During the late Qing dynasty, especially in northern China, crosstalk, or comic dialogue, was popular within traditional Chinese opera and popular musical theater. This form was typically performed by being spoken and sung, and for themes, mostly borrowed from quotidian life or current affairs. Generally, one to three performers—sometimes more—perform the crosstalk, using fans, handkerchiefs, or other props. Due to the comedic nature of its contents, many performances have resonated with their audiences, even being passed down to the present day.
The Archives owns numerous shellac records distributed by the company RCA Victor, which was founded in the 1920s in Shanghai and became one of the big three actors in the local industry. From the 1920s to 1930s, record labels predominantly focused on producing opera pieces or other forms of musical theater, and our collection reflects this as its contents are recordings of such pieces and notable singers. More specifically, they include classical performances of tongue twisters and matching antithetical couplets, to name just a couple. In the drama “Mai chun lian” (lit. “selling of spring festival couplets”), for example, each crosstalk performer utilizes a soft, stern, or persuasive tone to match their Spring Festival couplet, as well as expressing the fascinating custom of “[obligors] not paying their debts during Lunar New Year.” We invite any interested parties to have a listen.