14 replies to this topic

[Andy Lau]

Cantonese Opera -> http://www.youtube.c...feature=related
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related
Peking Opera -> http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

In my opinion, Mandarin does not sound good compared to Cantonese when singing in opera, but mandarin sounds good when singing other types of songs ie Pop, Rap, etc.

Edited by Andy Lau, 14 November 2007 - 09:43 PM.

[fireball]

There are also Shaoxing Opera.

The opera that occupies one channel on Shanghai's TV station - I am not sure whether it is Shaoxing Opera or not, but they sure sound good to me. I have no clue whether they are singing the Jiangsu dialect or Zhejiang dialect. I know I understand most of the words, so I have to assume they are the Shaoxing Operas. This is what's so sad about me. My Wu dialects are all mixed together that I couldn't quite tell which dialect I am listening to!!!

There are also the very creative Taiwanese Opera. Each performance could show how creative are the actors and actresses because they sometimes add in wordings and singings they created right on the stage. I think they still do it in the informal settings, but I am not sure whether they would do it on TV or more formal performances. The good ones could be very funny.

Edited by fireball, 14 November 2007 - 10:22 PM.

[Andy Lau]

There are also Shaoxing Opera.

The opera that occupies one channel on Shanghai's TV station - I am not sure whether it is Shaoxing Opera or not, but they sure sound good to me. I have no clue whether they are singing the Jiangsu dialect or Zhejiang dialect. I know I understand most of the words, so I have to assume they are the Shaoxing Operas. This is what's so sad about me. My Wu dialects are all mixed together that I couldn't quite tell which dialect I am listening to!!!

There are also the very creative Taiwanese Opera. Each performance could show how creative are the actors and actresses because they sometimes add in wordings and singings they created right on the stage. I think they still do it in the informal settings, but I am not sure whether they would do it on TV or more formal performances. The good ones could be very funny.

I found these nice shanghainese grannies singing some form of shanghainese opera... my god they remind me of my grandmother >< http://www.youtube.c...feature=related I heard the lady say "Yiu" does it mean 有? if so, it is the same pronounciation as in my cantonese dialect, taishanese. I also heard GuGu = 哥哥, is similar to my other cantonese dialect's - Kaiping, which is also another form of Taishanese - pronounciation of big brother. Shanghainese opera sounds southern chinese with a small touch of mandarin, especially when you hear the "sh" sometimes.. lol

Edited by Andy Lau, 16 November 2007 - 06:28 PM.

[fireball]

I found these nice shanghainese grannies singing some form of shanghainese opera... my god they remind me of my grandmother >< http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

Thanks Andy Lau! I think the ones on the Shanghai TV station were the Shaoxing opera like these. They sounded the same, but the actors and actresses are much more attractive. These are more like amateurs.

You need to use the term "Shaoxing Opera". Try these: (Note: A lot of them had Chinese subtitle, so you can also learn Shaoxing dialects from these. )

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (The 18 sending aways from Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai)

(Xi Xiang Ji 西厢记 - The Romance of the Western Chamber)

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Sister Lin dropped from heaven from Dream of the Red Chamber)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Daiyu buried the flower from Dream of the Red Chamber)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Baoyu crying for Daiyu from Dream of the Red Chamber)

Edited by fireball, 16 November 2007 - 06:42 PM.

[Andy Lau]

Thanks Andy Lau! I think the ones on the Shanghai TV station were the Shaoxing opera like these. They sounded the same, but the actors and actresses are much more attractive. These are more like amateurs.

sorry, didn't mean to insult >.< it's obvious that real shanghainese opera performaces in theatres is more attractive than this lol but it just nice seeing seniors performing, it's really unique ^^

By the way, found a better video clip.. which is more attractive lol:

Edited by Andy Lau, 16 November 2007 - 06:36 PM.

[fireball]

sorry, didn't mean to insult >.< it's obvious that real shanghainese opera performaces in theatres is more attractive than this lol but it just nice seeing seniors performing, it's really unique ^^

No problem.

[Andy Lau]

Is Shaoxing Opera the Zhejiang(Hangzhou) or Jiangsu variant?

By the way i found Henan opera or also called 豫剧
Is this a local singing it ? The lady seems southern chinese (possibly taiwanese singing the henan opera?!)...

Edited by Andy Lau, 16 November 2007 - 06:50 PM.

