Creative Process in Cantonese Opera III: The Role of Padding Syllables
Bell Yung · Ethnomusicology · 1983
The text of bong wong, or aria types, in Cantonese opera has to observe prescribed verse structures. In an actual performance, however, the singer very often sings a greater number of syllables in a line than are prescribed. The extra syllables are called ch'en tzu, or padding syllables,1 and may be either written into the script by the scriptwriter, or added extemporaneously on stage by the singer. This paper2 studies the role of padding syllables in the creative process of Cantonese opera. More specifically, it focuses on the following questions: