Information about Huangmei Opera

Plum Opera originated in Huangmei County, Hubei Province. It was formerly a folk tea-picking tune, also known as Huangmei tune. It was named after the Huangmei Mountain in the territory. In the 19th and 19th centuries, this "bitter cauliflower" followed the People who fled famine and begged for food drifted to Anhui and took root in Anqing. Later, the older generation of Huangmei Opera artists used their efforts and wisdom to develop it from grass terrace to flower terrace, from folk tea-picking tune to a local opera among the five major types of opera in the country. Huangmei Opera is known for its rich flavor. The atmosphere of life, simple performance style, beautiful music melody, and popular local language have become today's "popular" operas that are loved by audiences across the country, compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and international friends

The reason why Huangmei Opera is The development to the present situation should be divided into three major stages:

The first stage is from the late Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty to around the Revolution of 1911. The Huangmei tea-picking tune, Jiangxi tune, Tongcheng tune, and Fengyang song, which were produced and spread to Anhui, Hubei, and Jiangxi provinces, were influenced by local opera performances (Qingyang tune, Hui tune), and were closely related to Lianxiang, stilt, and land boat, etc. Folk arts were combined and some small plays were gradually formed. After further development, the performance content and expression form were absorbed from a folk art form called "Luohan Zhuang" and Qingyang tune and Hui tune, thus producing this play with a complete story. There is also a transition form from small opera to main opera, which old artists call "string opera". The so-called "string plays" are a group of independent but interrelated small plays. Some are "string together" with things, and some are "string with" people. The plot of the "string opera" is richer than that of the small opera, and the characters appearing in the opera also break through the three small categories of clown, Xiaodan and Xiaosheng. Some of the older characters need to be played by Zhengdan, Laosheng and Laochou. This created the conditions for the production of this play.

The second stage is from the Revolution of 1911 to 1949. At this stage, Huangmei Opera performances gradually became professional and moved from the rural grass stage to the urban stage. After Huangmei Opera entered the city, it collaborated with Peking Opera, and was influenced by Yue Opera, Yang Opera, Huai Opera and Ping Opera from the north (called "Beng Beng Opera" at the time) in Shanghai. It played a great role in the content and form of the performance. change. A number of new plays have been arranged and transplanted, including the scripted plays "Wen Suchen", "Hongbiyuan", "Hualiyuan", "Bee Diary", etc. In terms of music, preliminary reforms have been made to the traditional singing tune, which reduces the empty words in the old tune, making it bright and smooth, making it easy for the audience to understand what is being sung. The accompaniment was canceled and the Huqin accompaniment was used. In terms of performance, it absorbs and melts the formulaic movements of Peking Opera and other brother operas, enriching the means of expression. Others, such as costumes, makeup and stage settings, have also developed compared with the rural grass stage.

The third stage is from 1949 to the present. In 1952, Anqing Huangmei Opera artists performed in Shanghai with plays such as "Pig Weed" and "Blue Bridge Club". Over the decades, a large number of actors have been created. In addition to the older generation artists such as Yan Fengying and Wang Shaofang who have made outstanding achievements in the singing art of Huangmei Opera, young and middle-aged actors such as Ma Lan, Han Zaifen, Guo Xiaozhen, Wang Jing, Zhang Xiaoping, etc. have successively performed on the stage and screen. Their heroic figures were shown on the TV screen and on the TV screen, attracting the attention of the audience. "The Match", co-starring Yan Fengying and Wang Shaohang, has been made into a film for the second time, and "Qin Xianglian" and "Yu Laosi and Zhang Ernu" have been made into CDs by Hubei Huangmei Theater (formerly Huangmei County Theater Troupe, Hubei Province) for public release. It caused a sensation at home and abroad and gave the people a deep understanding of Huangmei Opera. Agree 1 | Comment 2006-4-23 17:22 Enthusiastic Netizens

The Development of Huangmei Opera

Huangmei Opera is the main local opera in Anhui Province. Most people are accustomed to believe that the birthplace of Huangmei Opera is Anhui, but this is not accurate. Huangmei (County) itself is in Hubei, but it is at the junction of Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces. More than a hundred years ago, "Huangmei Diao", also known as "Tea Picking Opera", was popular here. A branch of this small opera gradually moved eastward and became popular in the Anqing area of ??Anhui Province, forming the later Huangmei Opera.

