An Analysis Of The Singing Of The Opera "Bai Mao Nv", "Hate Is Like A Mountain And Sorrow Is Like The Sea". --The Singing Of Guo Lanying, Peng Liyuan And Other Generations Of "Xi'er" As An Example

Abstract

China's first national new opera, The White Hairy Fairies, has had a notable impact on the rapid development of contemporary Chinese opera. It has also represented a significant milestone in the rapid development of Chinese vocal music. The opera is based on the local folklore of the Bai Mao Nv. Since its debut in 1945, the work has been revived on several occasions, featuring seven different artists who are well known to the Chinese public for playing the role of the heroine, Xi'er. This article presents the first comparative study and generalisation of the facial features, throat muscles and performance characteristics of the "Xi'ers", aiming to explore the evolution of modern Chinese opera vocal singing and to critique the declining Chinese language style therein. On the one hand, this paper makes up for the lack of a comparative study regarding the technical aspects of the seven Xi'ers in "Hate is like a mountain and sorrow is like the sea" in Chinese vocal music. On the other hand, this work complements the studies concerning the changing characteristics of "modern Chinese vocal opera singing" within English publications.