi opera. Research suggests that although the content has evolved and new folk creations and art forms have been added, Dunhuang quzi opera, having formed its own style, still preserves the quzi ci and tunes of the Dunhuang manuscripts, so that the legacy of Dunhuang culture is continued among the people. Drawing on Dunhuang manuscript research and local opera annals, Dunhuang quzi opera preserves the afterglow of Tang quzi ci and Dunhuang popular tunes and, absorbing Ming-Qing folk tunes, formed a Dunhuang-flavoured local short opera in the late Qing and early Republic, still performed by amateur troupes on festivals today.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Quzi opera is a folk short opera popular in the five north-western provinces and regions of China. Its singing belongs to the linked-tune form, strung together from many qupai, and in development it absorbed the artistic elements of Qinqiang and Meihu. Ground-mat sitting singing, commonly called clear singing, is not limited by venue and needs no costume or props; any singer with a good voice, accurate tune, plenty of melodies and steady beat can take a seat and sing. Its repertory has a wide range of subjects, mostly myths, historical legend and folk social life. As a local opera that once flourished among the people of the Dunhuang area, Dunhuang quzi opera has circulated among the people for a thousand years, and to this day there are still small-scale folk performances at festivals. It is performed mainly by amateurs, with few professional troupes. Its singing belongs to the linked-tune form strung from many qupai and absorbed elements of Qinqiang and Meihu in its development, the orchestra based mainly on sanxian and erhu, and its lyrics mostly in the Dunhuang dialect.
Da Lan Po (Beating the Lazy Wife)
One of the representative plays of Dunhuang quzi opera and a signature work of the inheritor Xiao Dejin.
Gao Wenju Guan Xing (Gao Wenju Watches the Stars)
A traditional Dunhuang quzi opera play and one of Xiao Dejin's signature works.
Lao Shao Huan (The Old and Young Exchange)
A traditional short play of Dunhuang quzi opera and one of Xiao Dejin's signature works.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Its performance takes two forms: stage performance and ground-mat sitting singing, the former popularly called “colour singing”, with civil and martial bands and costumes and props, recitation in the local dialect, the dan required to twist lively and walk prettily with light, lively dance and vivid image and the chou required to be humorous and witty; the latter is clear singing without venue or costume limits. The stage performance (colour singing) has civil and martial bands, recitation in the Dunhuang dialect, the dan required to twist and walk prettily and the chou to be humorous and nimble, while ground-mat sitting singing is mostly clear singing without limit of venue, costume or props — the most widespread form of performance among the Dunhuang people.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Quzi Opera · Quzi Opera · Quzi Opera · Quzi Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
With social change and the diversification of entertainment, quzi opera's space for survival has become ever smaller and it is now on the verge of loss. To protect and promote quzi opera and extend its influence, the authorities have adopted various measures—holding training classes for quzi opera artists, inviting old artists to concentrate on excavating, collating and transmitting its repertory, and recording and filming plays—accumulating valuable experience and material. On this basis the existing achievements still need consolidating and the rescue and protection work carried further. Xiao Dejin (as recorded in the official dossier of an associated inheritor): in singing he gives full play to his personal gifts, his vocal timbre pleasing and wide in range, gathering the sound and returning the rhyme, full of both voice and feeling, able not only to sing the sound but to sing the feeling. His stage appearance is handsome and fully expresses the character's features, creating xiaosheng of different personalities in different plots. He can play not only the xiaosheng and laosheng of quzi opera but also the erhu and sanxian, a man of many talents. His representative works include Da Lan Po, Gao Wenju Guan Xing and Lao Shao Huan. Male, Han, born in February 1941, died in November 2013, a native of Dunhuang county, Gansu; a representative inheritor of quzi opera (Dunhuang quzi opera) in the third batch of national intangible cultural heritage projects.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Kang He 02-0600
- Xiao Dejin 03-1059
- Zhang Zhixue 05-2380
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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