How did Chaozhou Opera come into being and develop?

Chaozhou Opera, also known as Chaozhou Opera, Yin Chao Opera, Chaozhou Tune and Bai Zixi, is mainly popular in Chaozhou dialect area.

The formation and development of Chaozhou opera has also experienced hundreds of years of history. The Southern Opera in the Song and Yuan Dynasties gradually evolved, absorbing the specialties of Geyang Opera, Kunqu Opera, Pihuang Opera and Bangzi Opera, and combining with local folk arts such as Chaozhou Music, and finally forming its own unique artistic form and style.

Chaozhou dialect was not used in the language of Chaozhou opera from the beginning. According to the Ming version of the Complete Works of Women Picking Brocade to Supplement Golden Flowers, Chaozhou Opera at this time was mainly sung in Chaozhou dialect, but some of its vocals and knives were marked with "Pronunciation".

It can be seen that in the process of the evolution of Chaozhou opera from southern opera, it is possible to use "official accent" at first, then gradually reduce the weight of "official accent" and finally completely localize it.

With the development of the times and cultural exchanges, the accompaniment instruments of Chaozhou opera have been continuously developed and enriched. At first, there were only bamboo strings, suona, coconut trees and Qin Yue, with bamboo strings as the leading musical instrument. Later, two strings replaced bamboo strings, dulcimer replaced Qin Yue, big flute and small flute were added, and erhu, pipa and Hu Da were also added.

Chaozhou opera has many tunes and changeable plates, such as the second board, the second board and the third board. Because of the "treble" of Qu Ban, most of the actors in early Chaozhou Opera were children aged 10 to 15.

The "auxiliary voice" of Chaozhou opera, that is, when the actors on the stage sing the most wonderful fragments, all the voices in the background sing together, is very rare in other operas and is one of the characteristics of Chaozhou opera.

Chaozhou opera has a full range of trades, and its first play, Life, Dan, Quiet and Ugliness, is delicate and vivid. Its body work has strict procedural norms and freehand brushwork, and pays attention to the exertion of skills. Among them, Ugly Behavior and Hua Dan's performing arts are particularly rich, with unique styles and rich local colors.

Chaozhou opera performance