Quick Answer: What Is Wu Opera?
Wu opera (婺剧, Wùjù) is a form of 中国伝統演劇 associated with Jinhua (金华, Jīnhuá) in 浙江. Its repertory draws on six vocal traditions. Singing and large, precise movements can share the work of telling a scene.[1][2][3]
- Place: Jinhua is an important center of the form.[1][2]
- Sound: Different works can draw on different parts of the vocal repertory.[1][2]
- First viewing: A reunion in the White Snake story shows three roles at work together.[3][6]
Watch how the space between the three performers changes as the conversation unfolds.
At the bridge, one character can step between the other two. The audience can see who is intervening before it hears the next reply.
Six Vocal Traditions in One Repertoire
The six inherited traditions include gaoqiang (高腔, gāoqiāng), Kunqu (昆曲, Kūnqǔ), luantan (乱弹, luàntán), Hui tunes (徽调, Huīdiào), tanhuang (滩簧, tānhuáng) and shidiao (时调, shídiào). The list describes the genre’s repertory as a whole. A given scene draws on the music suited to that work and staging.[1][2]
Use the work and excerpt credits when comparing the sound of two recordings. A passage’s tempo and delivery reflect the musical material and the way the scene is staged.[1][2]
How Three Characters Share the Broken Bridge
In Broken Bridge (断桥, Duànqiáo), a scene from the White Snake legend, Xu Xian meets the White Snake and Green Snake again. The reunion gives the three performers room to make and break a group onstage.[3][6]
Follow the distance between them. A sustained line from one performer can give another time to move and redirect the audience’s attention. That division of work helps the audience see who is speaking, reacting or intervening.[3]
How the Repertoire Passes Between Generations
Xu Qinna (徐勤纳, Xú Qínnà) performed the bridge excerpt and later directed a White Snake work. Chen Meilan (陈美兰, Chén Měilán) performed in Prelude to the White Snake (白蛇前传, Báishé Qiánzhuàn), a work Xu directed. She also trained younger actors. A Jinhua production of the legend was documented in 2021.[4][5][6]
FAQs About Wu Opera
Are Wu opera and Wuju two names for the same form?
Yes. Wuju romanizes 婺剧 and refers to the same Jinhua tradition. Wu opera and Jinhua opera are English names you can see in accounts of the Zhejiang genre.[1][2]
Does every White Snake performance use Wu opera?
The story appears in several theater traditions. CCTV lists a Peking opera version, and the 2021 Jinhua production belongs to Wu opera. Check the genre and company in the credits.[6][7]
出典
[1] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Wu Opera in Jinhua
[2] Zhejiang Provincial Portal. Wuju Opera and Cultural Exchange in Jinhua
[3] Zhejiang Provincial Political Consultative Conference. The Jinhua Wu Opera Tradition
[4] 中国無形文化遺産ネットワーク. Xu Qinna
[5] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Chen Meilan
[6] China Daily government portal. A Classical Wuju Production in Jinhua
[7] CCTV. Peking Opera: Legend of the White Snake