![]() ![]() As time went on, musical accompaniment was added, and eventually developed into grand orchestras complete with gongs, drums, traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu and the suona, and typical Western instruments like the violin and cello. Overall the style of Yu Opera is renowned for its high-pitched singing, fast-paced dialogue, powerful rhythms, stylised dancing, and use of martial arts. Of these, the Yudong and Yuxi sub-styles are the most prevalent, and are known for their comedies and tragedies respectively. Nowadays it is generally separated into four sub-styles: Xiangfu, which originated from Kaifeng Yudong, which arose in the Shangqiu region of eastern Henan Yuxi, which became popular in the area surrounding the city of Luoyang and Shahe, which came from Shahe County. It’s true what they say: immature artists imitate, mature artists steal, and great artists make it into something better, or at least something different! Small performances were mainly held in teahouses throughout the city of Kaifeng but, as the art spread to other cities, new sub-styles began to develop. ![]() ![]() Its rustic charm meant it was beloved by the common people and this lead to its rapid development. In the beginning, it was characterised by its simple folk stories and soulful arias, without the use of make-up, lavish costumes, or even accompanying instruments. The style itself dates back over 400 years ago, but it didn’t become truly popular in northern China until the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Although it is largely endemic to Henan, there are professional Yu Opera troupes scattered throughout the provinces of Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and numerous others. Like the artist formerly known as Prince, this was the style formerly known as Henan Bangzi! The name was officially changed after the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1911. The term “yu” is actually an abbreviated name for the province of Henan, which is unsurprisingly where this style of opera originates. Yu Opera is the third most popular style of Chinese opera in the country, ranking just below Peking Opera and Yue Opera. The most famous Yu Opera ‘The Commander-in-Chief Mu Guiying’
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