Life of Guangzhou - History of Cantonese Opera

THE History of Cantonese Opera or Yuet Kahk (粤剧) can be dated back to the southern Song dynasty (1179-1276 AD). Many well-known operas performed today are from the Yuen dynasty, operas like "The Purple Hairpin" and "Rejuvenation of the Red Plum Flower" all were originally Yuen dynasty opera librettos. Chinese opera in general dates back to the Tang dynasty with Emperor Ming Huang (712-755 AD), also known as Hsuan Tsung, who founded the Pear Garden, the first known operatic troupe in China. The troupe was located within the confines of the imperial palace of Wu Han. They mostly performed for the emperors' own personal pleasure. To this day operatic professionals are still referred to as "Disciples of the Pear Garden".

There is debated as to the true origins of Yuet Kahk, but it is universal accepted that Yuet Kahk was imported from the north and slowly migrated to the southern province of Canton (GuangZhou). Yuet Kahk can be traced back to the twelfth century, when opera was performed in public theaters of Hangzhou, then capital of the southern Song dynasty. There was a theatrical form at that time called Southern opera or NanXi (南戏), which is the true origins of Yuet Kahk. The dialogue was written in rhymed verses sung or spoken. The three surviving NanXi scripts, composed by anonymous playwrights had no complex structures like acts or scenes but one long continuous opera. Mainly accompanied by a string and woodwind orchestra, an offstage chorus plus even an audience sing along.

With the invasion of the Mongol hoards into the region of the southern Song, came a migration of hundreds of thousands of southern Song people into the province of Canton. With them came operatic performers, bringing with them the art form of NanXi, the first known form of Yuet Kahk. Since than additional innovations in operatic arts continued to migrate southwards. From the Yuen dynasty, forms like Multi-Act opera or ZaJu (杂剧), where acts based on rhyming schemes were introduced, plus the innovation of having specialized roles or Hong Dong like Darn [旦] (female), Saung [ 生] (male) and Chou [丑] (Jester).

From a later form of opera called marvelous tales opera or ChuanQi (传奇) came operas like Gao Ming’s 高明 (1301-1370 AD) The PaiPah Song (琵琶记), which Yum Kim Fai (任剑辉) and Bak Sheut Sin (白雪仙) have performed to perfection many times. Another major influence on Cantonese opera is the sixteen century form called Kunqu (昆曲), which originated in Suzhou, Jiangsu. A very soft and elegant form that preferred minimal musical accompaniment, but opted instead for percussion instruments like the Chinese clapper and drums to motive the rhythm of the opera along, this shift of importance on to percussion is still very evident in Yuet Kahk today.

In the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) one man, Cheung Ng [张五] (1720 AD) a northern opera actor, had a great influenced on present day Yuet Kahk. Escaping authorities due to his anti-Manchu activities, he fled southwards to Canton. Hiding out amongst Cantonese opera troupes he taught and past the knowledge of performing the traditional "Eighteen plays of Cantonese Opera"(江湖十八本). His contributions earned him a place in Taoist opera heaven, where he along with the God of Chinese Opera "Waih Gong"(华光) is worshiped by "Disciples of the Pear Garden" at every performance.

Cantonese opera was originally sung in a Tang dialect, a dialect similar to present day Cantonese or FuJianinese. In the mid Qing dynasty, the ruling Manchu government disallowed singing in Cantonese. A lot of the earlier history of Cantonese opera prior to the Qing Dynasty was lost due to this event, or vague to say the least. It is at this period that we see the introduction of "Goon Waih" of Imperial Tone into Cantonese opera, which more then likely is a dialect of another northern province. General belief is that Goon Waih is actually a Cantonese bastardized version of the An-Hui or maybe the Suzhou dialect, but there is still a lot of debate on this subject.

Goon Waih was introduced into Cantonese Opera after an unsuccessful anti Manchu coup lead by Cantonese opera performer was started. Anti Manchurian feeling, plus general distrust of foreign non Han rulers probably give rise to this particular uprising plus many others that eventually followed. An opera performer Lee Mun Mou(李文茂), a member of a notorious anti Manchu group, lead his and other opera troupes into an uprising against the Manchu government at the same time as the Taiping Tianguo Christian uprising (1844 AD). They dressed in full operatic costumes and using the martial arts they acquired in their operatic training fought the Manchu to no avail.

Performing Yuet Kahk was banned all together in the mid Qing dynasty (1855 AD) after this incident. Performers involved in the uprising or associated with Lee Mun Mou were killed by the hundreds. Those whether if they were involved in the uprising or not, were disallowed to perform their art. A Manchurian attempt to stop the ever so present Cantonese independent identity. Cantonese opera troupes disbanded and members not knowing any other life style went to other provinces to join and learn opera from other non Cantonese troupes. Those that stayed tried to perform their art in the streets and alleys, with the threat of imprisonment if caught, many of them staved to death. In eighteen seventy-one the band on performing opera by the locals were lifted, but not in Cantonese. Those that left, returned bring back with them influences like Goon Waih, plus Bong Tsih from AnHui and Sigh Paih from Hunan province structured singing formats, more on these subject can be found in our music theory section. Thus the establishment of Goon Waih as the only dialect used in Cantonese opera from the late eighteen hundreds to the early nineteen twenties.

Goon Waih from this period can still be heard in operas performed today, military oriented war epics or ancient historical operas tend to employ Goon Waih. It is rare to find purely Goon Waih operas being sung today, but they can be found, artist like (尤声谱) Yaoh Sing Poh are excellent at singing Goon Waih. Some elements of post Manchurian crackdown of Cantonese opera still exist, for example Larm Yum and Yee Farn structured Bong Wong singing format, survived the Qing crackdown. Larm Yum’s survival was maybe accidental or by design, as it seems even today, the keepers of Larm Yum tend to be blind rouge singers, telling stories that were passed from generation to generation, as a means of livelihood for them and entertainment for the locals, they may have been spared the wrath of the street market police.

What was lost in the crackdown of Cantonese opera was the traditional "Eighteen plays of Cantonese Opera", some of the eighteen operas still survive, some only their name remains and some not even that. They were numbered one to eighteen with each opera having a number in its name. Fong Yeem Fun’s (芳艳芬) June Snow (六月雪) was one of these as it was ranked number six out of the eighteen opera.

The twenties saw radical changes in Cantonese opera. The use of Cantonese was re-established, the merging of all male and all female troupes, the end of men playing the lead female Farn Darn role, the popularity of Cantonese increase exponentially, and the raise of the superstars, (四大天王) Four Super Stars and (四大平喉) Four Great Male Vocals. This was a time of change and re-invention for the whole art form. Gone was the bearded face Mo Saung (Male Warrior) as the focal point of all popular opera, a new more dynamic character was appearing. The Mun Mo Saung (Scholarly Male Warrior) with a clean cut handsome face, (薛觉先 ) Sit Gok Sin and (白玉堂 ) Bak Yook Tong, pushed these roles to fore front of Cantonese opera. Along with the rise of the Mun Mo Saung was the Female performers playing the female role the earliest of which was (谭兰卿) Tam Larn Hing playing at lead Farn darn with Sit Gok Sin. This marked the end to a lot of famous male Far Darn’s careers.