Most of the early Huangmei operas directly put local folk songs on the stage to express the stories of local life, especially rural life. For example, "Pig Weeding" tells the story of a rural boy and a girl who had a conflict because they damaged the crops by weeding, and they resolved the conflict through antiphonal singing.

Among them, "The man is facing the flower, the sister is facing the flower, the pair are walking under the ridge of the field..." has already become a popular song. Another example is "Couple Watching Lanterns", which depicts the richness and variety of urban life through the experiences of a young couple watching lanterns during the Lantern Festival. Soon, Huangmei Opera also had success in staging big plays. These dramas are mainly influenced by Qingyang tune and Hui tune, and are complete dramas with complete stories, such as "The Story of Wujin", "Seven Fairies Descend to the World", etc. Among them, "Seven Fairies Descend to the Earth" was refined and revised several times, and was finally designated as "The Fairy's Match", which became the most influential representative work of Huangmei Opera. It should be pointed out that the early Huangmei Opera was basically a literary and artistic form for farmers to entertain themselves.

Since the 1920s, Huangmei Opera has taken shape day by day and has gradually embarked on the path of professional performance. One of its important signs is that the performance location has moved from rural areas to urban stages. First, professional classes appeared in Huaining, Anhui. Huaining is known as the "town of opera". Huangmei tune singing is very popular here. From the performance side, there are many plays, talents, and classes; from the viewer side, there are many audiences and markets. As a result, a group of theater troupes came into being. In 1926, the troupe of famous actors Ding Yongquan (dancer), Cao Zengxiang (niche), Ding Heshou (harlequin), etc. was active in Anqing city, and they have taken root here since then.

After Huangmei Opera entered the city, it was influenced by Peking Opera, Yue Opera, Yang Opera, Huai Opera, Ping Opera and other operas, and its performance has been greatly improved. Judging from the repertoire, there are adaptations and transplants of other dramas such as "Wen Suchen", "Hong Bi Yuan", "Hua Yuan", "Bee Diary", etc. From a musical point of view, the traditional singing tune has been reformed to a certain extent, mainly by reducing the redundant characters with strong dialect color in the traditional singing tune. In this way, the singing tune is concise, bright, and easy to read and understand literally. From the performance point of view, it absorbs some stylized actions from brother dramas. Actions such as opening the door, closing the door, smoothing things over, drinking, etc. Other aspects such as costumes, props, devices, accompaniments, etc. have improved compared with rural performances. Huangmei Opera in this period, especially the Huangmei Opera in the 1940s, has matured.

The greater development of Huangmei Opera came after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Since the state paid sufficient attention to local operas, in order to strengthen the artistic power, the state successively selected some literature, drama, music, and fine arts Experts in this field participated in the reform of Huangmei Opera. The joint efforts of new and old literary and art workers have given Huangmei Opera a completely new look. Huangmei Opera has grown from a small opera in Anqing to become the largest opera type in Anhui Province. To this day, Huangmei Opera, together with Huangshan, is known as the "Two Huangs of Anhui" and has become the pride of Anhui Province.

