Featured On The Show

Winter Begonia is a drama that showcase the beauty of Beijing Opera. Many popular operas were featured on the show, including the Drunken Concubine. There were also three major operas created especially for the show. The following explanation of each opera and scene is mostly from Peking Opera, written by XU Chengbei (Cambridge University Press, 2010.)

## Shang Xirui's Repertoire in Winter Begonia

### 贵妃醉酒 / 百花亭 The Drunken Beauty (Concubine) / Hundred Flowers Pavilion

京剧 Peking Opera

This one-act play containing a lof of singing and dancing is one of the classics played by Mei Lanfang.

The story tells of an episode in the love life of Emperor Xuangzong 玄宗 (685-762) and his beloved imperial consort Yang 杨贵妃. The emperor invites Lady Yang to a garden to see flowers but then goes to see another concubine. Lady Yang waits for the man who never turns up and drinks wine all by herself. With a heart filled with bitterness and sorrow, she finally goes back to her own quarters. (Xu, Peking Opera, p. 98)

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 42

Video: https://youtu.be/gQfdUyVYdxc & https://youtu.be/Frsk8OMEOLM

### 霸王别姬 The Conqueror Bids Farewell to His Favourite Concubine

京剧 Peking Opera

This story tells the tragedy of Xiang Yu 项羽, a great warrior, and his beloved concubine during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. The warrior is defeated and surrounded. In the army tent, his concubine tries to cheer him up with dancing and singing before killing herself with a sword. The worrior ends his life with the sword, too. (Xu, Peking Opera, p. 99)

Episode 1, Episode 3

Video: https://youtu.be/m4lDWc2xCZY

### 人面桃花 and 开山府 "Kaishan Mansion" from 打严嵩 Beaten Yan Song

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 2

Video: https://youtu.be/jZY9KfXUsDI

### 救风尘

昆曲 Kun Opera (the caption on the image is wrong)

Episode 4

Video: https://youtu.be/K5dCCxcLUWg

### 晴雯撕扇 "Qingwen tearing a fan" from 红楼梦 Dream of the Red Chamber

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 5

Video: https://youtu.be/b-FXDJLlpgg

### 长生殿 The Palace of Eternal Life

昆曲 Kun Opera

Episode 5

Video: https://youtu.be/eLTAaXbGeTk

### 思春 from 战宛城

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 10 & 11

Video: https://youtu.be/5Spse-0Vfpw

### 赵飞燕 Zhao Feiyan

Original Winter Begonia Opera

Episode 14

Video: https://youtu.be/\_vu21mhqCe0

### 琴挑朝元歌 from 玉簪记

昆曲 Kun Opera

Episode 17, 18

Video: https://youtu.be/SHXowaF9fCc & https://youtu.be/FQn2Uvdg\_-Q

### 武家坡 "Wu Family Slope" from 红鬃烈马 The Red Maine Horse

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 20, 31, 36

Video: https://youtu.be/QUZzEysSBUw

### 十三妹

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 21

### 春秋配

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 21

### 潜龙记 Records of the Dragon

Original Winter Begonia Opera

Episode 24

Video: https://youtu.be/UJBtfDw0uH4

### 断桥 "The Broken Bridge" from 白蛇传 Legend of the White Snake

昆曲 Kun Opera

Episode 25, 32

Video: https://youtu.be/YjOTuJTVYUw & https://youtu.be/YaA\_n9N05LY

### 战金山 "Battle of Jinshan" from 擂鼓 Beating Drums at the Battle of Jinshan

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 30 & 37

Video: https://youtu.be/XrtGzlbrCEo

### 苏三起解 Susan send off under guard, also known as 女起解 Woman send off under guard

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 34, 39

Video: https://youtu.be/K81-IRyO4Ew & https://youtu.be/hw-Uh5EJGoQ

### 红楼二尤 also known as 鸳鸯剑

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 40

Video: https://youtu.be/0kPSaPQn4MQ

### 牡丹亭

昆曲 Kun Opera

Episode 41

Video: https://youtu.be/nqA5FArthe0

### 大登殿

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 43

Video: https://youtu.be/1uuLqXRSUKg

### 绿珠坠楼

京剧 Peking Opera

Episode 49

Video: https://youtu.be/d-iTE-YQ4z4

### 风仙传

Original Winter Begonia Opera

Episode 45, 49

Video: https://youtu.be/q7dysl6M57o

## Performance by other Opera Players

阎惜娇 Peking Opera EP 14红楼二尤 Peking Opera EP 33击鼓骂曹 Peking Opera EP 37