CantoneseOpera

CantoneseOperaisthetraditionaloperaofourcountry.Itisathemeworthyofresearchsowecaninvestigateitsorigins,historyandchange.IthasbeenfoundthatCantoneseOperaiscomposedofdrama(戲曲)andartindifferentplacesofChina.ItisoneofthelargestdramaclassesinGuangdong(廣東).The「BigGongandBigDrum(大鑼大鼓)」styleisthecharacteristicoftraditionalCantoneseOperabeatingmusic.CantoneseOperastartedattheendoftheMingDynasty(明朝)andhasahistoryofoverthreehundredyears.Duringthisperiod,ithasundergoneupsanddownsthathasmadeagreatchangetoCantoneseOpera.AttheendofQingDynasty,theGuangzhau(廣州)dialectwasusedinCantoneseOperabecausetheculturedpeoplewantedtomakeuseofCantoneseOperaaspropagandaforvoicingrevolution.InordertomakeGuangzhaupeopleunderstandmoreeasily,lotsofCantonesewasused.Intheearlystage,performancesweremostlyarrangedintheoperabamboo-shedswhereGodstatuesandaltars(神壇)wereplacedforworship.HongKongoperabamboo-shedsmostlyhaveRitualPerformances(神功戲)tocelebratebirthdaysofdeities(神)andBuddha.Theseperformancesallowdevoteestoworshipandthankthem.HistoryofContoneseOperaAttheearlystage,theartistsfortheoperaestablishedanassociationnamedQionghuaGuild(瓊花會館)inFoshan(佛山)forthesakeofconvenientcommunicationandsigningofcontractswithheadsoftroupes.NeartheQionghuaGuild,awaterareawasprovidedforanchorageoftheredboats.Theboatswerewoodenyachts,mainlypaintedinred.Thepurposeoftheredboatwastotransportthestaffandchestsforthetroupe.Costumes,ornamentsandotherthingsusedonthestagewereplacedinsidethechests.Inthepast,theCantoneseOperatroupesarrangedtheirperformancesinthedeltaregionofthePearlRiverastheycouldonlytravelbyboat.Theyhadtospendmostoftheirtimeeatingandsleepingontheboat.Later,whenthenumberoftheatresincreasedandtransportimproved,theredboatwasthenabandoned.TheDevelopmentandChangeofCantoneseOperaAtthebeginningof1940,twoingeniousartistsXueJiaoxian(薛覺先)andMaShizeng(馬師曾)devotedthemselvestothereformofCantoneseOpera,particularlythetheme,stageart,costumesandmake-up.Inaddition,MaShizengfoundedthewesternmusicsectionandintroducedcello,saxophone,violinandothermusicalinstrumentstoCantoneseOpera.EarlyintheCantoneseOpera,therewerenofemaleartists.Allcharacterswereperformedbythemaleactors.Later,femaleartistswerepermittedtotakepart.Sincethemiddleofthe1980's,manypeoplehaveenjoyedCantoneseOperaandhavesungoperasongsasaleisurepursuit.网址：HYPERLINK"http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/01272/"http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/01272/