Thanks to reader Linh and Jason Gibbs, we know know that this is a piece featuring the famed Phước Cương troupe. They are performing an example of cải lương, a “classical” type of Vietnamese theater music played on traditional instruments, and it is an excerpt of a piece known in English as “Sentencing the Precious Consort Pang.” The record dates from the mid- to late 20s. According to Linh’s description, cải lương sets lyrics over older, classical Vietnamese songs. The songs that are played in this excerpt are Khoc huang thien, Ngu Diem, and Thien Tuong.
According to reader Tri:
Điển khí here literally means ‘electricity’, which can be understood as ‘electrically recorded’. Phước Cương is the name of the troupe that recorded this excerpt for the Beka label. Indeed, this is the renowned cải lương piece named Xử án Bàng Quý phi. This excerpt is titled “Tiếp theo công đồng xử Quý phi” (i.e. The [imperial] council continues sentencing the [Pang] Consort). It is sung on three Vietnamese tài tử/ cải lương melodies: “Khốc hoàng thiên”, “Ngũ điểm” and “[Văn] Thiên Tường”. The name of the actor and actress are: cô Bảy Lựu (actress; who played the role Địch Thiên Kim Dowager Empress), cô Tư Huê (actress; who probably played the role Tào Empress), and Bảy Nhiêu (actor; who played the role Tống Nhơn Tông Emperor).
Beka was sold to Columbia in 1926, although the Beka imprint seemed to last well into the 1930s. The company made at least 140 recordings in Vietnam, and had a considerable presence in Asia throughout the early part of the century, having begun to record there since ca. 1906, when they first landed in Hong Kong.
The singers are accompanied by a bamboo flute (either the sao, or the tieu), a bowed instrument (probably a dan gao or dan nhi), and a plucked lute of some kind.
Technical Notes
Label: Beka
Issue Number: B 20107
Matrix Number: 92380
Excavated Shellac 
Hi there,
I love the tinny quality of the track – so odd to hear cartoon jazz quality sounds out of cai luong recordings.
Anyway, this is an excerpt from a cai luong play as you already surmised. Cai Luong’s modus operandi is to set lyrics over songs from the classical chamber music repertoire of Vietnam. Khoc hoang thien, Ngu Diem, and Thien Tuong are names of the classical songs that underly this selection. The title of the play is Su An Dan Qui Phi; I think Dien Khi and Phuoc Cuong are the actress and actor’s name. The excerpt itself isn’t titled.
Thanks again, and feel free to contact me via email next time you’re preparing a post on Vietnamese music.
Best,
LD
Điển khí here literally means ‘electricity’, which can be understood as ‘electrically recorded’. Phước Cương is the name of the troupe that recorded this excerpt for the Beka label. Indeed, this is the renowned cải lương piece named Xử án Bàng Quý phi. This excerpt is titled “Tiếp theo công đồng xử Quý phi” (i.e. The [imperial] council continues sentencing the [Pang] Consort). It is sung on three Vietnamese tài tử/ cải lương melodies: “Khốc hoàng thiên”, “Ngũ điểm” and “[Văn] Thiên Tường”. The name of the actor and actress are: cô Bảy Lựu (actress; who played the role Địch Thiên Kim Dowager Empress), cô Tư Huê (actress; who probably played the role Tào Empress), and Bảy Nhiêu (actor; who played the role Tống Nhơn Tông Emperor).
Thank you so much for replying to such an old post! I’ll amend the post and credit you.
Oh yeah – sorry, the play title is Xu An Ban(g) Qui Phi, not Dan Qui Phi. Googling for “Ban Qui Phi” brings up a number of modern production of the story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIE8kj3Ongc
Dear Linh,
thank you very much for your stone of responses i was able to tune with along this glorious music.
I have several questions maybe you would spin! I will try to email as well.. I have one disc found on a label named Hoành Sơn. It is so beautiful but i have no idea where to begin.. Another disc is on
Kim-Thanh…
thank you all very much for sharings…
yellowbird1@protonmail.com
Phước Cương was the premier cải lương troupe of the time. This side was part of a 4 record set condensing the larger cải lương play “Xử án Bàng Quí Phi” – Sentencing the Precious Consort Pang from one of the the Judge Bao stories from Chinese folklore. It’s a treat to finally hear Bẩy Nhiêu sing. He was a real innovator of the cải lương stage.
Thanks so much for illuminating this very early post, which desperately needed it! I will amend the post and credit you. Much appreciated.
If you have any more Vietnamese music in our collection, I’d love to hear it.
I do! Of course, some of my best discs ended up on Longing for the Past, which you illuminated very well 🙂