RED BOAT TROUPES AND CANTONESE ... - University of Georgia

The bright sound was desirable especially when microphones were not available. Just by
listening to the aria, the audience knew what was said.
Unlike Italian, the Cantonese language has diphthongs. These diphthongs are nasal.
Cantonese opera singers pay special attention to the diphthongs, especially the last syllable of
each phrase, without which, it would have an undesirable effect. Singing Cantonese opera
therefore employs a nasal resonance. To some Western opera audiences, Cantonese Opera
singing may be too nasal and perhaps too “closed.” After getting used to the nasal tonality,
Cantonese songs and operas are a joy to listen to. Cantonese words are syllabic. Choosing a
vowel that follows the word in a melisma is up to the performer. “Ah” and “ee” are commonly
used. “ee” is used more often by polite woman, because “ah” sounds a bite rude in the
Cantonese language. 114
Voice types
The two most common voice types of Cantonese opera singing are the zi hau and the ping
hau. Lead female role sings zi hau (soprano), regardless of the gender of the singer. Lead young
male role sings ping hau, also regardless of the gender of the performer, at a lower register. Ping
hau was introduced after microphones were used. Before the common use of microphones, male
roles were sung an octave higher. By transposing the male vocals an octave lower, ping hau, a
“young man” voice type, became closer to natural Cantonese.
Most natural tones in Cantonese are lower than those of the dialects used in predecessor
operas of Cantonese opera. Women singing ping hau is still a common practice in theater and in
singing stages. A female singer may possess more than one voice type singing ability.
Sometimes, after singing a passage as a young lady with a soprano zi hau, the same performer
114 Interview with Ms Chan Sau Hing who does lead female roles
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