Glossary in《粵劇合士上》 (for teachers’ reference)

yiban yiding A grouping of beats; also called yiding yiban, ban (板) is more important than (一板一叮) ding (叮) in the entire families of vocal and percussive music because ban controls the tempo and the last word at the end of a singing passage always falls on ban. Also named yan (眼), ding is a beat that controls the transition between every ban. The symbol to indicate rhythm and beat is called dingban (叮板). yiban yiding is similar to duple metre in Western music, the first beat is ban and the second beat is ding; that is, a cyclical and alternate grouping of ban and ding. The dingban in banqiang (板腔) family is strictly governed by rules, while the dingban of xiaoqu (小曲) is relatively free. This is why the same tune can be performed at either yiban sanding (一板三叮) or yiban yiding.

yiban sanding A grouping of beats, also called sanding yiban. ban is more important than ding (一板三叮) in the entire families of vocal and percussive music because ban controls the tempo and the last word at the end of a singing passage always falls on ban. Also named yan (眼), ding is a beat that controls the transition between every ban. The symbol to indicate rhythm and beat is called dingban (叮板). Yiban sanding is similar to quadruple metre in Western music, the first beat is ban, the second beat is touding (頭叮), the third beat is zhongding (中叮), and the fourth beat is weiding (尾叮); that is, forming an cyclical grouping of “ban ding ding ding”. Moreover, a unit of yiban sanding usually forms a dun (頓) in vocal delivery types. The dingban in the family of banqiang (板腔) is strictly governed by rules, while the dingban of xiaoqu (小曲) is relatively free. This is why the same tune can be performed at either yiban sanding or yiban yiding (一板一叮).

yichui (一槌), A term of percussion pattern, meaning a strike on the percussive instruments. yichui (一錘), Some yichui practices nowadays include more than one striking and are yicai (一才) embellished with ornaments. The usage of yichui percussion pattern is as follows: 1. chadecheng (查得撐): used to differentiate and connect the upper and lower lines of banqiang (板腔) , such as in shouban (首板) and gunhua (滾花), as well as shoujue (收掘).

2. changkou yichui (唱口一槌): mostly used as the introduction of erhuang manban (二黃慢板) and xiaoqu (小曲). The most original yichui is as follows:

ヽ ㄨ ヽ ヽ ∟ 局 的 的 局 查 查 得 撐

yichui with ornaments is as follows: ヽ ㄨ ヽ ヽ ∟ 局 的 的 局 撐 查 得 撐

3. qichui (齊槌): is used to highlight a word, a group of words or a moment in a jiekou (介口, can be a speech, singing passage or movement) in order to capture the attention of the audience. 4. zhongyichui (重一槌): is used to emphasise a particular movement or

1 reaction made by the performer. The connection between the dingban (叮板) of percussive music and that of vocal in opera has all along been a subject of arguments because of the long history and development of . The issue has yet to be investigated. yifan (乙反) A musical mode of Cantonese operatic music which belongs to the zhengxian (正線) family. The accompanying musical instruments are tuned to he (合) and che (尺) (he = G, che = D). If C = shang (上), the scale of yifan mode is: he yi shang che fan liu (合 乙 上 尺 反 六). This kind of musical mode is also called kuhou (苦喉, bitter voice) and is used to express sad and sorrowful feeling. yifan erhuang erhuang manban performed in yifan xian (乙反線). (乙反二黃) qiziqing (七字清) Also known as qiziju zhongban (七字句中板). As the name suggests, each line has seven words, with chenzi (襯字, also known as me zae zi 孭仔字) being inserted occasionally. At current practice the qiziqing in general is performed at moderate tempo or a relatively shuang tempo (爽速, between moderate and fast tempo). qixingbu (七星步) The basic set of footwork on the stage for all hangdang (行當). It was said that the name derived from the formation of the seven stars of the Big Dipper, which is why the movement is in sets of seven steps. Performers may add more steps, usually in odd numbers, to each set in performance according to the size of the stage. erbuzhen In shengongxi (神功戲), the six leading actors and actresses of a Cantonese (二步針) opera troupe perform only in the evenings and on the festival day. Other performers who are responsible for the day performances except the one on the festival day are called erbuzhen. erbuzhen are actors and actresses of the second and third ranks. With the establishment of liuzhuzhi (六柱制), the supporting huadan (二幫花旦) are included in liuzhu, the second supporting huadan (三幫花旦) are therefore called erbuzhen. erbuzhen comprises the second supporting sheng (第三生), second supporting huadan, third supporting sheng (第四生), third supporting huadan (四幫花旦), supporting chou (第二丑) and supporting wusheng (第二武生). erhuang (二黃) One of the traditional (聲腔) of . There are two arguments about the origin of erhuang. One argument said that the earliest erhuang originated from the shengqiang in Huangpo (黃坡) and Huanggang (黃 岡) in Hubei Province (河北省). It was later absorbed by the hui diao (徽調) and was thus named erhuang (二黃). Some old literature of Cantonese opera also recorded the names as erhuang (二簧) or erwang (二王). The other argument said that erhuang was actually the qiang (腔) of Yihuang (宜黃), which was in the south of Yiyang (弋陽) in Jiangxi Province (江西省). There has never been any conclusion to these two arguments. Introduced into Cantonese opera through the hanju (漢劇), erhuang tunes are relatively melodic. The form of beats of erhuang family consists of shouban (首板), daoban (倒板, adapted from ), manban (慢板), siping (四平, mistakenly named as xipi 西 皮), liushuiban (流水板), gunhua (滾花) and shaban (煞板); traditionally there

2 is no zhongban (中板) in erhuang family.

erhuang may also mean: 1. A musical mode, using heche xian (合尺線);

2. The short form of erhuang manban (二黃慢板);

3. One of the major categories of banqiang (板腔) in Cantonese opera, consisting of shouban, manban, erhuang liushuiban (abbreviated as erliu 二 流), gunhua and shaban, etc. erhuang manban Abbreviated as erhuang (二黃). The manban in erhuang manban indicates the (二黃慢板) dingban grouping of yiban sanding, not the tempo. It can be classified into ten‐syllable phrase, eight‐syllable phrase and changju (長句, long phrase) in terms of phrasing. Its musical modes include zhengxian (正線), yifan (乙反) and fanxian (反線), and the tempo and pulse can either be fast or slow. badaquben Referring to the score for singing, not the libretto of the play. badaquben and (八大曲本) jianghu shibaben (江湖十八本) are the oldest repertoire of Cantonese opera. There are several versions of badaquben contents. The relatively reliable one includes “Patleihei Reuniting His Wife” 《百里奚會妻》, “Biancai Monk Exorcisting the Willow Tree Demon”《辨才釋妖》, “Daiyu Burying Flower”《黛 玉葬花》, “Liulang Punishing His Son”《六郎罪子》, “Crossing Over to Join Han from Chu”《棄楚投漢》, “Luzhishen Becoming a Monk”《魯智深出家》, “The Memorial Service for He Wenxiu”《附薦何文秀》 and “A Virtuous Man in Snow” 《雪中賢》. In some historical documents, the sixth and the seven repertoire are replaced by “Li Zhong Selling His Martial Arts Skills”《李忠賣武》 and “Shepherding the Big Flock”《大牧羊》. bahe huiguan The guild of Cantonese opera performers formed after the ban against the (八和會館) opera was removed in the Qing Dynasty. The name bahe (八和) bears the meaning of hexibafang (和翕八方, concord and harmony in bafang, the eight directions). The guild is divided into eight halls, they are Zhaohetang (兆和堂) for gongjia (公腳), zongsheng (總生), zhengsheng (正生), xiaosheng (小生) and dahuamian (大花面); Yonghetang (永和堂) for xiaowu (小武) and wusheng (武 生); Qinghetang (慶和堂) for erhuamian (二花面) and liufan (六分); Fuhetang (福和堂) for huadan (花旦), yandan (艷旦), wanxiaodan (玩/頑笑旦); Xinhetang (新和堂) for male and female chou (丑); Dehetang (德和堂, also known as Luanxingtang 鑾輿堂) for dawujia (打武家) and wujunhu (五軍虎); Shenhetang (慎和堂) for negotiating and taking up orders for performance, and Puhetang (普和堂) for pengmian (棚面, accompanying musician). The bahe huiguan (Chinese Artists Association of ) today is similar to a labour union of Cantonese opera professionals and has a relatively simple structure because of the merging and the changing of the names of those halls. sanchutou Please refer to the entry “chutou (齣頭)”. (三齣頭) xia (下) A performer entering backstage after performance is referred to as xiachang (下場), abbreviated as xia.

3 xiaju (下句) Please refer to the entry “shangju (上句), xiaju (下句)”. xialanren Performers who play minor roles in the Cantonese opera troupe, including (下欄人) shouxia (手下), who play soldiers and servants; lache (拉扯), who play miscellaneous roles, and meixiang (梅香), who play housemaids, maids in an imperial palace or female soldiers. shang (上) A performer entering front stage for performance is referred to as shangchang (上場), abbreviated as shang. It is also the name of a note in the gongchepu (工 尺譜). shangliu xian, shang and liu are equivalent to doh and soh in a musical scale. fanxian erhuang fanxian manban (反線二黃慢板) and fanxian bangzi zhongban (反線梆子中板) are (上六線、反線) tuned to shangliu xian. fanxian erhuang manban is sad and sorrowful in mood. fanxian shigong zhongban (反線士工中板) has two expression styles: the first

one is about a fifth lower than baqiang zhongban (霸腔中板) because fanxian is close to the baqiang (霸腔) style, but the singing voice is more stirring and moving, instead of high and sonorous; the second one is more like pinghou (平 喉), and is relatively lower and deeper.

In Cantonese operatic music, fanxian (反線) is tuned a fifth lower than zhengxian (正線). It is an incorrect practice nowadays to take fanxian as equivalent to G key in Western music for the sake of convenience because the musical modes of the two are different. Moreover, the keys of some xiaoqu (小曲) are either too high or too low. In this case, they can be performed in fanxian according to the voice and the physical condition of the performers at the time. shangtai (上台) Referring to the reporting of the actors and actresses of a troupe to the performance venue which may either be a temporary shed theatre or a theatre house. shangju, xiaju The banghuang (梆黃) of Cantonese operatic songs is basically made up of a (上句、下句) couplet. The first line is called shangju (upper line), with the last word being rhymed with the zesheng (仄聲, tilting tones) tonal pattern; the second line is xiaju (lower line), and the last word is rhymed with the pingsheng (平聲, level tones) tonal pattern. Thus an upper line is followed by a lower line, running continuously. Some composers like to begin an act or a Cantonese operatic song with a lower line, which is a practice initiated by Tong Tik Sang (唐滌生).

In banghuang, each banshi (板式) has its particular way in dividing lines; however, shangju and xiaju refer to the phrasing in terms of musical structure only, not semantical. Besides, each phrase/ line consists of two dun (頓) or more. shangzixu Please refer to the entry “xu (序)”. (上字序) kougu (口古) A type of shuobai (說白), which is a rhymed koubai (口白). It consists of an upper line and a lower line. An upper line must be followed by a lower line; neither of them should be used independently. The line that ends in titling tone is upper line and the one ending in level tone is lower line. All lines end with

4 luogu (鑼鼓) accompaniment. Some composers nowadays like to insert a singing passage between an upper and a lower line in kougu. shigong (士工) Has the following meanings: 1. When using traditional shigong xian (士工線) to perform a banshi (板式) of the bangzi (梆子) style, the two open strings of (二絃) are tuned to the pitches that close to notes A and E respectively. This tuning method is referred to as shigong xian. 2. In current practice, shigong xian with open strings tuned to the notes G and D, respectively being referred to as shi (士) and (工), and is used in particular xiaoqu (小曲), such as “Tears of Red Candle”《紅燭淚》 and “Strings of Tears”《絲絲淚》.

