Xiqu

The name Yue refers to the ancient geographical name of the region during the Spring and Autumn Period. In Yue opera, the four major vocal styles of actors in xiaosheng (young male) roles are based on the four legendary stars, namely Yin Guifang, Fan Ruijuan, Xu Yulan and Lu Jinhua. The Yin school is open yet lyrical, with each utterance of a word controlled by the vocal delivery; the Fan school is robust and naturally voiced, with emphasis on pacing and accentuation; the Xu school is sonorous and expressive, with emotions woven into the vocal delivery and is therefore highly infectious; while the Lu school emphasises vocalising techniques and is distinguished by its nasal resonance, “back-of-head” tones and gutteral resonance.