1. The Development and Evolution of Xi-Opera
(1) The Early Period
Xi-Opera was developed by the merger of Wuxi Tan-簧 and Changzhou Tan-簧 around the time of the Xinhai Revolution. In the stage of tanspring, it is generally divided by the three major evolutionary processes it underwent. After the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the Wu dialect beach spring had become prevalent. In Chang, tin the countryside around the male and female narrative singing songs, and gradually with the Taoist sentiment, singing spring, Xuanzhu fusion and the formation of the beach spring tune, the Department of Wu beach spring of a, and later absorbed in the south of Suzhou around the "tea light" in the dance, and gradually developed into the beach spring opera, the first small Dan, clowns, and then there is a little boy, and from the sitting singing into a field square in the simple movements of the performance of walking singing, and the first is a little boy, the first is a little boy, the first is a little boy, the first is a little boy, the second is a little boy, the first is a little girl. The make-up was extremely simple, with male characters wearing long or short shirts, melon skin hats or felt hats, and folding fans in their hands (not held by those in short shirts); female characters wore short jackets and long skirts, with a little powder on their faces, wig buns on their heads, silk flowers inserted, and square handkerchiefs in their hands, and all of them were known as "xiaosheng and xiaodan" (small sheng and small dan), "Sheng, clown", "Sheng, Sheng Dan", "Sheng Dan, clown" based on the "pairs of theater", also known as the "three small plays".
The repertoire of the play is based on stories reflecting daily life in the countryside, with most of them revolting against feudal marriages and old rituals, and some of them ridiculing the landlord class. The performance is simple and sincere, with a strong flavor of life and a vivid and funny language, and the female roles are all played by men. The female roles are all played by men. The voice is only [reed tone], accompanied by an erhu (sometimes the player plays and sings by himself). At this time, there was neither a class society, nor a class master and professional artists, but purely farmers and small craftsmen in towns and villages who performed for their own amusement. Artists call this period for the "pair of theater" stage.
Daoguang years, began to appear semi-professional or professional beach spring artists, also began to appear female professional artists. A small number of artists into the city of Changzhou, Wuxi and other performances, due to busy performances, the need for additional manpower, artists began to apprentice, organization of the class, to the Guangxu years, and gradually formed the Chang gang, tin gang, Jiangyin gang and Yixing gang. The stage of "pair play" lasted nearly a hundred years, the more widely spread, some rural intellectuals also joined the team of beach spring, plus the competition between the classes, first of all, the repertoire is rich in content, the plot complexity of the repertoire appeared in addition to the three small, and there are the Lao Sheng, the Lao Dan, comical plays, such as three to five roles - "Borrowing yellow chaff", "Lu Yachen sells his wife," "The Story of Pearl Flowers" and so on. The Tale of the Pearl Flower" and so on. On the basis of the original single [reed tune], the [long three tunes], [traveling tune] and other tunes were derived. On the basis of absorbing folk tunes, it added [Purple Bamboo Tune], [Spring Tune] and so on. Due to the development of the repertoire of the "pair of plays", the richness of the tunes, coupled with the increase in the content, the complexity of the storyline, but also broke through the original form, so that the play has entered a new period - the same scene in the stage of the play "small The same scene". The same theater can be divided into two stages, "small same field" and "big same field", "small same field" is the product of the performance in the countryside, while "big same field" is the product of the city after entering the city. The "Small Tongzhang" is a product of the performance in the countryside, while the "Datongzhang" is a product of entering the city, which is an important turning point in the history of the development of Xizhou Opera. The "small common field" was around twenty years before and after the Xinhai Revolution. After the Xinhai Revolution, the relevant authorities of the National Government, as the beach spring "wind and customs" "slang obscene", also repeatedly ordered to ban. Beach spring artists were forced to walk the streets or to the field flow, most artists in the countryside in the backcountry, to send the art of singing, to support their families.