3. In terms of musical modes, shigong xian is a kind of pentatonic scale in Cantonese operatic music. If C=shang (上), the musical mode of shigong xian is: shang che gong liu wu sheng (上尺工六五生). dahua (大花) A luogudian (鑼鼓點, percussion pattern), full name being da gunhua (大滾花). It is normally used to accompany a performer entering front stage. dajia (大架) A traditional gongjia (功架, feats) demonstrated by a performer when entering front stage. It is one of the basic training all hangdang (行當) must receive and practise. Tiao dajia (跳大架) is composed of a series of body movements and footworks, including shangchang (上場), lashan (拉山), guadanjiao (掛單腳), liangxiang (亮相), qixingbu (七星步), shuibolangbu (水波浪步), cuobu (撮步), xiaotiao (小跳), titui (踢腿), tijia (踢甲), cheshen (車身), ximian (洗面), shunfengqi (順風旗), and zouyuantai (走圓台). The performer may use different expressions, pulse and tempo to complement the performance of dajia. dahou (大喉) hou (喉) is voice, meaning the way of vocal production. dahou is the typical way of vocal production adopted by boorish characters in Cantonese opera, such as dahuamian (大花面) and erhuamian (二花面), characterised by its power and volume, and is mostly used in singing baqiang (霸腔). Fewer performers specialise in dahou nowadays. dadiao (大調) Please refer to the entry “diao (調)”.

(*The same Chinese character 調 with different initial consonant, “diao” means a song tune or a key and “tiao” is to tune.) daxi (大戲) In Chinese opera, daxi refers to the genre that involves a relatively large‐scale performance consisting of a variety of performing modes, including story‐telling, chang (唱), zuo (做), nian (唸) and da (打). The opposite of daxi is xiaoxi (小戲), which refers to smaller scale acrobatic shows or short plays and excerpts of an opera. Although Peking opera (京劇), (昆劇), Cantonese opera (粵劇), (潮劇) and Fulao opera (福佬劇) are all daxi, the name refers only to Cantonese opera in Hong Kong because it is the most popular Chinese opera genre in Hong Kong. nuling (女伶) Female singer who pursues occupation as performer of Cantonese operatic

5 songs. zimuhou The combination of falsetto and normal voices in singing by sheng or dan, (子母喉) relatively more common among dan. Sheung Hoi Mui (上海妹), one of the famous actresses in the 1930s, was renowned for her performances using zimuhou. It was also a conventional singing method adopted by xiaosheng (小 生) before the 1930s. zihou (子喉) Use of falsetto voice, by contracting the vocal cord and the larynx. In Cantonese opera, all actresses playing the dan roles, except laodan (老旦), use zihou in both speech and singing. Xiaosheng A traditional role type in Cantonese opera. In general, xiaosheng is an actor who (小生) performs in wenchang ( 文場) and does not put on beard. Since the establishment of liuzhuzhi (六柱制), xiaosheng has become the second male lead or the supporting actor in a Cantonese opera troupe. xiaoqu (小曲) Originally referring to song tunes or instrumental music with a fixed melody, including regional folk ensemble music, new compositions, music and Western songs. Since the 1920s, composers began adding lyrics to these music pieces as well as setting new lyrics to the folk songs, and used them in Cantonese opera and Cantonese operatic songs. On the other hand, some xiaoqu (小曲) were produced with the lyric being written first and the melody composed later, such as Wong Yuet Sang’s (王粵生) “Tears of Red Candle”《紅 燭淚》 and Chu Ngai Kong’s (朱毅剛) “A Song from Foreign Land”《胡地蠻歌》. Nowadays xiaoqu (小曲) also include a kind of dadiao (大調) which originated from repertoires of other regional operas, and their original names are traceable, such as “Loving Him”《戀檀》(originally named《戀檀郎》), “Scolding My Sweetheart”《罵玉郎》, “The Drunken Imperial Concubine”《貴妃醉酒》, “Thinking of the Virtuous Man”《思賢調》(originally named《釋怨調》) and “Departure by the River in Autumn”《秋江別》. All these songs from other regional operas are adapted for the new productions of Cantonese opera. xiaotiao (小跳) A distinctive type of footwork. xiaotiao includes one‐foot jump and two‐foot jump. One‐foot jump is usually used in actions like boarding a boat, going on shore, or crossing a brook. Two‐foot jump is used as the initial step of performing shuibolang (水波浪). xiaodiao (小調) Please refer to the entry “diao (調)”. xiaoluoxiangsi A commonly used luogudian (鑼鼓點) before the performing of a xiaoqu (小曲) (小鑼相思) to complement the shenduan (身段) and also to accompany the performer when entering the stage. This luogudian is to complement an excerpt of a melody which recurs repeatedly, and that excerpt can be regarded as the introduction of the singing passage followed. gongchepu In the entire Chinese opera family, many regional operas use gongchepu to (工尺譜) notate music. The gongchepu of Cantonese opera is more or less the same as those of other regional operas, sharing a common practice of using words he, shi, yi, shang, che, gong, fan, liu (合、士、乙、上、尺、工、反、六) to represent the musical notes in melodic lines, with the pulse being indicated by dingban (叮板) symbols. These musical notes are also traditionally known as qiang (腔)

6 in Cantonese opera. gongzixu Please refer to the entry “xu (序)”. (工字序) chou (丑) One of the role types, playing comical characters. zhongzhou yinyun Cantonese opera, originated from opera genres in other provinces, had (中州音韻) absorbed the pronunciation in Zhongzhou (中州) phonetics. Zhongzhou refers to the central region of , which is the area around the Henan Province today. The pronunciation is referred to as zhongzhou or zhengzi (正字) among insiders and is called guanhua (官話) by outsiders. Today, certain zhongzhou yinyun are still preserved in Cantonese opera performances, such as the exclamation of “kenaoye” (可惱也) to express anger. zhongban (中板) Has the following meanings: 1. A grouping of dingban (叮板) in the banqiang (板腔) family of Cantonese operatic music, with yiban yiding (一板一叮) as a unit, repeating until the end of the singing passage. 2. The abbreviated name of shigong zhongban (士工中板). Ten‐syllable phrase and seven‐syllable phrase are commonly used in shigong zhongban. The tempo and pulse can either be fast or slow. zhongyue (中樂) Please refer to the entry “xiyue, zhongyue (西樂、中樂)”. jie (介) Has the following meanings: 1. Also known as jiekou (介口), formally gaikou (蓋口), referring to the connecting points in chang (唱), zuo (做), nian (唸) and da (打) , such as gaikousong (蓋口鬆) or gaikoujin (蓋口緊), which indicates whether the gaikou connection is loose or tight. 2. Equivalent to ke (科) in ancient operas, referring to the action cues of performer’s movements or gestures on the stage, such as saodijie (掃地介, sweeping floor), toutingjie (偷聽介, eavesdropping), shangjie (上介, entering stage), xiajie (下介, leaving stage), dajie (打介, fighting), etc.

3. A pause in between phrases to symbolise the act of thinking. 4. Inserting luogu (鑼鼓), referred to as sheluogu (攝鑼鼓) or xieluogu (楔鑼鼓) among insiders. jiekou (介口) Has the following meanings:

1. Written instructions to performers on the script. Sections of chang (唱), zuo (做), nian (唸) and da (打) can also be referred to as jiekou.

2. A performer’s remuneration is also referred to as jiekou in Cantonese opera circle. 3. Please refer to the entry “jie (介)”. liuzhuzhi (六柱制) Please refer to the entry “hangdang (行當)”.

7 goulan (勾欄) In the Song Dynasty, the place where performances and entertainments were provided was called wazi (瓦子). The performance venue in wazi was known as goulan. It was where the prototype of Chinese opera was bred. fanxian (反線) Please refer to the entry “shangliu xian, fanxian (上六線、反線)”. tianguangxi In the past, when there was shengongxi (神功戲) in a village, people would be (天光戲) attracted and they travel a long distance to see the performance because entertainments were rare in agricultural societies. When the evening performance was over, people from afar preferred to stay in the temporary shed theatre for the night instead of traveling the long way home in the dark, and tianguangxi would then be performed to entertain them during the long night. These were usually tigangxi (提綱戲) performed by minor performers of the troupe. chezixu Please refer to the entry “xu (序)”. (尺字序) shouxia (手下) Minor roles playing characters such as soldiers and servants. shouying (手影) In traditional tigangxi (提綱戲) which did not have any fixed song tunes or speeches, a performer must use shouying (hand gestural hints) to give a hint to the musicians about the percussion pattern, speech, and vocal delivery types he or she would use. shouying is also a kind of yingtou (影頭). wenwusheng A new role‐type in Cantonese opera appearing between the 1920s and 30s. (文武生) Since then, wenwusheng has become the general designation of the leading actor in all Cantonese opera troupes. wenchang, Has the following meanings: wuchang 文場戲 (文場、武場) 1. In the Cantonese opera profession, wenchang refers to wenchangxi ( ), which are performances that focus on the performers’ singing techniques and accompanied gestures. wuchang refers to wuchangxi (武場戲) and the emphasis is on the performing of martial arts, feats, body movements and gestures. 2. Please refer to the entry “xiyue, zhongyue (西樂、中樂)”. muyu (木魚) A type of vocal music in the popular shuochang (說唱) system of Guangdong area. muyu, nanyin (南音) and banyan (板眼) share the same phrase structure, consisting of qishi (起式, opening), zhengwen (正文, main text), and shoushi (收 式, closure), also known as shawei (煞尾). Main text is mostly composed of seven‐syllable phrases, with two phrases forming a couplet. Theoretically, the main text consists of four stanzas, and each stanza has four phrases. The successive order of the tonal pattern of the phrase‐ending syllables is titling tone (仄聲), upper level tone (陰平), tilting tone, lower level tone (陽平). The last line must end at lower level tone, never at upper level tone. In the shuochang family of Cantonese opera, the qiang (腔) of sheng (生) and dan (旦) are the same. The singing passage of muyu has a free tempo with no music accompaniment (i.e. no percussion or string and wind instruments) nor, in most cases, qiban (起板). There is no luogo yinzi (鑼鼓引子, percussion introduction) when muyu is performed in a Cantonese opera production. muyu is also a

8 percussion instrument. shuibolang Has the following meanings: (水波浪) 1. A type of stylised movements in a performance when the act requires the performer to express his or her indecisive state of mind, to show that he or she is considering how to respond to a situation, or to indicate that he or she is looking for something or finding a way, etc. The movements involve actions such as walking small semicircles clockwise or counterclockwise (走正反小半 圓台), pauses, qixingbu (七星步), and looking around, etc.

