Xiangsheng

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Tianjin Xiangsheng

Xiangsheng , often translated as comic dialogue , is a traditional Chinese comedic genre of the performing arts , mostly in the form of a dialogue between two artists - traditionally two men - or, much less often, a solo number, or, more rarely, sometimes even by played by a group of three or more actors.

Xiangsheng is one of China's most popular and influential forms of quyi entertainment . The traditional clothing and classic props of the Xiangsheng performers are long blue robes, they hold a folding fan in their hand.

Xiangsheng numbers are often used for entertainment at weekly markets and tea houses . They can be found on many television shows and are a standard item on the program of every CCTV Spring Festival gala , i. H. the most watched Chinese media event.

A more recent development in Xiangsheng art is the form of the so-called Xiangsheng xiaopin .

language

The Xiangsheng language is rich in puns and innuendos, and it is spoken in a quick, joking manner.

Xiangsheng are traditionally performed in the Tianjin dialect ( Tianjinhua ), today often across the country in the Beijing dialect or in standard Chinese with a strong northern Chinese accent .

The jokes and puns in this form of representation are often difficult or even impossible to translate into foreign languages ​​due to the topicality of the events discussed. An intimate knowledge of current social processes is also required.

To the untrained viewer, the performance of Xiangsheng seems natural, almost casual. In reality, all pieces are precisely defined and carefully rehearsed:

"To the untutored observer the performance of xiangsheng appears natural, almost casual. In fact, all pieces are set and are carefully rehearsed. An elaborate classification system accords to every kind of joke and other device a place and a special name. In modern xiangsheng, four basic skills are recognized: speaking, imitating, joking, and singing. "

The modern Xiangsheng performer needs four skills: speaking ( shuo ), imitation ( xue ), sharp-tongued ( dou ) and singing ( chang ).

The from Canada native Chinese media star and Xiangsheng performer Dashan (Mark Rowswell) says Xiangsheng correspond in English most famous baseball -Sketch Who's on First? of the American comedian couple Abbott and Costello .

history

The beginnings of this form of representation go back to the time of the Ming Dynasty .

According to the Chinese lexicon Cihai , it was formed during the Ming and Qing periods from Gebixi (also called xiangsheng in Beijing ), Quantang bajiaogu 全 堂 八角鼓 and Minjian xiaohua 民间 Zeit.

One of the earliest Xiangsheng comedians known by name is Zhang Sanlu, who appeared in the mid-nineteenth century. In China he is one of the first generation of Xiangsheng artists. The Canadian Dashan (Mark Rowswell), who often appears as a Xiangsheng actor, now belongs to the ninth generation. Modern Xiangsheng actors, for example, are Ma Ji (1934-2006), Feng Gong, Niu Qun, Jiang Kun and Tang Jiezhong.

After the spread of standard Chinese after 1949, the popularity of Xiangsheng increased in the People's Republic of China .

In Taiwan and Hong Kong , Xiangsheng art has in some cases developed differently than in mainland China.

For a younger audience, animators have also created animated versions, including from various skits from past shows.

Social criticism

The Xiangsheng's small size and popularity create a reflection on public affairs like word of mouth.

"Xiangsheng enjoys, moreover, a generally wider scope for political and social satire than is officially allowed to other contemporary forms. The reasons for this are unclear but seem to stem partly from the assumption that jokes are essentially unsious and that an oral form is by nature less subversive than a written one. "

According to Beijing Xiangsheng master Hou Baolin (1917-1993) and others, Xiangsheng are

"Works of comic nature which use satire and humor as their principal base. Their satirical content strikes home at contemporary malpractices and also often includes political satire. ( Works of a humorous nature that use satire and humor as their main props. Their satirical content castigates contemporary grievances and often also includes political satire. "

The role of the Xiangsheng in social commentary became apparent after the fall of the Gang of Four in 1976 , when Xiangsheng performances provided the first open criticism of this group. After 1976, Xiangsheng has also satire on bureaucracy and corrupt officials and privileges of Chinese Communist Party cadres .

The humor in political matters, however, is different from, for example, the political joke of the Radio Yerevan category from the countries of Eastern Europe :

"The semi-underground cabaret humor of the Eastern European countries cracks its jokes at the expense of the Communist Party. Chinese xiangsheng, at least the aboveground performances, does the opposite; it satirizes enemies of the party both at home and abroad. "

Intangible cultural heritage

The People's Republic of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage List (V-47 (740)) includes Xiangsheng of the China Broadcast Performing Arts Group ( Zhongguo guangbo yishutuan ), the Beijing Song and Dance Theater Company LLC ( Beijing shi gewujuyuan youxian zeren gongsi ) and from the government immediate city of Tianjin .

Collective works

A comprehensive collection of traditional Chinese xiangsheng pieces is the four-volume work Zhongguo chuantong xiangsheng daquan . A convenient overview of Xiangsheng pieces is provided by xiangsheng.org.

Famous Xiangsheng actors

See list of Xiangsheng performers from China. In Germany, the China scholar Volker Stanislaw is one of the first artists to appear publicly with Chinese-language Xiangsheng representations.

literature

Web links

Videos

See also

References and footnotes

  1. ↑ Chinese   相聲  /  相声 , Pinyin xiàngsheng , English cross-talk; comic dialogue
  2. ↑ see e.g. B. Xin Han-De cidian
  3. ↑ In Chinese these three types are called: dankou xiangsheng / duikou xiangsheng / qunhuo xiangsheng (qunkou xiangsheng).
  4. ↑ german.cri.cn: Traditional culture is popular with the young audience in Beijing - found on January 28, 2012. - See also the pair of figures at china-kultur.at: Xiangsheng actors
  5. ↑ Chinese 相声 小品; engl. Crosstalk and Sketch at english.cntv.cn: Spring festival 2012
  6. ↑ Chinese Tiānjīnhuà 天津 话
  7. ^ Perry Link, p. 88
  8. ↑ To shuō 说 xué 学 dòu 逗 chàng 唱; see. Cihai article: 说学逗唱
  9. ↑ Quora: What is xiangsheng and what makes it funny? - Retrieved January 20, 2013
  10. ↑ Chinese gébìxì 隔壁 戏 / 隔壁 戲
  11. ↑ Cihai (Shanghai 2002), p. 1860a
  12. ↑ See e.g. B. Cross Talk / comic dialogue / xiangsheng in Beijing Accent (mandarin) with SUBTITLES-- 北京 相声 (youtube.com)
  13. ^ Perry Link, p. 85
  14. ↑ Colin Mackerras, p. 103
  15. ↑ z. B. in the Xiangsheng Maozi gongchang帽子 工厂 by Chang Guitian and Chang Baohua
  16. ^ Colin Mackerras: The Performing Arts in Contemporary China . Routledge, 2004, pp. 102-104.
  17. ^ Perry Link, p. 85
  18. ↑ Zhongguo chuantong xiangsheng daquan 中国 传统 相声 大全 . Beijing: Wenhua yishu chubanshe 文化 艺术 出版社, 1993; ISBN 7503910550 .
  19. ↑ Xiangsheng: The Optimal Method for Learning Chinese. German.CHINA.ORG.CN, August 31, 2016, accessed June 17, 2016 .