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What is the vocal quality of the <i><i>young scholar</i></i>?
Opera is about singing,
so voice is the first concern.
Opera is about singing, to sing, you have to open your mouth.
I just said the <i>young male</i> has a wide range, and includes the <i><i>young scholar</i></i> role-type.
The vocal method is called the “true-falsetto combination” .
I can divide his voice range into four registers: true voice, half true voice…
half falsetto, and falsetto.
True voice is the beautiful part of your speaking voice
in slightly raised position.
Half true voice and half falsetto is the transitional range.
This is the transition between half true voice and half falsetto of my voice.
Actually (my) half true voice is going up, and half falsetto is coming down.
True voice and falsetto form this ladder.
Where is the half true voice?
Half true voice is frontal, like the folk songs.
Some folk songs are very high pitched, the voice is in front.
In front, this is half true voice.
Falsetto requires strength, he must use falsetto.
When we listen to Beijing opera, it is clear that…
the voice is strong, bright, and penetrating.
It is a very good falsetto.
There is also the half falsetto, half falsetto means he must also lower the pitch.
He must transit between the true voice and falsetto voice (seamlessly).
This we call the “mixed true and false voice”.
Singers who haven’t practiced don’t dare sing out.
To bring out the voice requires a process.
This process takes time, especially boys.
Why is a male <i>young male</i> so admired?
Because a man with a good falsetto is rare.
His voice must be smooth, clear and clean.
That kind of voice is priceless.
I don’t know if everyone has heard the <i>young male</i> in Beijing opera.
He sings in falsetto but speaks in true voice.
Plus a little falsetto.
For example, when he says: “<i>niang zi</i>” (“my lady”).
The distance is from <i>do</i> to <i>sol</i>, very wide.
Kunqu is somewhat different.
Its voice usage is not like that.
Beijing opera demands a high pitch level.
In Kunqu it (falsetto) must be continuous with the true voice.
That’s why Kunqu falsetto has to be three- dimensional, high and resonant.
Diction is very important.
Many Kunqu experts are very demanding of diction.
The initial and final of each word are enunciated with care.
So after the singing voice is trained, then comes training in diction.
Diction in Kunqu has many distinctions.
Dental, retroflexed, voiced, and unvoiced. Many fine distinctions.
“Correct diction and polished melody”.
What do we mean by “polish”?
Many people know that Kunqu music has many embellishments.
Polish means embellishments.
To beautify the melody is called <i>ren se</i>, add color.
“Proper diction and beautified melody”. Of course, there is also phrasing.
Kunqu has no instrumental interludes.
Unlike Beijing opera, (the singer) can take breaks (during the instrumental interlude).
There are no rests in Kunqu melodies. Therefore, you have to be attentive to phrasing.
If you cannot control the phrasing,
the melody will exhaust your breath.
Sometimes if you cannot hold out, you will run out of breath.
What is phrasing then? It is about breaking for air.
Where do you find the place to breathe?
Most of the time there are rules; sometimes you have to rush a little,
sometimes you have to “steal” a breath.
There are many ways and techniques to breathing.
If you have control over breathing,
your singing will be relaxed.
The audience can hear (the word) clearly even if you are singing in a fast tempo.
This is called “<i>qi kou</i>” (phrasing).
Phrasing is also tied to rhythm.
In the end singing is about expression, expression of the text.
For example, when we sing from the scene “The repartee of zithers” (from <i>The Jade Hairpin</i>).
“Through light clouds, upon sparkling dew,
bright shines the moon”.
That is a famous opening aria.
I want a quiet and leisurely atmosphere in the song.
I want to express this kind of feeling.
When I sing “Finding the portrait” (from the <i>Peony Pavilion</i>),
the aria Joy of Master Yan’ from that scene,
I try to enact in Liu Mengmei, and also
the author Tang Xianzu who wrote it,
that sense of searching and ruminating.
His rumination about this portrait.
What happened here?
I want to project this kind of feeling.
I look for this feeling in every note.
For example when he sings: “faded by wind and rain of passing time”
I sing like this…
I feel that I am searching for something,
The scenery before my eyes has a sense of despondency…
“white washed wall to the west…”
Compared to how I sang (this) before
I feel that I am looking for something different.
Even now, I am still working on my singing.
At every stage I have different thoughts.
During every stage (of my career) I have different aspirations.
I am always searching, every aria follows me as I go forward.
What I want to say is: insight.
Now I want to sing a section…
Two lines from “Repartee of zithers”.
(<i>Jade Hairpin</i>)
This segment is “Through light clouds, upon sparkling dew, bright shines the moon”.
A young scholar goes into the courtyard alone at night.
Actually there is a longing in his heart.
What is he longing for? What is his feeling?
His longing has no outlet.
He saw a girl in the monastery,
He’s very… a little attracted.
But she is a priestess, you can’t court her, can you?
But he has this feeling, this longing.
He cannot express it. Acting must bring out this feeling of despondency.
Singing has to bring out this feeling too.
It’s the evening, quiet and calm,
I imagine that he had an early supper.
He can’t fall asleep in his study.
He hears insects calling in the autumn; he felt…
So he goes out.
He goes into the monastery garden.
So let’s all imagine the scene:
There is a moon in the sky; he is at leisure, walking on air…
But there is this little….
It cannot be too heavy nor too light.
If I sing very heavily… he can’t be that serious.
Too light is not right either.
Many people say this scene is so famous…
Actually it is truly a difficult scene to perform.
The difficulty is precisely in this first verse.
It’s difficult because it must establish the underlying mood.
If this mood is established,
the rest will follow, will not waver.
“Through light clouds, upon sparkling dew, bright shines the moon”.
I am using both true and falsetto in this line.
After the first word “<i>yue</i>” (moon), I make a pause.
“<i>yue</i>” (moon) is a glottalized word.
I take a breath immediately after the word.
You might have felt it, maybe not.
In order to sing the phrase “bright moon” I take a breath.
When I start to walk on “<i>yun</i>” (cloud)…
On “<i>dan</i>” (light) I am transitioning into half falsetto.
Prof. Wei Hua 華瑋Professor and Division Head
Prof. Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai 白先勇Wei Lun Professor of Humanities
Prof. Lindy Li Mark 李林德Professor Emerita
