Tongweixiaoqu Opera
01 · Historical Records
It formed on the basis of Ming-Qing popular tunes and northern and southern folk airs and, in the course of transmission, acquired a distinctive regional style through “misapplied local speech”. Its lyrics are plain and easy to understand and its plots simple and full of rustic flavour, with strong affinity in local society.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Tongwei xiaoqu opera is a qupai-form folk opera popular within Tongwei county, Gansu. Its singing is qupai-linked suites and it possesses a very large number of qupai: one hundred and twenty-six qupai melodies and twenty-six instrumental qupai have been collected and collated so far. Its singing takes two forms: one is unaccompanied unaccompanied singing for self-enjoyment, and the other operatic performance, in which the script is divided into roles, performed in costume, telling events and singing feelings. The qupai sung are the same, but the former does not speak in character while the latter does.
Selling Water
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
Making Havoc in the Study
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
The Bright Moon Tower
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
Carrying the Brick
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
The Whole Family's Treasure
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
Xingyuan Goes to the Frontier
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
Piercing the Eyes to Urge Study
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
Wang Xiang Lies on the Ice
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
Brother and Sister Watch the Lanterns
One of the representative scripts of Tongwei xiaoqu opera collated into volumes.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Tongwei xiaoqu opera uses the Tongwei dialect, its lyrics plain and easy to understand, its plots simple and full of rustic flavour, with strong affinity in local society and hence very wide circulation.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Tongwei xiaoqu opera's singing scripts are rich in content; according to incomplete research more than a hundred performing plays circulate among the people, of which seventy-two scripts have been collated into volumes, mainly Selling Water, Making Havoc in the Study, The Bright Moon Tower, Carrying the Brick, The Whole Family's Treasure, Xingyuan Goes to the Frontier, Piercing the Eyes to Urge Study, Wang Xiang Lies on the Ice and Brother and Sister Watch the Lanterns. With the rapid impact of economic globalisation and diversified modern media it is on the verge of extinction and urgently needs government support and effective protective measures; the one hundred and twenty-six qupai melodies, twenty-six instrumental pieces and seventy-two scripts so far collated make it an important sample for studying north-western folk qupai and narrative art. Its two-track manner of singing, in parallel unaccompanied singing and costumed performance, is fairly rare among the north-western folk qupai forms.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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