2. The accompanying percussion of the stylised movements can also be termed shuibolang in general. shuixiu (水袖) The white front ends of the sleeves of Chinese opera performer’s theatrical costume. It was originally meant to symbolise the sleeves of the underclothes worn by people in ancient time. Performers usually use shuixiu movement to express different feelings, such as anger, confusion or excitement. The skill to flutter the sleeves is also called shuixiu (also known as shuaixiu (甩袖)). shuifa (水髮) The word shui (水) in the term derives from shuai (甩) in hanyu , which means flinging. Today the term refers to the long wig hair of the performer. In scenes in which a character is being in haste, defeated or fleeing from danger, the performer does not wear any headgear and exposes his or her long wig hair. Please refer to the entry “fingshuifa, yaoshuifa (水髮、搖水髮)”. zhuhui (主會) Members of opera troupe refer to local residents who organise a ritual performance of Cantonese opera as zhuhui. Representatives elected among the residents are called zhili (值理). xianjin (仙巾) Often mistaken as qianjin (千巾) now. xianjin traditionally refers to the temporary shed theatre in which the ritual performance of Cantonese opera is performed. The name derived from the shape of the theatre which looks like the rectangular hats wore by the Immortals in Birthday Greetings by the Eight Immortals《八仙賀壽》. Some shed theatres in the early days were square in shape, resembling the headgear of the fifth immortal, and was thus called wuxianjin (五仙巾). beipai (北派) Martial arts used in Chinese opera performances and originated from regions north of Chang Jiang (長江) are referred to as beipai. Performed mainly in Peking opera, beipai martial arts are characterised by speedy and smooth progression, and graceful movements. sidai (絲帶, ribbon dance), shuixiu (水袖) and hand‐to‐hand combat in beipai were introduced into Cantonese opera by performers like Sun So So (新蘇蘇), Sun Ting Heung (新丁香) and Sit Kwok Sin (薛覺先) in the 1920s and 30s. Sit Kwok Sin even advocated the merging of the south and north schools of opera, which enabled Cantonese opera to combine the merits of both. Moreover, with the southward migration of the martial arts performers from the north, beipai gradually became popular in Cantonese opera. In addition, the percussion music as well as makeups and costumes of Peking opera were also absorbed by Cantonese opera. dingban (叮板) The term and symbols to indicate the beat and rhythm in Cantonese opera. Ban (板) is more important in dingban because it controls the beat, and ding (叮)is the connection and transition between every ban. dingban is the beat symbols 9 in gongchepu (工尺譜). In general, the dingban symbols are marked alongside the lyrics even if the script has no gongche notation. The dingban symbols commonly used nowadays are: “ㄨ” = zhengban (正板), “ヽ” = zhengding (正 叮), “ㄨ” = diban (底板), and “∟” = diding (底叮). ding and ban can be grouped into yiban yidi (一板一叮), yiban sanding (一板三叮) and liushuiban (流水板). taikou (台口) Has the following meanings:

1. The general term referring to the performing area on the stage. 2. The front part of the performing area facing the audience. 3. Referring to lingchang (另場) or ningchang (擰場), in which the performer sings or narrates at the front part of performing area, facing the audience. This is to indicate that the performer tries to express his or her thought or feeling without letting the other characters in the play hearing it. For example, if the jiekou (介口) on the script marks “Chunhua taikou bailan” (春 花台口白欖), the actress who plays the role of Chunhua must then face the audience in the performing area and perform bailan (白欖) in the way of lingchang to express her thought. lelegu (叻叻鼓) A type of luogu (鑼鼓) pattern, characterised by its successive strikings. lelegu is used to connect or lead the development of different plots, such as when the character is thinking or staring angrily. It is also used in shangchang (上場), guowei (過位, change position) and zoubian (走邊, choreographic walking along a side). The mnemonic rhyme of lelegu is as follows:

sixing (四星) An operatic form of hand‐to‐hand combat performed on the stage, meaning one person against four. One against two is called erxing (二星). zuopie (左撇) Originated from an operatic term in the north, meaning a slight deviation from the formal singing method. In Guangdong opera, zuopie refers to baqiang (霸 腔) or traditional shigong (士工) singing (different from the current practice of shigong singing in pinghou (平喉)), which places particular emphasis on the notes shi and gong. Lan Chi Pak (靚次伯) applied this singing technique in “Qin Qiong Selling His Horse”《秦瓊賣馬》, a Cantonese operatic song performed in guqiang (古腔). It is said that zuopie in the early days was mostly used by the xiaowu (小武). pinghou (平喉) In Cantonese opera, pinghou generally refers to male voices. pinghou is a natural voice production, the same as we speak. laodan (老旦) in the dan roles also use pinghou. The singing technique of pinghou is different from those of zihou (子喉) and baqiang (霸腔). dahua (打花) A percussion style, referring to an improvisation made by the zhangban (掌板), with the addition of certain ornaments within the structure of the original luogu (鑼鼓) pattern. dahua performed by zhangban is called huazhu (花竹), while the one by the luo (鑼) or cha (查) percussionists is called gouhua (溝花).

10 dajiao (打醮) “jiao (醮)” is actually “ji (祭, offering sacrifice)”, the Taoist rite of worshipping a deity. jiao is a large‐scale ritual activity in which the worshippers communicate with the spirits and deities through the Tao priests or Buddhist monks for blessings, and to make wishes or express gratitude for the good fortune bestowed. In Hong Kong, jiao includes the dajiao of the annual Ghosts Festival (盂蘭節) held in different districts and the Taiping qingjiao (太平清醮) organised every three, five, seven or ten years. mo (末) A role type, playing aged male characters. zhengri (正日) zhengri or zhengdanri (正誕日) refers to the exact day of a deity’s birthday or festival, which is the focus of the series of festival activities. zhengbenxi Has the following meanings: (正本戲) 1. Refers to the full‐length opera performed in the afternoon in shengongxi (神 功戲) before the 1930s when advanced lighting system had yet to be developed. Performances in the evening were usually wenxi (文戲). Today the Cantonese opera profession still refers to the daytime performances as zhengben (正本, regardless of whether the principal actor or actress is performing) and those in the evening as chutou (齣頭).

2. Nowadays in Hong Kong, many zhuhui (主會, local committee) request the Cantonese opera troupes to perform zhengbenxi in addition to lixi (例戲, regular performances). The siri qiben (四日七本, seven performances in four days) or wuri jiuben (五日九本, nine performances in five days) refer to the number of zhengbenxi. The plays of zhengbenxi are usually chosen by the local residents or zhili (值理), each play is about three to four hours long. Popular zhenbenxi today includes “The Floral Princess”《帝女花》, “The Princess in Distress”《鳳閣恩仇未了情》, and “When Swallows Return”《燕 歸人未歸》. zhengyin huadan With the establishment of liuzhuzhi (六柱制) in Cantonese opera, a stage (正印花旦) production on the whole relies on the six principal performers of a troupe. Each of these performers needs to exceed his or her original role type and take up other roles. Zhengyin huadan is the leading actress in a troupe. There is not much difference in terms of performing art between zhengyin huadan and the supporting huadan (二幫花旦, the second actress); both have to play the roles of wudan (武旦), tiedan (貼旦), huadan (花旦) and qingyi (青衣). zhengzixi, baizixi zhengzixi was a branch of (南戲) in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, which (正字戲、白字戲) was a popular opera genre in Guangdong, with Haifeng (海豐) and Lufeng (陸 豐) as the centre, and southern (福建). The genre was called zhengzixi or zhengyinxi (正音戲) because the opera was performed in Zhongzhou gunhua (中州官話), which was referred to as “zhengzi” or “zhengyin” in these regions.

baizixi was an opera genre developed from zhengzixi that had incorporated with local of Haifeng and Lufeng area in Guangdong and southern Fujian. It was performed in local dialects. Local people referred to the Zhongzhou gunhua as zhengzi and local dialects as baize (白字), and the genre was therefore named baizixi. zhengban, dingban (叮板) controls the rhythm and tempo of Cantonese operatic songs.

11 zhengding Ban (板) can be regarded as a strong beat and ding (叮) a weak beat. When ban (正板、正叮) is on a musical note or a word of the lyric, it is notated by the symbol “ㄨ”, and is called zhengban. In the case of ding, it is notated by “ヽ” and is called zhengding. Please refer to the entry “dingban (叮板)” for more details. zhengxian A type of tuning in Cantonese operatic music, referring to hechexian (合尺線). (正線) shengshengren Referring in general to xiaoqu (小曲) that are not widely known, including new (生聖人) songs or old ones which are seldom used. baizixi (白字戲) Please refer to the entry “zhengzixi, baizixi (正字戲、白字戲)”. bailan (白欖) A type of speech. When bailan is performed, the zhangban (掌板) uses the percussion instrument muyu (木魚) to strike the ban (板). bailan mostly consists of three‐syllable phrase, five‐syllable phrase or seven‐syllable phrase. There is no limitation to the number of phrases, which can be extended endlessly. The phrases are basically not divided into upper or lower line. The odd‐numbered phrases need not be rhymed but the even‐numbered ones and the last phrase of the last bailan stanza must be. Normally most phrases rhyme with titling tone, it is not a strict rule though. jiaoxi (交戲) The operas to be performed as zhengbenxi (正本戲) are usually picked by the leading actor and actress, and local committee. Once the decision is made, the above two principal performers must provide the libretto to other members of the opera troupe, which is referred to as jiaoxi among insiders. xianfengcha A type of percussion pattern. It is usually used to accompany quick actions, such (先鋒查) as dashing forward to snatch a knife to kill somebody, daring to meet fate, being intercepted, or grasping an enemy for questioning. xianfengcha is characterised by its sharp beginning and ending, with one distinct strike to begin and another to end. The mnemonic rhyme is as follows: 撐 查 查 查 查 查 查 撐 的 撐 hechexian Has the following meanings: (合尺線) 1. Tuning of musical instrument to the notes G and D, which is referred to as heche (合尺), also known as zhengxian (正線).

2. A musical mode, belonging to the heptatonic scale. The notes he (合) and che (尺) are equivalent to the notes sol and re. Unless specifically indicated, banqiang (板腔) in erhuang (二黃) and shigong (士工) are all tuned to heche. hezixu (合字序) Please refer to the entry “xu (序)”. shou, shoujue A way to end an excerpt of a music piece or speech, usually accompanied by the (收、收掘) percussion pattern baochui (包槌) or qichui (齊槌). qu (曲) Has the following meanings: 1. A piece or an excerpt of Cantonese operatic music. 2. The script of the opera or the musical scores and lyrics of the opera is

12 referred to as qu among insiders. Thus “the qu has not yet been distributed” means “the script has not yet been distributed” and “not familiar with the script” is “not familiar with the qu”. qupai (曲牌) Traditional Cantonese opera professionals still use the term qupai in a broad sense to refer to the shuochang (說唱) and banshi (板式) tunes that are beyond the qupai system, such as nanyin (南音) and erhuang manban (二黃慢板). Originally, qupai simply meant qupaiti (曲牌體). Please refer to the entry “qupaiti (曲牌體)”. qupaiti The vocal delivery types of Cantonese opera is divided into two major families: (曲牌體) banqiang (板腔) and qupai (曲牌). The tunes in the qupai family have fixed melodies, including:

paizi (牌子), such as: “Yingao”《陰告》, “Yintaishang”《銀台上》

dadiao (大調), such as: “The Drunken Imperial Concubine”《貴妃醉酒》, “Scolding My Sweetheart”《罵玉郎》, “Departure by the River in Autumn”《秋 江哭別》, “Loving Him”《戀檀郎》

