Quick Answer: What Is Yong Opera?
Yong opera (甬剧, Yǒngjù) is a form of 中国伝統演劇 sung in the speech of Ningbo (宁波, Níngbō), in 浙江. Local singing helped shape the form, which became established on city stages in Ningbo and Shanghai.[1][5]
- Place: Early performance centered on areas including Yin County and Fenghua.[1]
- Sound: Listen for the local phrasing as a line moves from speech to song.[1][2]
- First viewing: A CCTV program credits excerpts of two works by the Ningbo troupe.[4]
Start with one exchange and listen for the point where the voice begins to hold a syllable longer.
The start of a sung line can sound like the end of a conversation. Listen to the point where a Ningbo syllable begins to take on a longer musical shape.
From Ningbo Villages to City Theaters
The national heritage entry describes performances spreading through Ningbo and toward Zhoushan. Troupes worked in Shanghai as well as Ningbo before 1949. The heritage account dates formal use of the name to the period after 1938, when an expanded repertory was taking shape.[1][5]
Listen to Ningbo Speech Become Song
The musical tradition belongs to the tanhuang (滩簧, tānhuáng) family. Some melodies grew out of field songs and sung accounts of local news. The registry also identifies quicker and slower tunes borrowed from visiting troupes, alongside other local melodies. The heritage profile of Yang Liuting (杨柳汀, Yáng Liǔtīng) describes a clear singing voice and clearly spoken lines.[1][2]
Two Works on Stage and Screen
CCTV credits Zhang Xinyi in a Ningbo troupe excerpt of Half a Pair of Scissors (半把剪刀, Bàn Bǎ Jiǎndāo). The same program also includes an excerpt of The Pawned Wife (典妻, Diǎnqī), a stage adaptation of a story by Rou Shi.[2][3][4]
The second work follows a mother whose family is divided by an arrangement that sends her to another household. Wang Jinwen (王锦文, Wáng Jǐnwén) stars in the feature-length opera film, which premiered in Ningbo in 2019. Compare how a stage excerpt lets you follow the whole figure, while a film can draw attention to a face during a pause.[3][4]
FAQs About Yong Opera
Is Yong opera the same as Yue opera?
Yong opera is the Ningbo form discussed here. The distinct 越劇 (越剧, Yuèjù) tradition also developed in Zhejiang and Shanghai. The genre and troupe on a program can identify the version.[1][6]
Which Yong opera work was made into a feature film?
The feature-length version of The Pawned Wife premiered in 2019 with Wang Jinwen in the lead. The first stage production dates to 2002.[3]
出典
[1] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Yong Opera
[2] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Yang Liuting
[3] Haishu District Government. The First Yong Opera Film
[4] CCTV. Opera’s Home: Ningbo
[5] Shanghai Jing’an District Government. Yong Opera in Shanghai
[6] University of Washington Press. Women Playing Men by Jin Jiang