(2) The Middle Period
The opening of the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway created conditions for the tandem reeds to enter the big cities. In 1916, Yuan Renyi, Li Tingxiu and Xing Changfa formed a group called "Wuxi Tangliao" and performed at the end of the year in the "Tianwaitian" amusement park, and then transferred to the third floor of the "Big World", while Sun Yucai, Wang Jiadai and Zhou Fuyi formed a group called "Changzhou Tangliao", which entered the Small World (persuasive field) and other venues in 1919. Small world (persuasion field) and other places to perform in 1919, 1921 Changzhou class changed to "Changzhou cultural theater", Wuxi class changed to "Wuxi cultural theater". In the same year, the Changzhou gang of artists Zhou Fuyi and Wuxi gang of artists over the Zhaorong agreement, the two gangs cooperate in the first Shi company playground performances on the same stage. From then on, the two gangs merged and were unified and renamed as "Chang and Wuxi Opera". After the tin opera into Shanghai and Su, tin, Chang and other big cities. On the one hand
On the other hand, there is a more stable place to perform, there have been a number of more stable year-round "four seasons class", the activities of the Shanghai-Nanjing line of the class, the famous: Yuan (Renyi) family class, Sun (Yucai) family class, Zhou (Fuyi) family class, Li (Tingxiu) family class, Liu (Rongbingshi) family class, and so on. On the other hand, it was also able to contact, exchange and compete with its brothers, and first of all, it gained significant development in its repertoire. From the "Xuanzhu" and "Playing Words", they introduced "Pearl Tower", "Jade Dragonfly", "Double Pearl Phoenix", "Meng Lijun", etc., absorbed "Pipa Tale" and "Cai Jinlian" from Huiban, and transplanted "Horse Peddling Tale" and "Fan Lihua" from Peking Opera. Under the influence of the commercial culture of the Ten Mile Ocean Park, in order to compete for novelty and attract audiences, a large number of plays with institutional sets, lighted and colored platforms were performed from the middle of the 30s onwards, as well as the following plays: The Civet Cat for the Crown Prince, The Founder of the Gods, and The Case of Peng Gong. At the same time, it also staged a number of fashion and Qing costume plays such as "Shandong Ma Yongzhen" and "Yang Naiwu and Cabbage", which were based on real-life themes.
Thus, Chang Xiwen opera has entered the period of Datongchang opera. --After the outbreak of the war, the fall of Jiangnan, most of the class society evacuation of Shanghai and Shanghai-Nanjing Railway along the city to the countryside, some were forced to disband. A group of actors were beaten, imprisoned and persecuted in vain. After the liberation, Xizhou Opera finally embarked on the road of health and prosperity. 1950, the South Jiangsu Administrative Office held a workshop for folk artists, and at the same time, it unified the "Changxi-Wen Opera" in various places and renamed it as "Changxi-Theatre", and established three experimental Changxi-Theatre troupes, namely, the South Jiangsu Cultural Federation, Changzhou, and Wuxi, to organize and organize the "Experimental Changxi-Theatre Troupe". In April 1953, the Experimental Changxi Opera Troupe of the South Jiangsu Literary Union and some members of the South Jiangsu Literary Troupe formed the Jiangsu Xi-Theater Troupe. Since then, it has been shortened to "Xiqu Opera".
