Wu Opera
01 · Historical Records
Drawing on the Zhejiang volume of the Annals of Chinese Xiqu and local Jinhua materials, Wu opera is popularly called “Jinhua opera”, named for Jinhua's ancient name Wuzhou; it was gradually fused from the high-pitched and Kun vocal styles that came into central Zhejiang in the mid-Ming and the luantan, Hui, tanhuang and shidiao that came in the early Qing, these co-existing in the same region and performing in the same troupes over a long period, forming a pattern of multi-vocal companies.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Wu opera is an ancient xiqu genre of our country, popularly called “Jinhua opera”, with a history of about four hundred years to the present. It has more than five hundred traditional plays, and its vocal and musical system is marked by comprehensiveness, embracing such vocal styles as high-pitched (gaoqiang), Kunqu, luantan, Hui tunes, tanhuang and shidiao. Wu opera also has its own features in the systems of costume and make-up: its facial masks, costumes and props are all quite distinctive. Performing civil plays in a martial manner and martial plays in a civil manner is the main characteristic of Wu opera performance, and can be called a unique feat.
Princess Shuangyang
One of the representative plays of Wu opera.
Three Invitations to Lihua
One of the representative plays of Wu opera.
Tears of Xishi
One of the representative plays of Wu opera, made into a film.
The Monk and the Nun
One of the representative plays of Wu opera, a typical work of “civil play done in martial manner”.
Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier
One of the representative plays of Wu opera.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Wu opera centres on Jinhua city, Zhejiang, and is popular in the Jinhua, Quzhou and Lishui area and in western Zhejiang and north-eastern Jiangxi; the various vocal styles long shared one stage in the troupes, forming a performing tradition mainly of luantan but also singing high-pitched, Kun, Hui, tanhuang and shidiao.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Wu Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Under the rapid development of the modern entertainment industry Wu opera's market has been greatly affected and steadily shrinks, the successive deaths of the old artists have caused a batch of plays to be lost, and the promotion of standard Chinese has estranged the younger generation from a genre performed in dialect; at present its transmission and development face heavy difficulties and a worrying prospect, and it urgently needs rescue and protection. The inheritor entered the Zhejiang Wu opera training class in 1955 and changed to the dan, later consulting such famous teachers as Jia Muchao (Peking opera) and Yao Chuanxiang (Kun opera). She has performed several dozen xiaosheng plays, both civil and martial, and her usual roles include Mu Guiying, Fan Lihua, Yang Bajie, An'an and Zhang Sumei in traditional plays and Tiemei, Jiang Shuiying, Ke Xiang and Yin Huan in modern plays. In Guangpu Sells Wine she and Wang Yifan jointly created the feats of “kicking the sword” and “sheathing it”, and after inheriting traditional singing she developed her own gifts into a scientific method combining true and falsetto voice, conveying feeling through the voice with both voice and feeling present. Her representative works include Princess Shuangyang, Three Invitations to Lihua, Tears of Xishi, Peony Matches the Lesson, The Monk and the Nun, Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier and Double Red Lotus, of which Tears of Xishi has been filmed. As actor and later head of the Zhejiang Wu opera troupe she yielded the stage at her peak to students such as Zhang Jianmin and Chen Meilan, and after retiring founded the Lanxiang art school, training a great many outstanding Wu opera actors such as Yang Xiayun, Lou Sheng, Wu Wenling and Ji Lingcui.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Ge Suyun 03-1116
- Zheng Lanxiang 03-1117
- Jiang Zhiqian 03-1118
- Zhang Jianmin 04-1681
- Chen Meilan 04-1682
- Xu Qinna 05-2439
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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