In Huangmei Opera during this period, the singing methods were reformed. In terms of music, the expressive power of "Pingci" singing styles was enhanced, breaking through the restriction that "coloratura" could only be used exclusively for operas. At the same time, it cleverly It draws heavily on folk songs and other musical elements to create new tunes that are in harmony with traditional singing tunes. In terms of accompaniment, it is no longer the intermittent and continuous "three hits and seven songs", but a Chinese and Western mixed band mainly composed of Chinese music, which greatly improves the expressiveness of the opera in terms of musical atmosphere. There were many plays performed during this period, but most of them were sorted out and re-edited. For example, "Playing with Pigweed", "Couple Watching Lanterns", "A Match of Heaven", "Fetching Water from the Blue Bridge", "Mending Backpacks", "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai", "Qin Xuemei Paying Filial Piety", "Willow Well", "The Legend of Chunxiang", "The Consort", "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl", "The Party's Daughter", "Sister Jiang", "Sister Liu", etc., there are too many to mention. Among them, "The Fairy's Match", "The Consort" and "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" were made into movies, which played an important role in the wide spread of Huangmei Opera and in preserving the outstanding style of Huangmei Opera artists.

When talking about the art of Huangmei Opera, we have to mention a group of old artists who have made great contributions to the art of Huangmei Opera, such as Yan Fengying, Wang Shaofang, Pan Jingli, etc. Among them, Yan Fengying is the most outstanding. To this day, whenever people mention Huangmei Opera, they will mention "The Match of the Immortals", and whenever people mention "The Match of the Immortals", they will mention Yan Fengying, the actor who plays the Seven Fairies. Just imagine, in today's China, how many people can sing Yan Fengying's "Birds in Pairs on the Trees"! Opera, especially local opera, has become a popular song, sung by thousands of people, and Yan Fengying is indispensable.

Yan Fengying was born in a poor family in Anqing in 1930. When she was 13 years old, she began to learn Huangmei Opera from teacher Yan Yungao. Because Yan Fengying has a clear and sweet voice, a beautiful and dignified appearance, and a strong artistic understanding, her performance is well received by the audience. Her performance in "Little Ci Store" is particularly famous. "Xiao Cidian" is a fragment of the complete "Chop Knife Story". It is about a young businessman named Cai Mingfeng who went out to do business and lived in a store opened by Liu Fengying. Liu Fengying's husband is a gambler who spends all his time in the casino and doesn't care about his family. Liu Fengying was extremely dissatisfied with her husband, but she had a similar relationship with Kui Mingfeng, a loyal and honest customer, and the two fell in love. But Kui Mingfeng had to return to her hometown eventually, and the two were heartbroken when they parted. In the play, when Liu Fengying learns that Kui Mingfeng still has a wife at home and decides to leave the shop and go home, Yan Fengying uses a tortuous and elegiac 320-line aria to express the heart-rending grief of the character. The performance has a strong The shocking power. During this period, Yan Fengying's performances such as "Sending Fragrant Tea", "Persuading Aunt to Marry", "Xi Lou Hui", "Wrapping Pigweed", and "Intimate Love" have become popular repertoires among the audience.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yan Fengying's artistic career faced a huge turning point. During this period, Yan Fengying made deletions and additions to the repertoire, especially rehearsing new plays such as "Jianghan Fisherman's Song", "Mulan Joins the Army", "Two Big Red Flowers", "Liu Jinmei's Stand", etc., which improved the performance level and artistic standards of Huangmei Opera. , the subject area has been greatly improved and expanded.

At the end of 1955, the film "The Match", adapted from the script written by Sang Hu and directed by Shi Hui, starring Yan Fengying and Wang Shaofang, was completed. During this period, I don’t know how many people watched the film over and over again. I don’t know how many people were attracted by the plot of the film. I don’t know how many people fell in love with the outstanding performances of Yan Fengying and Wang Shaofang... It can be said that the performance of "The Match" was... China has set off the "Huangmei Opera craze" and "Yan Fengying craze". Yan Fengying, who was in her twenties, suddenly became a performing artist loved by hundreds of millions of people.

After "The Match", "The Consort" and "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" starring Yan Fengying were also made into films. The films were screened at home and abroad, playing a good role in the spread of Huangmei Opera. During the "Cultural Revolution", Yan Fengying was wantonly humiliated and physically tortured. She couldn't bear the unprovoked attacks and refused to give in to the evil's persecution. On April 8, 1968, 37-year-old Yan Fengying committed suicide by taking medicine.

