Where did Wuxi's Xiqu Opera originate?

The exact time of the origin of Changzhou Xiqu Opera is still uncertain, but from the writings of Zhao Yi, a famous poet of Changzhou in the Qing Dynasty, we can make a rough inference: Zhao Yi was born in the fifth year of the Qing Yongzheng reign (1727). In the fifteenth year of the Qianlong reign (1750), he left Changzhou for Tianjin. In the 19th year of the Qianlong reign, Zhao Yi went back to his hometown to save his family and redeem his land, but he did not hear of any "Li customary theater" in his hometown. When he went back to his hometown again in the 37th year of the Qianlong reign, he found that there was a "folkloric drama" in his hometown, and was so touched by it that he wrote a poem about it, which reads: "The Flame Duan has been passed down from the past, but the village actors have made it into a sound that goes round and round the beams of the sky; the old man has a thousand volumes of books in his chest, and I would like to let the children's slaves learn about the past and the present." From this, it can be inferred that the tin opera appeared between 1754 and 1772. Jiaqing sixteen years (1811), has resigned from the government to return to his hometown Zhao Yi, and his old companion with the tour of Xiaomao Mountain temple fair, wrote "March 18, Tanqiao door with the head of the Xiaomao Mountain incense will pass through" a poem, describing his temple fair to see the "spring spring spring spring platform (in the old days, farmers spring work with a bar stool made of planks, available for performances) the scene of the small play: "Xixi people * * * Le spring stage, the two old people with a smile open, not more than the curtain car to avoid the new wife, listen to him to see the brake Zizhan to." This shows that at this time the stall spring has been very prevalent. The tin opera of Changzhou is a branch of the Wu language. Its language, tunes and early singing content are closely related to the folk life in Changzhou, with strong regional characteristics and life atmosphere. It is a collective creation of the people of Changzhou, and is a treasure of Changzhou folk art formed over a long period of time.

Xi Opera

Xi Opera is one of the major local operas in Jiangsu Province. It has a history of more than one hundred years. It was gradually formed around the time of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom by the merger of Wuxi Tangliao and Changzhou Tangliao. Before the liberation, it was called "Changxi-Wenju Opera"

and after the liberation, it was changed to "Changxi-Opera", or "Xi-Opera" for short.

The music of Xiyu Opera is lyrical, beautiful and melodious, with a beautiful Jiangnan water town style. The music of Xiyu Opera

is a combination of songs and plates, and has the distinctive features of male and female cadences. The orchestra of Xiqu Opera originally had only

an erhu, but now, in addition to the erhu, there are pipa, sanxian, violin, flute, xiao, Zhonghu and violin,

cello to participate in the accompaniment. Percussion is dominated by the four major pieces.

Famous repertoire includes traditional plays such as "Double Push Mill", "Mother Recognition in Nunnery", "Meeting in Nunnery", "Meng Li

jun", "Pearl Tower", "Double Pearl Phoenix" and modern plays such as "Saffron Song" and "Female Militia in the Sea Island".

Contemporary Xiqu Opera has many famous actors and actresses such as Yao Cheng, Wang Yingying, Meilanzhen, Wang Lanying, Wang Yunzhi, Wang

Hanqing, Yang Qiwen, Wu Yatong, Xue Jingzhen and so on