Stage · ST107

Storytelling

Storytelling, ballad and comic pieces, from long serialised tales to short sketches and songs.

25works

12entries

Drum-Ballad Storytelling (Gushu)

2 works

Long drum-ballad tales beaten out on drum and clapper: historical romances, court cases and knights-errant.

Story · Traditional piece; date unknownThe Exquisite PagodaA famous Xihe drum-song piece in which eight disciples are made to count up and down a thirteen-storey pagodaHanded down by Xihe drum-song performersSE10137Story · Traditional long tale; date unknown (the novel of the same name was printed in the Qianlong reign)The Huyan Family GeneralsA classic long tale of Xihe drum balladry whose 1957 radio serial by Wang Yanfen caused a sensationXihe drum-ballad storytellersSE10170

Suzhou Pingtan

3 works

Long serial tales and sung openers in soft Wu dialect, accompanied by sanxian and pipa.

Story · A Qianlong-era (1736–1795) printed text, reworked by Ma Rufei in the late QingThe Pearl PagodaA long Suzhou tanci classic, reshaped in the late Qing by Ma Rufei from a printed text of the Qianlong eraMa RufeiSE10088Story · Traditional long tanci story; date unknownThree SmilesA traditional long Suzhou tanci story of Tang Bohu selling himself into the Hua household to win the maid QiuxiangHanded down by Suzhou tanci storytellersSE10159Story · Traditional long tanci story; date unknownThe Jade DragonflyA traditional long Suzhou tanci in which a jade dragonfly token leads a son back to the mother who gave him upSung and told by generations of Suzhou tanci storytellersSE10160

Pingshu and Pinghua Storytelling

2 works

Long serial tales opened with a slap of the gavel: Three Kingdoms, Water Margin and Yue Fei.

Story · Qianlong reign, 1736–1795 (told and shaped by Pu Lin)The Qingfeng SluiceA Yangzhou pinghua story that Pu Lin shaped in the Qianlong era from his own life, centred on the street figure Pi WuPu LinSE10161Story · Told in the Wang family by the late Qing; Wang Shaotang began his career with it around 1901Wu SongOne of the Wang school's four ten-chapter Water Margin books in Yangzhou storytelling, perfected by Wang ShaotangWang ShaotangSE10089

Shidiao and Xiaoqu (Ditty Songs)

2 works

Ming–Qing popular songs and city ditties sung seated, short tunes full of feeling.

Song · 1828 (the twelve-verse text in Baixue Yiyin, the earliest written lyrics)Embroidering a PurseIts earliest written lyrics are the twelve verses printed in the 1828 song collection Baixue Yiyinfolk singers of Qing popular dittiesSE10168Song · Late QingVisiting the Qingshui RiverA late-Qing Beijing song that tells a story of Landianchang in fifteen verses to the Wuxi Jing tuneBeijing folk singersSE10138

Cantonese Yuequ and Naamyam

2 works

Cantonese sung pieces and narrative ballads, from wistful naamyam to storytelling muk-yu.

Story · Ming dynasty (the oldest surviving fragment was printed around 1600)The Flowery NotepaperThe oldest known wooden-fish ballad book, put into English in 1824 and read by Goethean anonymous Ming author of wooden-fish balladsSE10171Song · Daoguang reign of the Qing (the Ye family's account; authorship disputed)A Traveller's Autumn LamentA classic of Cantonese nanyin whose authorship has long been disputed; its opening lines come from Huang ShaobaYe Ruibo · Huang ShaobaSE10139

Qinshu (Dulcimer Ballads)

2 works

Narrative songs to the yangqin, long and short tales sung in a plain, homely style.

Story · Traditional medium-length piece; date unknownWang Dingbao Borrows to PawnA representative medium-length piece of Shandong qinshu, often performed by the eastern-school master Shang YexingShandong qinshu performersSE10140Story · Traditional piece; date unknown (Sichuan yangqin is said to date from the Qianlong reign)The Ghost Seizes Zhang SanlangA classic of Sichuan yangqin balladry in which Yan Poxi's ghost comes back at midnight for Zhang WenyuanSichuan yangqin ballad performersSE10169

Errenzhuan

2 works

Northeastern duets sung and danced by a pair, fans and handkerchiefs flying, witty and lively.

Story · Traditional; date unknownThe Great Western ChamberA traditional errenzhuan piece where one clown and one female lead step in and out of the Western Chamber rolesfolk errenzhuan performers of Northeast ChinaSE10092Story · Traditional number; date unknownMeeting at the Blue BridgeOne of the best-known traditional errenzhuan numbers, also kept by performers in Tongliaofolk errenzhuan performers of the NortheastSE10165

Danxian and Paiziqu (Linked-Tune Ballads)

2 works

Pieces sung as chains of named tunes; in danxian the singer taps an octagonal drum to the sanxian.

Story · Expanded to five parts by Rong Jianchen in the Republican era and recorded in the 1930sDu ShiniangA long danxian ballad that Rong Jianchen expanded from two parts to five and recorded in the 1930sRong JianchenSE10091Story · Before 1945 (a Gaoting record sung by Chang Shutian)Homeward Boat in Wind and RainA chaqu listed among Tianjin danxian's representative works, recorded by Chang Shutian on the Gaoting labelchaqu singers of the Beijing bajiaogu traditionSE10166

Kuaishu and Kuaiban (Clapper Recitation)

2 works

Rapid rhymed recitations to bamboo clappers, like the famous Wu Song tales of Shandong kuaishu.

Story · 1930s–1940s (Gao Yuanjun's performing version)Wu Song Fights the TigerThe Jingyang Ridge section of the long Shandong kuaishu Wu Song story, usually performed on its ownGao YuanjunSE10141Story · June 1949 (recorded by Gao Yuanjun in Shanghai)Lu Da Rids the Town of a BullyGao Yuanjun's 1949 record of this piece gave Shandong kuaishu its nameGao YuanjunSE10167

Xiangsheng (Crosstalk)

3 works

Solo, duo and group crosstalk routines, full of mimicry, banter, song and punchlines.

Story · Created by Zhang Jieyao, date unknown; recorded by 1961, best known in Hou Baolin's versionGuan Yu Fights Qin QiongA crosstalk duet created by Zhang Jieyao that became a signature piece of the Hou school in Hou Baolin's versionZhang Jieyao · Hou BaolinSE10093Piece · Traditional crosstalk; date unknownReciting the MenuA traditional crosstalk patter piece, split off from the old Nuanchang routine, that reels off a Manchu-Han banquetHanded down by generations of xiangsheng performersSE10163Piece · Traditional crosstalk duet; date unknownEight Folding ScreensA traditional crosstalk duet of patter on figures from the past, named after an official's eight-panel screenHanded down by northern xiangsheng performersSE10164

Jingyun Dagu (Beijing Drum Ballad)

2 works

Short drum-ballad pieces sung standing, many drawn from the Three Kingdoms and Dream of the Red Chamber.

Piece · Early Republic to 1942 (arranged by Liu Baoquan, Bai Yunpeng and others)Changban SlopeA Three Kingdoms piece of Jingyun dagu arranged by Liu Baoquan, Bai Yunpeng and others, and one of Liu's signature songsLiu Baoquan · Bai YunpengSE10162Song · Known by the late Qing (Liu Baoquan learned it from Song Wu)The Hour Before DawnA short scene-painting piece of Jingyun dagu, also called Three Spring Scenes, which Liu Baoquan learned from Song WuLiu BaoquanSE10090