(3) Late Period
In the late period, the troupes abolished the curtain system, established the script system, strengthened the directing system, and carried out artistic innovations in music and stage art, etc. They successively took part in the East China Opera Viewing and Performing Conference held in September 1954 in Shanghai, and the First Jiangsu Opera Viewing and Performing Conference held in April 1957, and the troupes were honored to be invited to perform their works at the first Jiangsu Opera Viewing and Performing Conference, and to present their works at the first Jiangsu Opera Viewing and Performing Conference. The plays "On a New Road", "Water Splashed on the Big Red Robe", "The Story of the Blood Battle in Jiangyin" and "The White Horse Complaints" won the first and second prizes, script prizes and performance prizes; and a number of actors and actresses, such as Yao Cheng, Wang Lanying, Shen Peihua, Wang Bunbin and Meilan Zhen, won the first and second prizes. These plays and actors have their own characteristics and different artistic styles, which have won honors for the genre. In addition to finishing and adapting the repertoire and the innovation of opera music, it also continuously arranges and performs modern plays, such as "Red Seed", "White Danshan", "Saffron Song" and so on. Among them, "Double Push Mill", "Ammunition", "Meng Lijun", "Nong Jia Bao", "Aunt and Sister-in-Law Competition", "Three Kindred Families" and so on have been filmed for movies and TV, which has widened the dissemination and influence of the Xi-Opera in the whole country.
2. Artistic Characteristics of Xiyu Opera
Xiyu Opera is a kind of opera which is long in lyricism and has the interest and characteristics of the Jiangnan water town, and its singing tunes are basically the structure of the upper and lower phrases of the board changes, and often inserts a section of long or short clearing boards between the upper and lower phrases. The main tunes are reed tunes, including the old reed tunes, anti-gong old Dan tunes, and reed tunes of slow, medium-acute, opening, long three chambers, crying, talking head board, rolling boards, walking fast boards, and other boards, etc. In the 1930s, the continental boards of Hangzhou Wulin class, the "Lingling tunes" of Suzhou clerical tunes (a kind of rap tunes derived from the Su-tan and the Ping-bang), the "Lingling tunes" of Su-tan and the Ping-bang, and the "Lingling tunes" of Su-tan and the Ping-bang, etc., are also absorbed into the opera. The "Lingling Tune" of Suzhou Clerical Tune (a rap tune derived from Su Tan and Ping Bomb), the "Vertigo Tune" and "Triangle Plate" of Su Tan and Shen Qu, the "High Plectrum" of Peking Opera, as well as the "Spring Tune", "Purple Bamboo Tune", "JiuLianHuan", "Embroidered Lotus Bags", etc.
(1) The singing style
belongs to the synthesis of the song plate, with the distinctive features of male and female separate chambers. The tune is basically a version of the changing structure of the upper and lower sentences, often inserted between the upper and lower sentences of a long or short clear plate. The main tune is the reed tune, which is soft, smooth and light.
(2) Instruments
The erhu is the main instrument, supplemented by pipa, sanxian and yangqin, while xiao, flute, zhonghu, violin and cello are also involved.
3. The roles of Xiqu Opera
The roles of Xiqu Opera are divided into several stages of development, although there is a division of labor.
In the stage of pairs of plays, the male role is called "the upper hand" (or "the left mouth"), and the female role is called "the lower hand" (or "the right mouth").
Small with the field period, the role of more, the role of the line has been developed from the pair of theater "three small" to small, old, funny (ugly), old Dan, flower Dan five lines.
Datong field, a further branch, the small student has "elegant", "Wenwu" of the points, the old student has "family old student", "Wenwu old student", "treacherous old student" of the points, comical "trend comical" (singing current news), "dull faction comical" (also known as "cold face", to Yin gimmick is good at) of the points, the old Dan has a "family old Dan", "colorful Dan" of the points, the flower Dan has a "Qingyi sad Dan", "Wenwu flower Dan," "Cabinet flower Dan," "flirtatious flower Dan," "small Dan" (also known as "maiden Dan") of the points.
Based on different roles, each line is divided into a variety of small rows:
1, Xiaosheng: elegant Xiaosheng, Wenwu Xiaosheng, villain Xiaosheng (also known as "funny" Xiaosheng).
The elegant scholar plays all kinds of young scholars, heavy singers, such as the "Pearl Tower" of the Fang Qing and so on.
Wenwu xiaosheng played all kinds of young military generals, the text can sing, martial arts can fight, such as the "five tigers Pingxi" Di Qing, and so on.