[fireball]

Taiwanese operas: (Some had subtitles, so you can learn Taiwanese. Some had more traditional way of doing it -- i.e. show in the open among the people.)

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Drinking of the wine from The story of White Snake)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Flood over the Gold Mountain Temple from the White Snake)

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

[Andy Lau]

Thanks Andy Lau! I think the ones on the Shanghai TV station were the Shaoxing opera like these. They sounded the same, but the actors and actresses are much more attractive. These are more like amateurs.

You need to use the term "Shaoxing Opera". Try these: (Note: A lot of them had Chinese subtitle, so you can also learn Shaoxing dialects from these. )

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (The 18 sending aways from Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai)

(Xi Xiang Ji 西厢记 - The Romance of the Western Chamber)

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Sister Lin dropped from heaven from Dream of the Red Chamber)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Daiyu buried the flower from Dream of the Red Chamber)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Baoyu crying for Daiyu from Dream of the Red Chamber)

nice clips..

[fireball]

Is Shaoxing Opera the Zhejiang(Hangzhou) or Jiangsu variant?

Shaoxing Opera is the Zhejiang variety. Shaoxing is a famous city in Zhejiang where Shaoxing wine is from. It is considered one of the major standard bearer of the Southern Operas.

By the way i found Henan opera or also called 豫剧
Is this a local singing it ? The lady seems southern chinese (possibly taiwanese singing the henan opera?!)...

Haha! Considering a lot of Henan natives went south about 1000 years ago and some of them did go to Taiwan, I guess it fits.

[Andy Lau]

That is true lol either she learned it from a friend or a relative is from henan...


The videos you posted earlier were quite beautiful and is it usually played by only women? if so that's intersting =) Which is the contrary to most chinese operas in the past that use to be played by men only, which i find is not fair - injust for females. I found some vocabularies in Xingshao dialect that are similar with my taishanese cantonese dialect, unfound in mandarin and standard cantonese.. sui=水, fung=風, yuwn=園 (as in 公園), yit = 1, boot = 不, Nin(i pronounce as ngin though) = 人, mauwn = 滿.

Are you a fluent Xingshao speaker fireball?

Edited by Andy Lau, 16 November 2007 - 07:33 PM.

[fireball]

The videos you posted earlier were quite beautiful and is it usually played by only women? if so that's intersting =) Which is the contrary to most chinese operas in the past that use to be played by men only, which i find is not fair - injust for females.

I don't think it's only played by women. I know some men also play in the Shaoxing operas. Also, I think, at one time, women were not allowed to play in Chinese operas for the moral reasons. I know that was true for Beijing Operas, but I am not sure for the Southern Operas. Since Southern Operas (Shaoxing Opera was one of them) started in the Wu-Yue areas and these places had a very strong female-dominate cultures, it's quite possible women could have played in these operas.

I found some vocabularies in Xingshao dialect that are similar with my taishanese cantonese dialect, unfound in mandarin and standard cantonese.. sui=水, fung=風, yuwn=園 (as in 公園), yit = 1, boot = 不, Nin(i pronounce as ngin though) = 人, mauwn = 滿.

Are you a fluent Xingshao speaker fireball?

Unfortunately, no. I could understand most dialects from Zhejiang province and some in Jiangsu province (like Shanghainese). However, to speak it, I am hopeless!!! Same is Taiwanese. I could pronounce some of the words separately, but I can't put them into a sentence. Actually, it's like if I did put them into a sentence, the native speakers would roll on the ground laughing!

I did notice there are a lot similarities in the Southern Chinese dialects, like Fujianese, Zhejiang dialect, Cantonese, etc. Shanghainess and Jiangsu dialects might be a little further apart, but not quite different too.

[fireball]

I figure I might as well add some links to Kunqu Opera. They are very famous in Chinese literary traditions also:

(The Peony Pavilion)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Also the Peony Pavilion)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (Lin Chun escaped in the evening from All men are brothers)

Edited by fireball, 16 November 2007 - 10:29 PM.

[fireball]

I have no idea which opera is this, but it looked good. Could some one tell me which dialect was it? I thought it might be Cantonese, a bit hard to tell though.

[fireball]

I think these are the Huang Mei Operas:

(She is cute! This is 天仙配 - Story of scholar Dong Yun and a daughter of heaven)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (same song by more professional people)

These songs are the first ones I learned from the Hong Kong movies in my childhood. Therefore, they are my favorite among all Chinese opera. I will look for the others.