xiaodiao (小調), refers to xiaoqu (小曲), such as “West Lake under Autumn Moonlight”《平湖秋月》. jianghushibaben The so‐called jianghushibaben is not unique to Cantonese opera. Similar names (江湖十八本) could be found in many other Chinese operas over the country from the early period of the Qing Dynasty to the reigns of Xianfeng (咸豐) and Tongzhi (同治). The names were used by performers to promote their repertoires. The jianghushibaben of Cantonese opera was the earliest repertoire that was frequently performed. However, only 14 of the said 18 (pinyin as shiba) operas of the repertoire survived. These 14 operas are: “A Handful of Snow”《一捧雪》, “The Revival of the Plum Blossoms”《二度梅》, “Temple of Three Deities”《三 官堂》, “Four Crown Scholars”《四進士》, “Five Successful Candidates”《五登 科》, “June Snow”《六月雪》, “Seven Filial Kins”《七賢眷》, “Eight Beauties” 《八美圖》, “The Ninth Watch at Night”《九更天》, “Impeaching Yansong with Ten Guilts”《十奏嚴嵩》, “Twelve Gold Plaques”《十二道金牌》, “Titled at the Age of Thirteen”《十三歲封候》, “Fifteen Strings of Copper Coins”《十五貫》, and “Eighteen Vassals”《十八路諸侯》. laoguan (老倌) Actors and actresses who perform in Chinese operas. laoshuwei shizi (士字) long interlude of erhuang manban (二黃慢板), also used as (老鼠尾) banmian (板面, instrumental prelude) of erhuang manban. roudaizuo Referring to zuopie (左撇) that is not in baqiang (霸腔) in general. roudai (肉帶) (肉帶左) is also known as rouhou (肉喉), referring to pinghou (平喉) in general. roudaizuo therefore means pinghou that is mixed with zuopie singing techniques. It is a kind of voice which is not as high as dahou (大喉). In terms of singing style, roudaizuo includes traditional shigong (士工), baqiang, and general pinghou singing techniques. xingwei (行位) A simple rehearsal before a performance. hangdang A term used by the Cantonese opera profession, referring to the classification of roles and characters. Cantonese opera hangdang was basically similar to those 13 (行當) of other Chinese operas at first. It was classified into five major roles of sheng (生), dan (旦), jing (淨), chou (丑), mo (末). With the establishment of liuzhuzhi (六柱制) in Cantonese opera in the 1930s, a stage performance on the whole has led by six principal performers, who need to exceed the tradition of specialising in a certain hangdang and take up other roles. liuzhuzhi consists of wenwusheng (文武生), xiaosheng (小生), zhengyin huadan (正印花旦), erbang huadan (二幫花旦), zhengyin chousheng (正印丑生) and zhengyin wusheng (正 印武生). chou usually has to share the role of jing. The liuzhuzhi of Hong Kong Cantonese opera troupe is not a classification of hangdang but an organisational system. Please refer to the entry “zhengyin huadan (正印花旦)”. yixiang (衣箱) Has the following meanings: 1. Boxes placed at backstage, storing performers’ costumes. Except the principal performers’ yixiang, which is positioned in a particular corner, the boxes are also placed behind the backdrop and the setting on the left of the stage facing the audience. 2. Backstage crew members who take care of the performer’s costumes. Their duties are to help the performers to change costumes and to do other odd jobs. They have to arrive earlier at the venue for the performance to identify a convenient and spacious area for placing the boxes. yibian (衣邊) Please refer to the entry “zabian, yibian (雜邊、衣邊)”. xipi (西皮) 1. xipi in the vocal music of Cantonese operatic songs and Cantonese opera originated from sipingdiao (四平調) in Peking opera. It is probable that because siping (四平) and xipi (西皮) are close in Cantonese pronunciation and banqiang (板腔) like erhuang (二黃) and xipi (西皮) do exist in Peking opera, siping was then mistaken as xipi when it was introduced into Guangdong. 2. Originally referring to sipingdiao in Anhui (安徽) and was mistakenly pronounced as xipi when it came to Guangdong because the two words are close in pronunciation. The original xipi derived from bangzi (梆子). It was thus named bangzi in Cantonese opera and classified under erhuang. In the Peking opera “The King and the Beauty”《游龍戲鳳》, there is a scene in which all the songs are sung in sipingdiao (四平調). There is also a large passage of xipi sung by the character Mrs Li in the Cantonese opera “The Rabbit ‐ Reluctantly Writing the Divorce Paper”《白兔會．逼寫休書》 composed by Tong Tik Sang (唐滌生). xipi was originally a type of banqiang but is now closer to programmatic tunes as composers nowadays usually write the lyrics according to the pre‐exisiting music. xiyue, zhongyue xiyue is the general term for melodic instruments used in Cantonese opera and (西樂、中樂) Cantonese operatic songs. Musical instruments for accompanying Cantonese opera and Cantonese operatic songs include traditional instruments such as (高胡), erxian (二絃), (提琴), yueqin (月琴), xiao (簫), di (笛), (三絃), (椰胡), houguan (喉管), (揚琴) and percussion, etc. Beginning from the 1920s and 1930s, Ma Si Tsang (馬師曾) experimented with using Western musical instruments like the violin, xylophone, guitar, Hawaiian guitar, banjo, trumpet, cornet and saxophone in the accompanying ensemble of Cantonese opera and Cantonese operatic songs. Ma’s experiment 14 was widely copied by other troupes, to an extent that traditional Chinese instruments were replaced by Western ones in the whole strings and winds section. At that time, Cantonese opera troupes called the section which included all the strings, woodwind and plucked instruments as well as a drum set (mainly for accompanying xiaoqu (小曲)) as xiyue (西樂), regardless of whether they were Western or Chinese. This phenomenon lasted until the mid 1960s. Today, the melodic instruments in an accompanying band are all referred to as xiyue, also known as wenchang (文場), including mainly gaohu, violin, cello, (阮), xiao, di, yehu, houguan, saxophone and yangqin, etc. The percussion section of an accompanying ensemble is called zhongyue (中樂) or wuchang (武場), also known as jiyue (擊樂) in recent years, which includes buyu (卜魚), shadi (沙的), dashadi (大沙的), banggu (梆鼓), shuangpigu (雙皮鼓), muyu (木魚), pengling (踫鈴), luo (鑼), gaobianluo (高邊鑼), wenluo (文鑼), bo (鈸, cha (查)), xiaoluo (小鑼, gouluo (勾鑼)), datanggu (大堂鼓), zhangu (戰鼓), etc. jixing (即興) Please refer to the entry “baodu (爆肚)”. zuozi (坐子) zuozi is a gymnastic stunt which requires the performer to leap into the air and then land on the floor in a sitting position. guo (局) A note indicating a beat on buyu (卜魚) in percussion mnemonic rhyme. It can (imitation of also be written as “角” or “各”. sound) xu (序) Has the following meanings: 1. Referring to guoxu (過序), an interlude. In music of banqiang (板腔), each line of interlude must match the sound of the ending note of the preceding line as a complement. For example, if the preceding line ends at shang (上), the interlude must be in shang too, which is consequently called shangzixu (上字序). The same principle applies to hezixu (合字序), chezixu (尺字序), and gongzixu (工字序). Only a small number of interlude do not follow this principle in order to transit smoothly to the following line. 2. Sometimes banmian (板面) may be mistaken for xu. But banmian can only be used as a prelude, not an interlude. kuaizhongban One of the banqiang (板腔) of shigong (士工) family. kuaizhongban belong to (快中板) liushuiban (流水板) and are mostly seven‐syllable phrases, which contain seven ban (板). Please refer to the entry “liushuiban (流水板)”. bazi (把子) A prop weapon used in traditional Chinese opera. bazigong (把子 An important feat in martial arts performance in Chinese opera, basically 功) including the use of different kinds of prop weapons, either by one performer or two in a hand‐to‐hand combat. bazixiang Boxes containing all kinds of prop weapons and lingzi (翎子, i.e., zhijiwei (雉雞 (把子箱) 尾), panache made of long pheasant feathers) as well as props of considerable length. bazixiang are usually placed in the zabian (雜邊) of the stage. zhezixi (折子戲) An act was called a zhe (折) in (雜劇) in the Yuan Dynasty. The performance of an act or a part chosen from an opera is thus referred to as

15 zhezixi (折子戲) in later ages. chongtou A percussion pattern which is usually used to accompany a character’s hasty (沖頭) entering into the stage. tutou (秃頭) In order to achieve a surprising and condensed effect, the percussion pattern or instrumental prelude preceding a singing passage is sometimes deleted, which allows the performer to sing instantly. Referred to as tutou, this arrangement is usually used by chousheng (丑生). zouyuantai The same as paoyuanchang (跑圓場) in Peking opera. It is a common (走圓台) performing form which requires the performer to walk fast in a circle, symbolising a long distance of travel. zouyuantai is one of the basic feats and training for Cantonese opera performers, which must be practised every day. shenduan The various choreographic body movements performed on the stage by (身段) Cantonese opera performers are generally referred to as shenduan (known as shenxing (身形) in traditions). The stylised movements are mostly developed and refined aesthetically on the basis of daily life activities, such as sitting, lying, walking, running, or urging on a horse with a whip, etc., which are respectively represented by specific body movements. cheshen (車身) A body movement that involves continuous spinning. It can be performed by both actor and actress in both wenchang (文場) and wuchang (武場). yizixingqiang Cantonese is a tonal dialect which requires the speaker to pronounce each (依字行腔) word according to the nine linguistic tones: upper and lower level tones (陰平, 陽平), upper and lower rising tones (陰上, 陽上), upper and lower falling tones (陰去, 陽去), upper, lower and middle entering tones (陰入, 陽入, 中入) in order to invest it with meaning. When singing the banqiang (板腔), the performer must create a suitable melody according to the tone of each word of that set of lyrics. The melody must be pleasant to listen to and luzi (露字). daozi (倒字), which is referred to as “naokou” (撓口) or “buluzi” (不露字) among the Cantonese opera insiders, is not acceptable. This kind of singing technique of banqiang (板腔) is called yizixingqiang. lixi (例戲) The conventional ceremonial procedure and concise play before the full‐length opera performance. lixi of shengongxi (神功戲) include “Birthday Greetings Under the Clear Sky”《碧天賀壽》, “Appointing Prime Minister of the Six States” 《六國封相》, “Birthday Greetings by the Eight Immortals”《八仙賀壽》, “Promotion in the Court”《跳加官》, “Goddess Returns Her Child to the Husband”《天姬送子》, “Closing the Stage and Promotion in the Court”《封台 加官》, and “Establishing the Stage”《破台》 (i.e. “Offer Sacrifice to White Tiger” 《祭白虎》), etc. The traditional play “Jade Emperor’s Presence at the Celestial Court”《玉皇登殿》 is rarely performed in recent years. As for lixi performed at theatre, only the first two plays and the Closing Stage with the Greetings by the Deity of Heaven are performed nowadays. 加官 is also written as 加冠. zhuozhu (卓竹) A percussion pattern in free tempo, meaning that the percussionist can perform the beat pattern from fast to slow or vice versa, or with an even beat. This percussion pattern is played by double strikes on banggu (梆鼓, also known as shuangpigu (雙皮鼓)) and is usually used to accompany the performer’s action

16 of thinking or being in doubt. xieshang (卸上) Referring to a character’s stealthily appearing on the stage without being noticed by the other characters in the play. There is no percussion accompaniment for xieshang, neither does the performer playing that character perform liangxiang (亮相). It is usually used in scenes of eavesdropping or peeping. dingchang shibai Please refer to the entry “shibai (詩白)”. (定場詩白) diban, diding Please refer to the entry “dingban (叮板) ” for further explanation. (底板、底叮) ban (板)that does not fall on a musical note or lyric is indicated by the symbol “ㄨ”, and is called diban (底板).

In the case of ding (叮), the symbol is “∟”, and is called diding (底叮). dijing (底景) The white screen separating the downstage and upstage. It is also known as tianmu (天幕). On a traditional Cantonese opera stage, only chairs and table were used to represent different settings. From the 1930s onwards, painted backdrops are used as dijing. Different settings are painted on a piece of thick white cloth, which is hanged at the back of the stage set by ropes. To change scenery as required by the development of the storyline, the relevant painted backdrop is lowered. Visual projection and other electronic technologies are also employed to enliven stage settings. dijing shangchang (底景上場) is a cue that instructs a performer to keep close to dijing when entering front stage. lache (拉扯) Referring in general to male performers of minor roles. banshi (板式) Has the following meanings: 1. the grouping of dingban (叮板), such as yiban sanding (一板三叮), yiban yiding (一板一叮) and liushuiban (流水板).

