Look at Shengdan, pure and ugly, you will sing and I will appear on the stage; red, white, yellow, green and blue, bring back many colors to the world. I believe many people don’t know much about the ancient Chinese opera culture. In today's information age with diversified entertainment, the art of opera has been shelved by most people. Chinese opera is an art and culture that has been passed down for thousands of years. Whether in ancient or modern times, opera is a microcosm of Chinese history. In this current era, which is both the worst and the best for the art of opera, how should we inherit this art? How to let more people know about opera?
When I was a child, I often heard this saying when I accompanied the elderly at home to watch theaters: Those who know how to watch a theater watch the door, and those who don’t know how to watch a theater watch the fun. When I was a child, every time I went to the theater with my grandfather, I was always the one watching the fun. It wasn't until I watched the opera "Memories on the Wall" with my father a few days ago that I discovered that the opera "Yay Ya Ya" in my impression also has a different kind of charm. It can express everything vividly and interestingly. The actors' singing is beautiful, and the characters' costumes and appearances are also very vivid. But the current situation of opera art is a bit embarrassing, not only far away from the market but also far away from the audience.
The inheritance of opera art should start with children. However, how should we guide children to appreciate opera art and understand opera culture? The picture book "This is Chinese Opera" created by Zhang Yanying and Wu Yinan has made efforts and attempts in this regard. In this set of picture books, we can learn a lot about opera, such as the origin and development process of various opera types, opera costumes, props, various famous artists, etc.
What attracts me most about this set of picture books is that it is popular, interesting, vivid and easy to understand. The introduction of opera knowledge coupled with the colorful paintings of different styles really makes you feel like you are wandering in the middle of a painting. Chinese opera includes literature, music, history, dance, martial arts, acrobatics, culture and other factors, and is known as one of the "three ancient dramas in the world". This set of picture books first introduces the development history of opera, which started in the pre-Qin Dynasty. It was formed in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, matured in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. By the Qing Dynasty, various genres began to flourish. The prosperity of Peking Opera, Kun Opera, Henan Opera, Yue Opera, Huangmei Opera, Sichuan Opera and other opera types represented the development and influence of various ethnic groups in various regions. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the "Hui Troupe came to Beijing" marked the formation of Peking Opera.
Local operas also flourished during the same period. Kunqu Opera is known as the "Mother of All Operas" and its classics that have been passed down to this day include "The Peony Pavilion", "The Peach Blossom Fan", "The Legend of the White Snake", "The Palace of Eternal Life", etc. Of course, as a native of Henan, I can also say a few lines on the classics of Henan Opera such as "Mulan", "Mu Guiying Takes the Command", and "The Case of the Beauty". The show that I am most amazed by personally is Sichuan Opera. The face-changing art of Sichuan Opera is really breathtaking and astonishing.
Sheng Dan is pure and ugly, with mouth, eyes, skill and movement. Professional professions in opera and actors' performance skills are also very important. After reading this book, I felt lingering. Suddenly I remembered a sentence from the movie "Farewell My Concubine": Fame and wealth are all in vain, the jade belt and black gauze turn back the career of a thousand years, separation and joy are all illusory dreams, and the beauty and talent disappear in a blink of an eye. Chinese opera culture has a long history. We should inherit and carry forward this art, and we should also bring opera back to the stage through inheritance.
The stories in the picture book "This is Chinese Opera" are exciting and interesting, and the characters are lifelike. The art of opera carries the connotation of our culture, art, history and tradition. In the contemporary era, we should understand and accept the art of opera even more, and at the same time, we should also make our own contribution to the advancement of opera to a larger stage in this era. When I first heard it, I didn’t know what the music meant, but when I listened to it again, I already knew the meaning of the music.
Life is like a play, and play is like life.