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. After the founding of New China professional troupes were set up in Lianyungang, Huai'an and elsewhere, spreading the genre through the counties of 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
Lianyungang Huaihai opera centres on Lianyungang city, Jiangsu, and is popular in Ganyu, Donghai and Guanyun (Haizhou being the former name); after 1880 the two counties of Donghai and Guanyun in Haizhou alone had more than a hundred Huaihai opera troupes, making it one of the areas most densely packed with Huaihai opera troupes.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Huaihai Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The inheritor, a national second-class actor, performs not only traditional Huaihai opera but also all kinds of modern and newly written plays; re-engaged by his unit after retiring, he now teaches the Huaihai opera class of the Lianyungang art school.
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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