2. abbreviation of the term banqiang xingshi (板腔形式), such as shigong manban (士工慢板) and erhuang manban (二黃慢板). banmian (板面) The melodic introduction or instrumental prelude of banqiang (板腔) and qupai (曲牌), also found in dadiao (大調) of qupai type. Each type of banshi (板式) has its particular banmian. Its function is to lead the performers and the audience to go into the feeling of the banshi. From the 1930s onwards, some composers even write lyrics for banmian and use it as singing passage, which is referred to as “chang banmian (唱板面, singing banmian)”. banyan (板眼) 1. A type of narrative and singing music popular in Guangdong area. muyu (木 魚), nanyin (南音), longzhou (龍舟) and banyan share the same phrase structure, consisting of opening, main text, and closure (also known as shawei (煞尾)). Main text is mostly composed of seven‐syllable phrase, with two phrases forming a couplet. Theoretically, the main text consists of four stanzas, and each stanza has four phrases. The successive order of the tonal pattern of the phrase‐ending syllables is tilting tone, upper level tone, tilting tone, and lower level tone. The last phrase must end in lower level tone, never in upper one. Since banyan uses only yiban yiding (一板一叮, or yiban

17 yiyan一板一眼) and forsakes yiban sanding (一板三叮), it is in a way a condensed version of nanyin. 2. Means dingban. Please refer to the entry “dingban (叮板)”. banqiang ban (板) refers to tempo and rhythm, and qiang (腔) refers to melody. The vocal (板腔) music of Cantonese opera is divided into two major families: banqiangti (板腔 體) and qupaiti (曲牌體). There are no fixed tunes in the banqiangti. The

performer may create melodies according to the tones of the words, conditions of his or her voice, and personal feeling generated at the time of singing. This is a usual performance practice known as yizixingqiang (依字行腔). But the creation must not violate the rules of the various banshi (板式), such as phrase‐ending notes, number of words and dun (頓), dingban (叮板), etc. banqiang in Cantonese opera consists of two major families, which are bangzi (梆子) and erhuang (二黃). banqiangti The vocal music of Cantonese opera is divided into two major families: (板腔體) banqiangti (板腔體) and qupaiti (曲牌體). There are no fixed tunes in the banqiangti. The performer may create melodies according to the tones of the words, conditions of his or her voice, and personal feeling generated at the time of singing. This is a usual performance practice known as yizixingqiang (依字行 腔). But the rule about certain banshi (板式), phrase‐ending notes and phrase structure must be followed. bangzi (梆子) and erhuang (二黃) are the two banqiangti used in Cantonese opera. Please refer to the explanation about bangzi and erhuang. wusheng (武生) wusheng in Cantonese opera is also known as xusheng (鬚生), a role specialising in singing and acting. They basically play the role of scholar, and usually put on black beard. wusheng with white beard is called gongjiao (公腳), characterised by an old and strong but sad vocal performance. gongjiao was originally classified under profession of mo (末) but is also categorised as wusheng nowadays. wuchang (武場) Please refer to the entry “wenchang, wuchang (文場、武場)”. de (的) A syllable indicating a strike on the instrument shadi (沙的) in percussion (imitation of mnemonic rhyme. sound) zhizhuan (直轉) The change of banshi (板式) or qupai (曲牌) between two singing passages without using percussion pattern and melodic introduction in transition. furongzhongban Descended from zhongban(中板). furongzhongban are seven‐syllable phrases. (芙蓉中板) The performer starts singing on ding (叮), adding a little ending qiangdiao (腔 調 ). It has a relatively long interlude and is basically without musical accompaniment otherwise. huadan (花旦) One of the major role types in Chinese opera, playing young female characters. huazhi (花指) When a musician skillfully embellishes a fixed melody with ornaments, the fingering and musical notes added are referred to as huazhi. huapao (花炮) qianghuapao (搶花炮, snatching huapao) and huanhuapao (還花炮, returning huapao) are popular programmes in local ritual activities. In qianghuapao, the 18 zhili (值理) who officiates at the ceremony uses a rubber band to shoot a small piece of bamboo into the air. The person who manages to get that piece of bamboo is entitled to bring the paoshen (炮身, statue of the deity) home and keep it for one year. The statue must be returned on the festival day next year, which is called huanhuapao. For safety reason, qianghuapao has been replaced by drawing lots in recent years. huapai (花牌) When ritual performance of Cantonese opera is performed, the convention is that the zhuhui (主會, local committee), relatives and friends, as well as the audience present huapai (floral billboards) to the zhili (值理) committee and the Cantonese opera troupe and performers as compliments. The huapai are displayed both inside and outside the shed theatre, hanging high on the wall. The presenting of huapai is also popular in the theatre performance of Cantonese opera. huaqiang A vocal performance style of Cantonese operatic songs, characterised by (花腔) variability and flexibility of melodies. In huaqiang, one single word can be matched with several musical notes to express special feeling. Examples are the yifan erhuang manban (乙反二黃慢板) in “Zhaojun Crossing the Border”《昭君 出塞》 performed by Hong Xian Nui (紅線女), and the zhongban (中板) in “Yu Xiahun Pouring Out His Feelings”《余俠魂訴情》 of “Pity the Poor Girl”《苦鳳 鶯憐》by Ma Si Tsang (馬師曾). hudaomen The two sides of the performing area on stage in Cantonese opera by which (虎道門) performers enter and leave the stage. It is also named hudumen (虎渡門), as 渡 and the ancient character 度 have the same meaning: crossing or passing through. Chinese opera troupes from other provinces called it guimendao (鬼門 道) or guidaomen (鬼道門), with the connotation that the characters played by the performers are historical figures long gone, as gui (鬼) means spirits or ghosts. fingshuifa, In those scenes in which a character is defeated, fleeing from danger, captured, yaoshuifa convicted or in an extreme situation, the performer will lower his head and (水髮、搖水髮) move it in a circular motion, flinging the long hair of the wig. The movement, referring to as fing/yaoshuifa (fing () is the quasi transliteration of the related Cantonese word) symbolises that the character is in excitement or becoming insane. The sheng (生) roles usually stand on their feet to fling the hair, while the dan (旦) roles do it on their knees. There are different flinging styles, including making a figure of 8, standing up to make a horizontal circle, or flinging vertically. Traditional yaoshuifa should be clockwise. The Cantonese opera insiders pronounced the term as fing sey fat (水髮, sey fat is shuifa in hanyupinyin). Please refer to the entry “shuifa (水髮)”. liangxiang A term used by Peking opera. liangxiang is not an individual movement and is (亮相) included in zhajia (扎架) in traditional Cantonese opera. Under the influence of northern opera genres, the term liangxiang is used nowadays in Cantonese opera to indicate the performer’s first appearance on stage, showing the first jiashi (架式), including facial expression, to the audience. junban (俊扮) A kind of makeup effect, also known as sumian (素面), jiemian (潔面) or baimian (白面), characterised by using rouge and powder to achieve a beautified effect. Traditional junban refers to a makeup style of the sheng (生)

19 roles, which is different from the makeup of huamian (花面) of the jing (淨) and chou (丑) roles, guaxu (掛鬚) and xiaobaimian (小白面). junban is sometimes used to describe the usual makeup of the dan (旦) roles nowadays among Cantonese opera insiders. nanpai (南派) Martial arts performances in traditional Cantonese opera. nanpai is close to (詠春) and consists of real fighting skills. Compared with beipai (北 派, northern school), nanpai movements are relatively rough and vigorous, with intense forms and stances. Solid and powerful, the movements are basically in rectangular progression and exceptionally rhythmic. Regular nanpai martial arts performances in Cantonese opera include qixingbu (七星步), dajia (大架) and duanqiao (短橋). nanyin (南音) One of the popular forms in Guangdong shuochang (說唱) system. It can also be said that nanyin descended from longzhou (龍舟) and muyu (木魚). nanyin comprises percussion music, dingban ( 叮板) rhythm and also the accompaniment of plucked instruments. Its shuochang phrase structure is similar to those of longzhou, muyu and banyan (板眼), which also consists of opening, main text, and closure. Main text is mostly composed of seven‐syllable phrases, with two phrases forming a couplet. Theoretically, the main text consists of four stanzas, and each stanza has four phrases. The successive order of the tonal pattern of the phrase‐ending syllables is tilting tone (仄聲), upper level tone (陰平), tilting tone, and lower level tone (陽平). The last phrase must end in lower level tone, never in upper one. In the narrative singing music of Cantonese opera, sheng (生) and dan (旦) use the same qiang (腔). In terms of beats and rhythm, nanyin can be classified into manban (慢板) and liushui nanyin (流水南音), which are the same in structure but different in tempo only. The musical modes of nanyin include zhengxian (正線) and yifan (乙反). jijifeng (急急風) Originated from luogu (鑼鼓) in Peking opera, the mnemonic rhyme is as follows:

cha (查) A syllable to indicate clashing the pair of cymbals in percussion mnemonic (imitation of rhyme. It can also be written as (鑔), (茶) or (池). sound) duantou (段頭) Can be written as (斷頭). The original term is called duotou (奪頭) in Peking opera, and was mistaken for duantou. It is a type of percussion pattern which can be used to accompany xiaoqu (小曲), banqiang (板腔) and nanyin (南音), and to complement an action or martial arts performance as well. The mnemonic rhyme is as follows: ㄨ ㄨ ㄨ ㄨ ㄨ 冬 冬 冬 昌 查 昌 昌 撐 昌 查 的 昌 撐 得 截 昌

dong (冬) can be played on shuangpigu (雙皮鼓), not necessarily zhangu (戰 鼓).

The performance practice of Cantonese opera may sometimes delete the

20 ending “得 截 昌 撐”, forming a banduantou (半段頭, half‐duantou), which is as follows: ㄨ ㄨ ㄨ 昌 查 昌 昌 撐 昌 查 的 昌 撐

liushuiban A grouping of beats. In the entire vocal and percussion music families, ban (板) (流水板) is more important than ding (叮) because ban controls the tempo, beats and rhythm. Moreover, the last word that ends a singing passage usually rests on

ban. Also known as yan (眼), ding controls the transitional rhythm between ban. liushuiban does not have ding but ban only because of its fast tempo. paojin (炮金) The person who manages to snatch the huapao (花炮) in the qianghuapao (搶 花炮) programme of the ritual ceremony has to donate a sum of money as a sponsorship to the activities. The sum is referred to as paojin. miankou (面口) A term in the Cantonese dialect, literally meaning: face (e.g. a familiar miankou), complexion (example: good miankou). In Cantonese opera, miankou mainly refers to the facial expression of a performer, which is expected to be able to show the mood and feeling of the character the performer is playing. Thus, miankoumu (面口木) means the expression is like poker‐faced, and miankousheng (面口生) means the facial expression is lively.

koumian (口面) is a general term used in Peking opera, which refers to all kinds of fake beard, also known as rankou (髯口). yinyue (音樂) Has the following meanings: 1. The accompanying ensemble of Cantonese opera consists of two sections: melodic and percussion instruments. The melodic instruments are referred to as yinyue. 2. The musicians who play the melodic instruments are also called yinyue. shizhuzhuan A kind of zhizhuan (直轉), which is to use the last word of a singing passage as (食住轉) the first word of the following one. Please refer to the entry “zhizhuan (直轉)”. shixian (食線) The performer sings in tune with the xiankou (線口), the tuning of the accompanying instruments. zhili (值理) Representatives elected by local residents to organise all ritual activities, including the ritual performances of Cantonese opera. Normal ritual activities are organised by a zhili committee consisting of 10 to 20 representatives. shifuwei The statues of Master Huaguang (華光) or Master Tian (田) and Master Dou (師傅位) (竇), ancient patrons of the Cantonese opera profession, are enshrined, together with an incense burner and offering of fruit, on zabian (雜邊) behind the backdrop backstage, near hudaomen (虎道門). The location is referred to as shifuwei (master’s position) among the insiders. kongbuluogu Cantonese opera percussion pattern, played on daluogu (大鑼鼓), the edge of (恐怖鑼鼓) gaobianluo (高邊鑼) and shuangpigu (雙皮鼓). It is usually used in a scene in which a ghost appears or the character is being chased by a killer. pang (旁) A syllable indicating a single strike on dawenluo (大文鑼) in the mnemonic

