Wed 20 Jun 2012
For a boring Wednesday
Posted by Fern under Hebei Bangzi 河北梆子, Huangmei Opera 黄梅戏, Pingju 评剧, Yang Jun 杨俊, Zeng Zhaojuan 曾昭娟
[2] Comments
Hmm, how about a few clips from 2008?
Sorting out folders is always beneficial, especially if you have files named like VTS_03_1ghf.VOB in them… I found a few Spring Festival classics again that I recorded earlier from CCTV4, in the good ol’ days when the editors still haven’t decided to substitute the Chinese Opera program with a cooking show…
Apropos of decisions, today at the CCTV headquarters an intense meeting is going on about the program of Theater in the Air for the next half of the year. Let’s cross our fingers for rare plays! More regional operas! Lesser seen troupes!
About the next three snippets:
You surely remember the unforgettable Nü Fuma song of the strikingly beautiful vice-president of the Hubei Huangmei Opera Theater. Now Yang Jun isn’t disguised as a man, she appears as Weaving Maid, a popular folk tale character.
The second clip features Zeng Zhaojuan again, who hypnotized Bertrand in the previous post. She was born in 1966, and is appointed as the vice-president of the Tianjin Pingju Theater.
At last, but not at least, a fantastic bangzi aria with Xu Heying from Hebei! Xu was born in 1963, and was honored with the Plum Blossom Award in 1998, together with Li Haiyan, Wang Ping.
黄梅戏《牛郎织女》到底人间欢乐多 Huangmei Opera Cowherd Boy and Weaving Maid – What Earthly Joy - Yang Jun (杨俊)
评剧《绣鞋记》Pingju Tale of the Embroidered Shoe – Zeng Zhaojuan (曾昭娟)
河北梆子《王宝钏·大登殿》Hebei Bangzi Wang Baochuan·The Great Enthronement – Xu Heying (许荷英)
I can’t resist adding the same aria performed by a 5 years old cutiepie! Isn’t it more appealing than a beauty contest with toddlers on high heels?
Kiddy Bangzi Wang Baochuan - Wang Meng (王萌)
You can download a version of the full opera from CCTV’s website in three parts here: [1] [2] [3]. Beware, Hebei Bangzi is infectious! But don’t expect the laosheng performers sound like in Beijing Opera. 
