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Guangzhou
culture and arts
Yue
Opera is a major genre of
opera in the south of China, prevalent in Guangdong and Guangxi,
Hong Kong, Macao and overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia.
Its singing and dialogue are all in Guangzhou dialect. Based on
Banghuang Tune, it combines Kun Tune, Yiyang Tune, Guangdong Tune
with Guangdong folk music and popular tunes.
In
a addition to Chinese traditional instruments like Er Xian, Gao Hu,
San Xian and Yue Qin (the former two are bowed string instruments,
the latter two plucked string instruments), its orchestra has
adopted Western instruments such as violin, saxophone, cello and
double bass.
In
acting, stage scenery and lighting, it has borrowed from the
techniques used in modern drama, Western opera and film and
gradually formed its own distinctive features. Originally its
characters were divided into ten Hangdang (categories), but later on
reduced to six: civil and military male, scholar-lover, major female
secondary female, clown and military male. Included in the
repertoire are 5,000-6,000 traditional items.
Leading
actors and actresses include Ma Shizeng, Hong Xiannu, Luo Pinchao
and Bai Jurong. |