21 (imitation of rhyme of wenluogu (文鑼鼓). pang on the work sheet of this set of teaching sound) materials is used as the mnemonic rhyme to indicate a single strike on daluo (大 鑼)/ jingluo (京鑼). langlibai A type of speech, originally referring to the koubai (口白) inserted in the (浪裏白) instrumental interlude between singing passages, but koubai added to music that is used to create an theatrical atmosphere is also included now. Theoretically, any speech form (except kougu 口古) with melodic music accompaniment becomes langlibai. ban (班) A Cantonese opera troupe or company is referred to as ban among the insiders. banzhu (班主) The name of a Cantonese opera troupe or company is known as banpai (班牌), and the person who holds that banpai is called banzhu. A banpai may not represent a troupe or company with a regular cast of performers. Although many banzhu have their consistent choice of performers and other employees, they may take into account the circumstance and employ different performers, musicians and workers for each performance. bandi (班底) All the other performers besides the principal actors and actresses in a Cantonese opera company are referred to as bandi. banpai (班牌) Please refer to the entry “banzhu (班主)”. potai (破台) When a shed theatre is constructed on a piece of land which has never been used for the same purpose before, the convention is to potai or jitai (祭台, sacrifial rites to the new stage) before the premiere. The same ritual will be held if the position of the stage is different from that of the previous performance or a local custom requires doing so. The potai ritual usually involves a sacrificial offering to the White Tiger, referred to jibaihu《祭白虎》, also known as damao (打貓) among insiders. The Cantonese opera troupe may begin the performance only after the ritual. shengongxi Performances of Chinese opera organised to pay tribute to the local deities. In (神功戲) Hong Kong, shengongxi refers to those Chinese operas performed during deity’s birthday, to commemorate an opening ceremony of a temple, or as an event in the ghost festival, which is known as dajiao (打醮) or taipingqingjiao (太平清 醮, Purest Sacrifice Celebrated for Great Peace). shengongxi is usually organised by a community to celebrate deity’s birthday or to complement ritual events like dajiao in order to entertain both shen (gods) and men (娛神娛人) so that gods and men share the joy together (神人共樂). This kind of performance is not unique to Cantonese opera, as most Teochew and Fulao opera are in fact performed as shengongxi. qimu (起幕) Raising the stage curtain when the performance commences. douzhu (兜住) Also known as zhisheng (執生), referring to the using of speech, body movement or other skills by experienced performers to cover the mistake made by themselves or other performers. douda (兜搭) When performing singing passage in banqiang (板腔) style, the toujia (頭架) musician must coordinate with the performer and lead the accompanying ensemble to employ different techniques to complement the singing passage

22 according to different banqiang (板腔). This is referred to as douda. chang, zuo, nian, The four basic feats of an opera performer. da 唱 (唱、做、唸、打) chang ( , singing) ‐ ways and styles of vocal performance. zuo (做, acting) ‐ making use of body language, acting and expression of feelings. nian (唸, reciting) ‐ nianbai (唸白, speech)

da (打, martial arts) ‐ including combat barehanded or with prop weapons, solo choreographic movement with different kinds of prop weapons, solo gymnastic shenduan (身段, such as tiaodajia (跳大架), somersaults and diepu (跌撲)). changjia (唱家) Originally referring to singers who are proficient in Cantonese operatic songs. Amateur singers are sometimes honoured as changjia nowadays. changqiang All singing sections other than shuobai (說白) in a Chinese opera are referred to (唱腔) as changqiang. It is usually used to express the feeling and thought of a character, as well as to portray the character and to develop the plot. Cantonese opera changqiang is mainly classified into three major systems of banqiang (板腔,), qupai (曲牌) and shuochang (說唱). wenziquqiang Known as wenziluoqiang (問字攞腔) among insiders. The technique involves (問字取腔) the performer using the sound of the simple or compound vowel of a word or the end consonant of a word to prolong singing. wenziluoqiang is a relatively orthodox singing technique of Cantonese operatic songs. However, when the word falls on enter tone (入聲) or ends with a closed consonant, the performer has to choose another vowel to prolong singing. nianbai (唸白) Has the following meanings: 1. The other name of shibai (詩白, versified speech).

2. The other name of shuobai (說白, speech). tangxi (堂戲) Rich and influential families in the past would hire a Chinese opera troupe to perform at home, in addition to banquets, when holding wedding or memorial service. This kind of performance was called tangxi, also known as tanghui (堂 會). zhuanqiang Melodies created by laoguan (老倌) on the basis of banqiang (板腔), using (專腔) techniques such as extension of rhythm and melody, to interpret particular plot and character’s emotion in traditional repertoire of Cantonese opera. These fixed melodies gradually developed and are constantly adopted by the later generations. Examples are jitaqiang (祭塔腔), jiaoziqiang (教子腔) and kuncaoqiang (困曹腔, i.e. huilongqiang (過龍腔)). de (得) A note in percussion mnemonic rhyme indicating a strike on shuangpigu (雙皮 (imitation of 鼓). It can also be written as ba (巴) or da (打, at upper level tone(陰平)). sound) paichang (排場) A performance practice. Each paichang basically includes particular characters, speech, hand gestural movements, feats, related percussion patterns and plot. 23 Scriptwriters and performers may use a paichang in similar scenes in different plays. Common paichang in Cantonese opera include qibing (起兵, raise troops in revolt), dazhan (大戰, a major battle), sanzou (三奏, three memorials to ruler), shaqi (殺妻, killing the wife) and fengyiting (鳳儀亭, The Fengyi Pavilion), etc. paichangxi Referring to using a paichang (排場) in a play. There are basically two types of (排場戲) paichangxi. 1. The play is known as paichangxi if all of its scenes are composed of different paichang. 2. If a paichang is used in a particular scene in a play, that scene is also referred to as paichangxi. fanyin (梵音) Has the following meanings:

1. A way to imitate Buddhist or Taoist chanting in Cantonese opera. 2. Using Buddhist qupai (曲牌) as accompaniment or background music, such as luxiangzan《爐香讚》 and jiedingzhenxiang《戒定真香》.

fanyin was widely adopted by Fung Geng Wa (馮鏡華) and Pak Kui Wing (白駒 榮), renowned performers of Cantonese opera in the early days. bangzi (梆子) A traditional shengqiang (聲腔) in Chinese opera. Also known as (秦 腔) or xiqinqiang (西秦腔), bangzi originated in the regions of , Shanxi

and . The earliest bangzi did not have any music accompaniment except the percussion instrument bangzi, and the vocal style of which is vigorous and intense. It came to Guangdong around the end of the Ming dynasty and early Qing period, and became a major shengqiang in early Cantonese opera. The bangzi system includes banshi like shouban (首板), manban (慢板), zhongban (中板), gunhua (滾花), tanban (嘆板) and shaban (煞板). bangzi is referred to as shigong (士工) within the opera community because the accompaniment instrument erxian (二絃) were tuned to shigong in the early days. Today the tuning of the accompaniment instrument for shigong or bangzi are the same as that of erhuang (二黃), except when using in Cantonese operatic songs performed in guqiang (古腔). bangzi zhongban Also known as shigong zhongban (士工中板), is abbreviated as zhongban (中 (梆子中板) 板) in common practice. It includes form of beat and phrase structure like qiziqing zhongban (七字清中板), of which each line has seven words, kuai zhongban (快中板), and shiziju zhongban (十字句中板). Please refer to the entry “shigong (士工)”. banghuang Referring to bangzi (梆子) and erhuang (二黃). With the introduction of xiqinxi (梆黃) (西秦戲, plays in West Shaanxi) into Guangdong during the period between the end of the Ming dynasty and the years of Yongzheng (雍正) emperor in the

Qing dynasty, bangzi became an important shengqiang (聲腔) in Cantonese opera. Later, erhuang was introduced into Guangdong area, and Cantonese opera thus developed into an opera genre with bang and huang merging to become the major shengqiang. They are belonged to the banqiang (板腔) family. Vocal music of the banqiang style in Cantonese opera are generally

24 referred to as banghuang nowadays. Please refer to the entries “bangzi (梆子)” and “erhuang (二黃)”. meixiang (梅香) Female performers playing minor roles like housemaids, maids in an imperial court, or female soldiers. jing (淨) A major role‐type in Chinese opera, usually playing characters with a strong disposition, which is symbolised by a kaimian (開面) makeup. jingchang An instruction on the script for the ensemble to stop the music accompaniment (淨場) temporarily. The word 靜 (quiet) is mistakenly written as 淨. jibaihu (祭白虎) Cantonese opera troupes usually perform a short play jibaihu as the potai (破 台) ritual. Before and during the ritual, members of the group must remain silent. As it was said, the White Tiger (baihu, 白虎) is an infortune that will bewitch the person who speaks to harm anyone picking up the conversation. After the jibaihu ritual, the taboo is removed and the troupe may operate as usual and begin the performance. chang (場) Has the following meanings: 1. The area where Chinese opera performers perform. The appearing of a performer on the stage for performance is called shangchang (上場), and the performer’s leaving from the stage after a performance is xiachang (下 場). The poem recited during shangchang is referred to as dingchang shi (定 場詩), and the speech in shangchang is dingchang bai (定場白).

2. In Chinese opera performance, the section between the first performer’s shangchang and the xiachang of all performers is also called chang, and that is yichangxi (一場戲), which is similar to an act in drama, also yizhe (一折) in zaju (雜劇) in the Yuan dynasty, or yichu (一齣/出) in nanxi (南戲) in the Song dynasty and zhuanqi (傳奇) in the Ming dynasty. changci (場次) The number or the order of chang (場). zhangban The leading percussionist in the accompanying ensemble. It should be called (掌板) percussion leader but is sometimes referred to as zhongyue (中樂) leader, and is known as zhangban or daluo (打鑼) among insiders. The percussion

instruments played by zhangban include buyu (卜魚), shadi (沙的), shuangpigu (雙皮鼓), zhangu (戰鼓), muyu (木魚), and occasionally xialuo (小鑼). tichang (提場) An essential figure of the crew backstage, responsible for distributing the script to performers who need to sing or narrate speech, and to toujia (頭架) and zhangban (掌板) of the accompanying music ensemble. He or she must prepare a tigang (提綱) on the basis of the script, listing details of every scene including the backdrop, props, characters the performers play, order of performers’ going on stage and the percussion pattern for performers’ shangchang (上場). It is also the duty of tichang to remind performers to put on their costumes and to cue them to go on stage. tigang (提綱) The sheet of paper on which details of every scene is clearly written down, including the backdrops, props, characters the performers play, order of performers’ going on stage and the luogudian( 鑼鼓點)for performers’ shangchang. It is the blueprint of the play. tigang today is prepared by the 25 tichang on the basis of the script, and is posted publicly upstage. Please refer to the entry “tigangxi (提綱戲)”. tigangwei The spot backstage where the tigang is posted. (提綱位) tigangxi A performance practice of Cantonese opera in or before the 1930s. Performers (提綱戲) perform on the basis of a tigang (提綱) provided by the kaixishiye (開戲師爺) of the troupe. This kind of performance practice was referred to as tigangxi. tigang gave a summary of the play and listed the roles, backdrops, props and percussion pattern for performers’ order of appearing on stage. Details of the play had to be worked out by the performers, either individually or as a team. yi / jie (揖/截) A syllable in percussion mnemonic rhyme indicating a simultaneous sharp strike on buyu (卜魚) and shadi (沙的) or shuanpigu (雙皮鼓). pengmian Has the following meanings: (棚面) 1. The traditional title for the music ensemble accompanying Cantonese opera. In the early days when there was no front curtain on stage in a shed theatre, all the musicians sat in front of the tianmu (天幕) on stage. The music ensemble was the first sight the audience saw when they entered the shed theatre. The ensemble was thus known as pengmian (literally meaning “shed front”). 2. The position of the accompanying ensemble. It is usually located on zabian (雜邊) nowadays. jianzi furong With some words being deleted, each dun (頓) of furong zhongban (芙蓉中板) (減字芙蓉) is reduced to a group of four or five words, thus forming a ten‐syllable phrase with two dun. Jianzi furong is bankaikou (板開口, the first word is on ban (板)) and the interlude is the same as that of furong zhongban. paizi (牌子) Belongs to qupai (曲牌) category with a fixed melody. qupai originated from Kun opera is generally referred to as paizi in Cantonese opera; examples are qingjiangyin《清江引》, xinshuiling《新水令》. Some paizi still retain the original names, but many more have been vanished. The naming of these paizi is based on the following circumstances: 1. Most of them are taken from the first few words or the first line of the song, like “Resting Chin On Hand”《手托》 in the play “Marrying a Babarian”《和 番》 is from the first line 手托香腮珠淚飄 (resting chin on hand, tears drop). In some cases, this naming method was adopted for easy memory even though the original names were known, like “Drowsy”《矇矓》 in “Desire for the Mortal World”《思凡》. Please refer to the entry “qupai (曲 牌)”.