The villain plays all kinds of playboys, and sings in a big way, such as Zhang Tang in "He Wenxiu".
2, Lao Sheng: family Lao Sheng, civil and military Lao Sheng, the old man.
The family old man plays the roles of an officer and an official, and is a heavy singer, such as Chen Peide in Pearl Tower.
The civil and military veterans play the roles of various generals and marshals, and should also be able to sing and fight, such as Li Guang in "Killing a Wife by Changing Knives".
The malevolent old man plays all kinds of sinister and treacherous officials, singing and reading with the tiger sound, such as the "five tigers Pingxi" of Pang Ji.
3, comical: the trend of comical, dull school of comical (also known as "cold-faced comical").
Trendy comical play all kinds of witty and funny characters, good at singing the local news, such as "Pantuoshan incense burning" of the Shan Baolin.
Dull school comedy play all kinds of stupid, simple and thick characters, good to "Yin gimmick" to win, such as "double pearl phoenix" Lai Fu.
4, old Dan: family old Dan, color Dan.
Family old Dan play all kinds of kind-hearted elderly women, heavy singers, such as the "Pearl Tower" of the Fang Yang's and so on.
Colorful Dan plays the upright and spirited or false feelings of middle-aged and elderly women, the performance can sing and do, flexible movements, such as the "He Wenxiu" of Yang mother and so on.
4. The traditional repertoire of Xizhou Opera
There are about 277 traditional repertoires of Xizhou Opera, such as: "Selling Hundun", "Selling Peaches", "Selling Soup Dumplings", "Selling Flower Bands", "Selling Grass Hoard", "Selling Dumplings", "Selling Pork Spare Ribs", "Picking Peach", "Picking Vegetable Hearts", "Pomegranate Picking", "Lending Sweat Towel", "Lending Cloak", "Lending Yellow Bran", "Burning Incense in Pantuoshan", "Burning Bones", "The Book of Tooth Marks", "The Book of Burning Bones", and "The Book of Bones". The Burning of Bones, The Biting of the Tongue, The Gray Appendage, The Blue Shirt, The Golden Ring, The Carp, The Red Shoes, Lu Bu and the Sable Cicada, The Po Lin Lantern, The Red Mane and the Strong Horse, Wu Sung Kills His Sister-in-Law, Xue Gang Troublesome Lanterns, The Golden Jade Slave, The Chopping of Scripture Halls, Zhao Jun Goes Out of the Frontiersmen, Chen Xing Yuan and the Fans (Two Degrees of Plum), Emperor Yang Looks at the Qiongnu Flower, The Beige Jade Hairpin, The Fire Burning the Pomegranate, The Borrowing of the Sweat Sweat Towel, Borrowing of a Cape, Borrowing of Yellow Branches, Burning Incense in Pan Ta Mountain, The Teeth Marks The Jasper Hairpin", "The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple", "The Lady of the Deserted River", "The Case of Pao Kung", "The Seven Heroes and the Five Righteousnesses", "The Drops of Blood", "The Pearl Pagoda", "The Two Pearl Phoenixes", "The Jade Dragonflies", "The Legend of the White Snake", "The Monarch of Meng Lijun", "Meng Jiangnü", "He Wenshou", "Yang Naiwu and the Little Cabbage", "The Tracing of the Golden Phoenixes", "Tears of Laughter and Reasons for Telling and Laughing", "The Autumn Begonia", "The Gunning down of Yan Ruisheng", "Huang Huiru and Lu Genrong", the The Bitter Female Single Gang", "Bu Ling Wang", "Chen A Jian", "A Cucumber and Three Flat Stretches", "Hsien Ying Bridge", "Acknowledging Mother at the Nunnery", "Meeting at the Nunnery", "Double Pushing Mill", "The Gentleman and the Minister Traveling in the Garden", "The Saffron Quatrain", "The Female Militia of the Sea Island" and so on.