Gaobozi (High Bozi)
A high, vehement tune from Hui opera, distinct from xipi and erhuang, used for heroic or tragic scenes
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Gaobozi is a tune adopted by Peking opera from Hui opera's bozi idiom. It sits high, moves vigorously and projects outward, often used for indignation, heroism, travel or pursuit; the famous scenes in "Xu Ce Running to the City Wall" are gaobozi.
It belongs neither to xipi nor to erhuang but is another tune in its own right, with its own daoban, yuanban, duoban and yaoban metres. It is a tune, not a metre, and not a whole vocal tradition: first hear its high, driving edge, then listen for how the metre changes.
Read deeper → Peking opera
Sources
- 高拨子源出徽调、音调高亢、独立于西皮二黄及其板式，参《中国音乐词典》与 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "China" 相关条目；本文为原创表述
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