2. A small number of paizi derived their names from the content of the lyrics or the plot of the play; for example, “Three Memorials to Ruler”《三奏》 was from the plot of gaining an audience with the king for three times. paizitou Has the following meanings: (牌子頭/排子頭) 1. A percussion pattern, used as qiban (起板) in paizi, also used as qiban in

26 xiaoqu (小曲,) nowadays. 牌 may also be written as 排.

2. Introduction at sanban (散板, free tempo) of paizi.

3. A line is paizitou that is used as the upper line of banqiang (板腔). This is because the phrase structure of banqiang (板腔) consists of upper line and lower line. If the song begins with a lower line, then the paizitou of the music must be used as substitute for the upper line. Please also refer to the entry shangju, xiaju (上句、下句). qiangkou (腔口) The way and style of vocal performance, referring particularly to a school of unique style, such as Ma Shi Zeng (馬師曾) qiangkou, Sit Kwok Sin (薛覺先) qiangkou. kaishan (開山) The premiere of a new Cantonese opera is referred to as kaishan in the Cantonese opera profession. Performers who participate in the premiere are known as kaishan performers (開山演員). Thus, kaishan opera (開山戲寶) of a performer means that the actor or actress performed in the premiere of that Cantonese opera. In addition, the first teacher of a performer is referred to as that performer’s kaishan teacher (開山師傅). kaixishiye A scriptwriter was referred to as kaixishiye among the Cantonese opera insiders (開戲師爺) in the early days. kaixishiye was responsible for writing an outline of the plot on the basis of what the actors and actresses are going to perform. kaishuang Doubling the speed when singing or playing music. (開雙) kaibian (開邊) A percussion pattern to capture the audience’s attention to focus on a certain moment or scene in a play. It is usually used to create special effect, such as wind blowing, snowing, shooting an arrow, vomiting, collapsing, appearing of a ghost, jumping into a well, throwing oneself into the river, or pointing into the distance, etc. Nowadays the percussion pattern is also played when the front curtain is being raised. There was no front curtain on the stage in the early days. Kaibian perucssion is at sanban (散板), its mnemonic rhyme is as follows:

角 角 冷 冷 冷 冷 冷 (冷 is a strike on the edge of the luo (鑼)) shunfengqi Has the following meanings: (順風旗) 1. A type of liangxiang (亮相) action in which the performer stretches both his arms to one direction. One example is that the performer raises his left hand to about the level of the left forehead, with the palm slightly tilting upward, while stretching his right arm to the left, holding fist. 2. Using both arms to support the weight, the performer stretches his body horizontally in the air, extending both legs to a horizontal direction. The action symbolises agility and swiftness, particularly representing the feat to move around on roofs and over walls. (傳奇) Chinese opera that were popular in the Ming dynasty. The music of which is called “nanqu”(南曲). Each chuanqi might consist of up to dozens of chu (出, act). The roles in each act could perform solo singing, actions and dialogues, and they might even sing in duet or ensemble.

27 cuishuang (催爽) Accelerating gradually or suddenly when singing or playing music. Also referred to as cuikuai (催快). qiangbei (搶背) A type of diepu (跳撲, throw and fall) action of tanzigong (毯子功, floor feats), with a wide variety of forms. The name qiangbei (back fall) derived from the performer’s landing on his back when falling, a basic skill of the feat. The action symbolises the character’s losing footing, dodging an attack, or being struck to the ground. yaoshuifa Please refer to the entry “fingshuifa / yaoshuifa (水髮/搖水髮)”. (搖水髮) dangjuzhe Actors and actresses who are in the Cantonese opera performance. (當劇者) luoxiangban A troupe that goes to a rural area (luoxian, 落鄉) to perform shengongxi (神功 (落鄉班) 戲). This is why shengongxi is also known as luoxianxi (落鄉戲). shibai (詩白) A form in the shuobai (說白) system, also known as nianbai (唸白), written in a style that is close to qiyan (七言, seven‐word line) or wuyan (五言, five‐word line) jueju (絕句, a poem of four lines); there are also two‐line stanzas. Each line of shibai consists of two dun (頓), and is followed by a strike (yichui, 一槌) on percussion instrument. The performer may pause before the last dun of the last line in the last shibai stanza to allow the insertion of a strike on percussion. dingchang shibai (定場詩白) refers to the four lines of shibai recited after two lines of yinbai (引白) by a performer when he or she first appears on stage. Its main function is to give a brief account of the story or the disposition of the character, such as the dingchangshi (定場詩) recited by Zhao Kuang Yin (趙匡 胤, xiaowu (小武) in the play) in “Sworn Brother and Sister”《打洞結拜》:

「三尺龍泉，萬卷書 (一槌)。天公困俺，意何如(一槌)。山東宰 相，山西將(一槌)。他丈夫來(一槌)，俺丈夫。」 duoni (跺泥) A type of liangxiang (亮相), mostly used in xiachang (下場). The performer makes a leap, lands on one foot, and pauses for seconds. guibu (跪步) Moving with one foot or on knees. The performer may move forward, to the left or right, or in a circle, as required by the action of the play. dun (頓) The basic musical and semantic unit of a line in banqiang (板腔) music. A line usually consists of two to four dun, except the phrase structure of huodong dun (活動頓) and changju erhuang manban (長句二黃慢板). As for the phrase structure of different banshi (板式), the structure of words and dun include: “4 words, 3 words” in qiziqing zhongban (七字清中板), “3 words, 3 words, 2 words, 2 words” in shiziju zhongban (十字句中板) or manban (慢板), and “4 words, 2 words, 2 words” in baziju zhongban (八字句中板). manban (慢板) A ding ban unit of yiban sandng (一板三叮). manban is not about tempo. manban is also the abbreviation of shigong manban (士工慢板). manchangchui A percussion pattern originated from Peking opera percussion music and (慢長槌) remains in Cantonese opera today. It is used to accompany a performer’s shangchang (上場), with a relatively slow pulse and tempo. kuaichangchui (快 28 長槌) is used to express intensified theatrical feeling. jie (截) Please refer to the entry “yi / jie (揖/截)”. getan (歌壇) The venue for professional singers of Cantonese operatic songs to perform. Between the 1920s and 1940s, getan were usually located inside tea houses and restaurants. After the 1950s, getan could also be found in amusement parks (such as Lai Yuen (荔園) and Kai Tak Amusement Park (啟德遊樂場)) and street corners (such as the neighbourhood of Temple Street). gunhua (滾花) A type of banshi (板式) at sanban (散板), and belongs to the banqiang (板腔) family. gunhua can be found in bangzi (梆子) and erhuang (二黃), but the phrase structure and ending notes are different. The upper and lower lines of shigong gunhua (士工滾花) in pinghou (平喉) end respectively in che (尺) and shang (上); while in zihou (子喉), they end in shang (上) and he (合). In heche gunhua (合尺滾花) case, both pinghou and zihou share same ending notes: the upper and lower lines end respectively at shang (上) and che (尺). shuobai (說白) Also known as nianbai (唸白) or daobai (道白). shuobai is one of the two basic forms of expressing lines in opera, referred to as chang (唱) if the lines are sung and bai (白) if recited. shuobai in Chinese opera is somehow different from daily life speech as it is in a way more musical and rhythmic. There are nine common types of shuobai in Cantonese opera: koubai (口白), langlibai (浪裏白), luogubai (鑼鼓白), shibai (詩白, also known as nianbai), kougu (口古), (韻白), bailan (白欖), yongxiongbai (英雄白) and yinbai (引白). The most popular one is koubai, also known as bai. There is no limit to the number of words and is not necessarily in rhyme. shuochang (說唱) Characterised by using speech and vocal music alternately to interpret a story. The origin of shuochang dates back to Xunzi’s (荀子) “Chengxiangpian”《成相 篇》 in the Warring States period. bianwen (變文) in the Tang dynasty was a kind of shuochang, mainly a narration of the stories in Buddhist scripts at first but expanded later to include other legends. shuochang in the Song dynasty included baojuan (寶卷), guzici (鼓子詞), changzhuan (唱賺), and zhugongdiao (諸宮調), etc. In the Qing dynasty, there were (彈詞), (鼓詞) and shuoshu (說書). nanyin (南音), muyu (木魚), longzhou (龍舟), banyan (板眼) and yue’ou (粵謳) in contemporary Guangdong folk songs are all classified as shuochang types. In the early 20th century, the five shuochang mentioned above were absorbed by Cantonese opera and operatic songs to become shuochang tixi (說唱體系). shuochang tixi shuochang tixi (family of shuochang) in Cantonese opera includes longzhou (龍 (說唱體系) 舟), muyu (木魚), nanyin (南音), banyan (板眼) and yue’ou (粵謳). It is composed of qishi (起式), zhengwen (正文) and shoushi (收式). zhengwen mostly consists of seven‐syllable phrases, with two of them forming a couplet. Theoretically, zhengwen consists of four stanzas, with four lines in each stanza. The successive order of the tonal pattern of the phrase‐ending syllables is tilting tone, upper level tone, tilting tone, and lower level tone. Another feature of shuochang tixi in Cantonese opera is that sheng and dan use the same qiang (腔).

Guangdong Referring to the popular ensemble music of traditional silk and bamboo

29 yinyue instruments around the region of the Delta. The musical instruments (廣東音樂) are the same in Guangdong music and Jiangnan shizhu music (江南絲竹, popular in the southern region of the lower reaches of Changjiang), but the leading instrument is gaohu (高胡) in Guangdong music and dizi (笛子) in Jiangnan shizhu. gaohu performance is characterised by the insertion of huayin (滑音, sliding notes) and jiahua (加花, adding ornaments), presenting strong Guangdong ‘flavour’. Beginning from the 1920s and 1930s, Western instruments like violin are used in Guangdong music. The fourth note in the music scale of Guangdong music is slightly higher than “fa” in Western music scale, and the seventh note is slightly lower than “ti”. Famous Guangdong music pieces include “Autumn Moon On A Peaceful Lake”《平湖秋月》, “Autumn Moon On The Han Palace”《漢宮秋月》 “Thunders On A Drought Day”《旱天 雷》, “The Dragon Boat Trophy”《賽龍奪錦》 and “The Interlocking Knots”《連 環扣》. yingtou (影頭) Special gestural hints that function as communication signals between performers, zhangban (掌板), toujia (頭架) and tichang (提場) during performance to avoid interrupting the audience. A unique set of Cantonese opera yingtou has been developed in the course of time, covering actions and sounds, including singing, acting, delivering speech, and martial arts, each with its relevant signals. zhuangban (撞板) Has the following meanings: 1. Mistakes made in beat or tempo during a performance. 2. Mistakes made when increasing or decreasing time value during a performance. cheng (撐) A syllable in percussion mnemonic rhyme which indicates striking daluo (大鑼) (imitation of and clashing the pair of cymbals simultaneously. sound) zhuanqu (撰曲) Composing Cantonese operatic songs, including writing lyrics for selected xiaoqu (小曲), choosing types of banqiang (板腔), coordinating musical elements, and making explanatory notes for the performance, etc. xiangwei (箱位) xiangwei, literally meaning “box position”, is an exclusive corner backstage for a principal performer, similar to a dressing room nowadays. Other performers have to share dapeng xiangwei (大棚箱位). xian (線) The meaning of xian is extremely complicated in Cantonese opera. It has following meanings:

1. Tuning: referring to the pitch of the two strings of the musical instrument the toujia (頭架) plays in Cantonese opera, both erxian (二絃) in the past and gaohu (高胡) today. If the violin is used as toujia, it refers to the two strings of the highest pitch. The pitch of the performer’s voice depends on the tuning of the instrument; toujia therefore adjusts the tuning of his instrument to the conditions and requirements of the performer. There are performers who like to tune the inner string as close as the absolute pitch G# in Western music, and the outer string to nearly absolute pitch D#. In hechexian (合尺線) tuning, shang (上, “1” in cipher notation) is near to absolute pitch C#, and is therefore known as singing C# xian (referred to as 30 gaobanlixian (高半厘線, tune up half a string)). Performers who find the tuning too high may request the leading musician to tune the inner and outer strings respectively to between G and G#, and, D and D#. The tuning of the strings indicates the key of the tune, and is referred to as xiankou (線口) among the Cantonese opera insiders. Out of tune is referred to as wushixian (唔食線). Singing the whole scale higher refers to singing xianmian (線面), and singing lower is singing xiandi (線底). Please refer to the entries “xianmian (線面)” and “xiandi (線底)”.

