An Exploration Of The Singing Versions And Singing Techniques Of The Cantonese Opera ’Ode To Lychee’

The classic masterpiece of Cantonese opera,Ode to the Lychee,was composed in 1957 by the famous Cantonese opera scriptwriter Chen Guanqing,and is still active on the stage more than sixty years later,with its unforgettable classic melody.This article will focus on the version of Ode to the Lychee by two famous Cantonese opera singers,Red Thread Woman and Yingzhu Chen,a young singer of folk singing.The first part is mainly a background introduction to the work,the second part is an analysis of the musical form characteristics of the work in terms of both lyrics and melody,and the third part is a comparative study of the different musical treatments of the two sung versions based on the information I have consulted and my own understanding of the work,followed by a reflection on what the two versions reveal to the author’s singing practice.In order to gain a deeper understanding of the Cantonese opera and a more comprehensive grasp of the interpretation of this work,as well as to give some reference value to other singers who wish to sing this Cantonese opera.