Huaihai Opera
01 · Historical Records
Around 1830 troupes performing Huaihai opera appeared, and after 1880 the two counties of Donghai and Guanyun in Haizhou alone had more than a hundred Huaihai opera troupes. During the War of Resistance in 1940 the Huaihai opera artists formed the “Artists' Save-the-Nation Association” and wrote and staged a great many modern items such as The Little Stool, The Great Rear and Three Stars Fall, using opera to publicise resistance and to raise the morale of soldiers and people.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Huaihai opera is one of the principal local genres of Jiangsu, popular in Lianyungang, Huai'an, Suqian and parts of Xuzhou and Yancheng, with a history of more than two hundred years. Its singing music is rich and varied, with male and female voices distinguished: the male voice takes “Dongfang diao” as its basic tune with “Jinfeng diao” and others auxiliary, the female voice takes “Hao Fengguang” as its basic tune with “Erfanzi” and others auxiliary. Its singing is marked by a sudden leap up an octave at the end of a phrase, with the soul-pulling artistic charm that gives it the name “soul-pulling tunes”. Some of its acting poses clearly derive from northern Jiangsu rural life, with a strong rustic flavour. In long performance it has accumulated classic traditional plays, said to number “thirty-two grand volumes and sixty-four single pieces”, among which Pi Xiuying's Four Complaints, Sanbai Tang and Cuizu are performed without decline and are almost household names in northern Jiangsu.
The Little Stool
A modern item composed and staged by Huaihai opera artists during the War of Resistance to publicise resistance.
The Great Rear
A modern item composed and staged by Huaihai opera artists during the War of Resistance.
Three Stars Fall
A modern item composed and staged by Huaihai opera artists during the War of Resistance.
Pi Xiuying's Four Complaints
A long-running classic of Huaihai opera's traditional repertory.
Sanbai Tang
A long-running classic of Huaihai opera's traditional repertory.
Cuizu (Urging the Rent)
A long-running classic of Huaihai opera's traditional repertory.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Huai'an Huaihai opera centres on Huai'an city, Jiangsu, and is popular in Huai'an, Suqian and parts of Xuzhou and Yancheng; because its singing phrases often leap up an octave at the end in a flourish it is called the “soul-pulling tune”, sharing an origin with the Lianyungang branch yet with troupes of its own.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Huaihai Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The inheritor, a national first-class actor, entered the Siyang county Huaihai opera troupe in 1955 and received personal transmission from Zhu Yunlan (stage name Great Flowered Jacket), making his name with Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in 1956; transferred to the Jiangsu provincial Huaihai opera troupe in 1959, he received careful instruction from the Huaihai opera master Gu Guangfa. Plain and fine in performance, bright and round of voice, tough and gentle together, he gradually formed the distinctive “Yang school” art, enjoying high repute in northern Jiangsu. His representative works include Fan Lihua Reviews the Troops, Pi Xiuying's Four Complaints, Sanbai Tang, The Song of the Long River, Three Ascents to the Sedan, Dream of the Red Chamber and The Song of the Chaste Wife, and his disciples Wu Ling and Xu Yaling have become the mainstays of the Jiangsu provincial Huaihai opera troupe. After retiring he founded the “Xiuying Theatre Club”, continuing to contribute to the transmission and spread of Huaihai opera.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Yang Xiuying 03-1111
- Huo Yijun 05-2436
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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