2. dingxian (定絃): referring to the tuning of the two strings of the toujia instrument as notated in gongchepu (工尺譜). Different dingxian represents different keys. dingxian commonly used in Cantonese operatic music are as follows: hechexian (合尺線): the inner string is set on he (合) (“%” in cipher notation), outer string is on che (尺) (“2” in cipher notation), also known as zhengxian (正線).

shangliuxian (上六線): the inner string is set on shang (上) (“1” in cipher notation), outer string is on liu (六) (“5” in cipher notation), also known as fanxian (反線).

As xiaoqu (小曲) are widely used in modern Cantonese operatic songs, the following dingxian also become common: shigongxian (士工線): the inner string is set on shi (士) (“^” in cipher notation), outer string is on gong (工) (“3” in cipher notation).

chewuxian (尺五線): the inner string is set on che (尺) (“2” in cipher notation), outer string is on wu (五) (“6” in cipher notation).

3. Mode: a Western musical term used in Cantonese operatic music. There are four common modes, meaning four different xian; for example, in shigong manban (士工慢板), shigong indicates the mode used, and manban is the banshi (板式). The musical notes emphasised in the four modes are as follows: shigongxian (士工線) / mode: 上尺工六五生 (上 (“1” in cipher notation) = C or C#)) hechexian (合尺線) / mode: 合士乙上尺工反六 (上 (“1” in cipher notation) = C or C#)) yifanxian (乙反線) / mode: 合乙上尺反六 (上 (“1” in cipher notation) = C or C#)) fanxian (反線) / mode: 上尺工反六五彳乙 生 (上 (“1” in cipher notation) = G or G#)) xiankou (線口) Also known as key. The term can be referred to as diaomen (調門). xiandi (線底) Please refer to the entry “xianmian (線面)”.

31 xianmian (線面) Both xianmian and xiandi (線底) mean singing off key. Singing a note or a set of notes higher than the indicated xiankou (線口) is referred to as chang xianmian (唱線面, singing above xian), and lower is chang xiandi (唱線底, singing below xian). dan (誕) The birthday of a deity, usually referred to as shendan (神誕). The majority of ritual performances of Cantonese opera hold every year are organised to celebrate shendan, including Tianhou (天后), Hongsheng (洪聖), Tudi (土地), Beidi (北帝), Tangong (譚公), Houwang (侯王), and Guanyin (觀音), etc. diao (調) In Cantonese operatic music, diao is complicated in meaning. It has following meanings: 1. dingdiao (定調): those commonly used in Cantonese operatic songs are C xian (線) or C# xian, meaning shang (上 or “1”) = C or C#. Please refer to the entry “xian” for details. 2. Modes: those commonly used in Cantonese operatic songs are shigong (士 工) mode/xian, heche xian (合尺線), yifan xian (乙反線) and fan xian (反線). Please refer to the entry “xian (線)” for details.

3. dadiao (大調) and xiaodiao (小調): dadiao refers to songs of considerable length, such as “Departure by the River in Autumn”《秋江哭別》, and xiaodiao are short pieces, like “Peddling Sundry Goods”《賣雜貨》, “Little Red Plum Blossom”《小桃紅》, etc. diaomen (調門) Please refer to the entry “xiankou (線口)”. tijia (踢甲) An action done by military roles, usually by flapping the front drape of the battle costume with one kick and patting it instantly with a hand. kaoba yuantai Walking yuantai (圓台) on stage wearing dakou (大扣, also called dakao (大靠)) (靠靶圓台) is the most difficult type of zuoyuantai (走圓台). (dakou is the full battle costume worn by a general.) toujia (頭架) The leading musician of the melodic instrument section in the accompanying ensemble, referred to as Western music leader (西樂領導), also known as toujia among the insiders. toujia usually plays the violin or gaohu (高胡), and is also responsible for playing yehu (椰胡), nanhu (南胡) and erxian (二絃) nowadays. longzhou (龍舟) A type of vocal delivery types in the popular shuochang (說唱) . Traditional longzhou is rhythmic and accompanied by percussion, with a phrase structure that belongs to narrative singing system, including opening, main text, closure, the same as that of nanyin (南音), muyu (木魚), and banyan (板眼). Main text is mostly composed of seven‐syllable phrases, with two phrases forming a couplet. Theoretically, the main text consists of four stanzas, each contatins four phrases. The successive order of the tonal pattern of the phrase‐ending syllables is tilting tone, upper level tone, tilting tone, and lower level tone. The last phrase must end in lower level tone, never in upper one. In the narrative singing music of Cantonese opera, sheng (生) and dan (旦) use the same qiang (腔). longzhou music is rhythmic and free in tempo. Performer usually holds a longzhou (dragon boat) model in one hand and strike

32 the small drum and small gong that hanged on his chest with the other hand as accompaniment. It is probable that the name longzhou derives from this performance form. In Cantonese opera and Cantonese operatic songs, longzhou is performed without any accompaniment. xijin (戲金) The remuneration a zhuhui (主會, organising unit of the performance) pay to a Cantonese opera troupe, referred to as xijin among the insiders. The troupe will perform a short play Closing Stage with the Greetings by the “Deity of Heaven” 《封台加冠》 after the last performance to indicate that the remuneration has been fully paid. xiyuanxi (戲院戲) Referring to the Chinese operas performed in a theatre or other indoor venue. Their repertoires are more or less the same as those performed in a shed theatre. However, since shengongxi (神功戲) are usually performed in open area, the performance is easily affected by the environments inside and outside the shed theatre and both the audience and performers may find it difficult to concentrate on the performance. Audience within a theatre environment tends to be more attentive and performers and the crew are thus more cautious, improvisations are restrained as much as possible. As for the repertoire, there are more lixi (例戲) in those ritual performances. Please refer to the entry “lixi (例戲)”. jiangxi (講戲) Discussing the libretto. zaju (雜劇) A collective term for certain performance forms of Chinese opera. The earliest record of zaju dates back to the Tang dynasty. Famous zaju include the Song zaju, Wenzhou zaju and Yuan zaju. As a usual practice of Yuan zaji, each ben (本, play) was composed of four zhe (折, act), but a xiezi (楔子, prelude or interlude) might be added if necessary. In each zhe, singing was the sole responsibility of one performer; others only deliver dialogues and actions. zaxiang (雜箱) Boxes placed backstage for storing hats and all kinds of props. The location is usually on the right side of the stage facing the audience. zabian, yibian The left and right sides of a Cantonese opera stage, front stage and backstage (雜邊、衣邊) included. The side on the right of the performers facing the audience is called zabian and the side on the left is yibian. Since zaxiang (雜箱) are placed on the right side of backstage, which allows performers to get the props easily when going on stage, the right side is therefore referred to as zabian. Similarly, yixiang (衣箱) are placed on the left side of backstage for the convenience of the performers to change costumes, the left side is called yiban. zabian and yibian are also known respectively as zaxiangjiao (雜箱角) and yixiangjiao (衣箱 角). jiao (角) means a corner. shuang (雙) The single word shuang in a libretto means repeating singing or reciting the preceding line or the following half line. liezi (擸字) Please refer to the entry “chenzi (襯字)”. baodu (爆肚) Improvisations. A performer may elaborate his or her feeling in a performance to create an activity that is not in the script or has not been rehearsed. baoduxi (爆肚戲) Referring to the performing of tigangxi (提綱戲). There is no fixed dialogue or singing passage provided in tigangxi and performers have to use their talents

33 and experience to perform. Please refer to the entry “baodu (爆肚)”. guanmu (關目) A performing technique to demonstrate different emotions by using the eyes and complemented by facial expressions and hand gestures. In Cantonese opera, there is a saying of miankousheng, shengzaiyan (面口生，生在眼, a lively expression begins with the eyes). The famous Peking opera performer Gai Jiaotian (蓋叫天) once said, “chang (唱), zuo (做), nian (唸) and da (打) must all be led by the expression in eyes.” The use of the eyes is indeed of great significance in Chinese opera performances. In the Yuan zaju (元雜劇), guanmu originally meant guanjian (關鍵, key) and yanmu (眼目, eyes)”, referring to the arrangement and design of the structure and critical plots of a play, which is different from the definition of guanmu in Cantonese opera. yunbai (韻白) A type of shuobai (說白), consisting of long and short lines at sanban (散板), without being divided into upper and lower lines. The last word of each line must be rhymed and accompanied by shadi (沙的) and xiaoluo (小鑼). yunbai in general are comical in nature. chutou, Has the following meanings: sanchutou

(齣頭、三齣頭) 1. Traditional Cantonese opera performances begin in the afternoon until dawn the next day. The whole period is divided into three sessions. The first session begins in the afternoon and lasts until evening, referred to as zhengbenxi (正本戲). The second session begins after dinner and lasts until midnight, referred to as chutou (齣頭), also known as “di’erchu (第二齣, the second chu)”. The third session is between midnight and dawn, referred to as “disanchu (第三齣, the third chu)”. Although zhengbenxi is not referred to as chutou among insiders, zhengben ( 正本), chutou and disanchu are collectively called sanchutou (three chutou). 2. According to Guangdong xiju shilüe (廣東戲劇史略, a Brief History of Guangdong Operas) written by Mai Xiaoxia (麥嘯霞), as a tradition, three chu of yuediao wenjingxi (gentle plays in Cantonese dialects), which were all zhezixi (折子戲, excerpts of plays), would be performed on the first day to kick off the series of performances. These three plays were referred to as sanchutou. sheluogu Inserting luogu ( 鑼鼓) patterns in particular places in banmian ( 板面, (攝鑼鼓) instrumental prelude), guomen (過門, interlude) and paizi (牌子) tunes to enhance the theatrical effect. baqiang (霸腔) Please refer to the entry “dahou (大喉)”. luzi (露字) The proper articulation in delivering speech and singing. The opposite of luzi is daozi (倒字). chenzi, liezi, me A word or term added to the beginning or inserted in the middle of a complete zae zi line in a singing passage of banghuang (梆黃), without changing the original line (襯字/擸字/孭仔 format for the purpose of enhancing the mood of the song. The word or term is 字) referred to as mae zae zi or liezi. The technique can also be found in other qupai (曲牌) systems and shuochang(說唱). Most mae zae zi are added before a ding

34 (叮)or a ban (板), and are usually of short time value.

xusheng (鬚生) Please refer to the entry “wusheng (武生)”.

liantan (戀檀) Originally named liantanlang《戀檀郎》, a daqu (大曲) tune of zhengxian (正線) mode. The tune first appeared in the opera “The Chimpanzee Chasing the Boat” 《猩猩追舟》, which is about the story of Su Wu’s return to his country. The tune consists of different stanzas, with yiban sanding (一板三叮), yiban yiding (一板一叮) and liushuiban (流水板). liantan that is sung in yifan(乙反) mode is known as yifan liantan (乙反戀檀).

luogubai A type of shuobai (說白). It is koubai (口白) complemented by luogu, (鑼鼓白) characterised by the use of luogu music to separate two lines. luogubai need not be rhymed. The lines are mostly qiyan (七言) or siyan (四言), and wuyan (五言). The lines need not be of even number, odd number is acceptable.

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