Creativity in Cantonese operatic singing: Analysis of excerpts from Hu Bu Gui by three artists as examples

Cantonese opera is one of the most representative traditional art forms in Hong Kong; since the nineteenth century, numerous artists have established their own personal singing styles. Similarly, audiences have been enchanted with the art form’s creativity. However, in recent years, artists in Hong Kong have tended to merely imitate their predecessors, rather than striving to develop their own styles. This study aims to explore the attributes leading to the establishment of personal style. It firstly reviews literature about creativity in psychology as well as socio-historical phenomenon of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong, followed by an analysis of two Aria Type excerpts sung by three eminent artists, in order to explore the creative elements of some well-established personal styles. Findings suggest that a keen competitive environment among artists with a knowledgeable and demanding audience may help artists to determine in striving for development of personal styles, which is, in essence, ‘imitation with flexibility’.