Yang Opera

Yangzhou non-dramatic songs, also known as “Guangling non-dramatic songs”, is a local opera and also popular in areas such as Zhenjiang and Shanghai .

Yangzhou non-dramatic songs originated from folk songs in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, when the folk songs popular in this area had developed from simple singing into an art, and the number of the musical instruments that accompanied it had grown from one to several. More attention was paid on singing skills, and there were some songs that are frequently performed. Li Dou of the Qing Dynasty writes in his Record of the Yangzhou Gaily-painted Pleasure Boat : “The Song is sung in the accompaniment of pipa , three-stringed plucked instrument, moon-shaped mandolin, and hardwood clappers.” This is the first record of this kind of performance. He also mentioned the popular tune, the names of operas, and the expert musicians at that time.

From the late Qing Dynasty to the founding of the PRC, non-dramatic songs had developed greatly. A number of tunes had spread to Sichuan , Hubei , Hunan , Jiangxi and so on. The local non-dramatic songs had assimilated some folk songs of other areas, which enriched the contents of the tune. Among the dozens of tunes played, some are concise, some are sweet and agreeable. Each tune has its own special quality. Many tunes have been assimilated into the Yang opera and enriched the music of the Yang opera. Words have been added to some sweet tunes, such as Southern Tune, the River All red, the Dressing Table, which become an independent song with lasting charm. Many sets of songs have emerged on the basis of the proliferation of tunes. Several sets of songs can form a serial sets of songs, which can be used to tell a long story and present the thoughts and feelings of various characters, such as the Three Kingdoms , Dream of the Red Mansion , Oh the Wind and Numerous Tunes , i.e. Beauty My Sweet Heart , which is considered to be most difficult and is used to examine the ability of the singers. Male singers gradually become larger in number. In the singing skills, there is a difference between ke and kuokou . The former denotes the male singer mimicking the accent of female, the latter means the male singer uses his own accent. The use of two-stringed Chinese fiddle, pipa and other string musical instruments and the beating of hardwood clappers, porcelain plates, and wine cups add to the gracefulness and the local taste.