After the "Cultural Revolution", people remembered this artist who died young and built a white marble statue of Yan Fengying in her hometown of Anqing, so that the beautiful and kind-hearted "fairy" would remain in the world forever.

Fortunately, after ten years of catastrophe, Huangmei Opera has not declined or died, but has spread at home and abroad with a stronger momentum. In the new era of reform and opening up, Huangmei Opera has made great progress in terms of talents, repertoire, and performance style.

Huangmei Opera talents continue to emerge. The older generation of artists such as Wang Shaofang are still active on the stage, while a large number of newcomers such as Ma Lan, Wu Qiong, Han Zaifen, Chen Xiaofang, Jiang Lina, Ma Zijun, Huang Xinde, Wu Yaling, Jiang Jianguo, Zhou Li, Chen Zhaoshun, Yang Jun, Zhang Hui, Liu Hong quickly became The mainstay of the stage. At the same time, while sorting out traditional scripts, Huangmei Opera also staged a large number of new plays with novel ideas and distinctive themes, such as "Dream of Red Mansions", "Yu Laosi and Zhang Ernu", "Ke Laoer Joins the Party", "Unfinished" "Love", "Double Down the Mountain", "Coffin-Cracking Dreams", "Jade Broken at the Pearl Gate", "Dragon Girl", "Luopa Ji", "Xishi", "Zhu Xi and Liniang", "Beauty's Journey in the Storm", " "Cause of Crying and Laughing" etc. Among them, the ones with the greatest influence include "A Dream of Red Mansions", "Swing" and "Huizhou Women".

"Dream of Red Mansions" is a new play launched by Anhui Huangmei Opera Theater in 1991. This "Dream of Red Mansions" is different from previous performances. It does not follow the stereotype of Baoyu, Daiyu, and Baochai's love and marriage entanglements. Instead, it takes Baoyu's personal situation as the main line, exposes the evils of the feudal system, and advocates the liberation of individuality. inevitable. Ma Lan is a female actor, but this time she changed her appearance as a daughter and played Jia Baoyu. The performance of a cross-dressing niche brought Ma Lan's art to a new peak.

Ma Ke, the director of the play, believes: "I don't think there has ever been a "Dream of Red Mansions" with a higher quality than this version." "As the rehearsal approached, I wrote more than 40 lines of lyrics for the scene of Baoyu's crying spirit overnight," "The composer immediately composed the music." The performance of "A Dream of Red Mansions" brought Huangmei Opera to a higher level and established its reputation. Malan plays an important role in the industry.

What attracted attention and controversy was "Swing Frame" launched by Ma Lan and "Huizhou Women" launched by Han Zaifen in the late 1990s.

"Swing Frame" is a play tailor-made by the famous scholar Yu Qiuyu for her wife, Huangmei Opera artist Ma Lan. This is a legendary story based on the imperial examination in ancient China. It tells the story of a talented woman named Chu Yun who disguised herself as a man and took part in the imperial examination. She passed the examination many times and won the first prize. The emperor decided to marry his daughter to Chu Yun. When Chu Yun was helpless, another talented man Qianxun came to the palace to rescue him. Qianxun and Chu Yun were sentenced to death for deceiving the emperor. Facing death, Qianxun and Chu Yun held an engagement ceremony. This moved the originally angry princess, and the three young people exchanged their thoughts and hugged each other tightly. The incident ended in tragedy. In this story, the imperial examination has become a child's play. It is just the handrail of the story. The direction of the story is a swing frame with symbolic meaning.

As soon as "Swing Frame" appeared, people inside and outside the industry paid enthusiastic attention. Applause and criticism coexisted.

Anhui drama theorist Wang Changan wrote an article praising "Swing Frame" and said:

The feudal imperial examination system is the tragedy of China's old culture. It kills nature, suffocates life, and destroys human creativity. However, due to the selection of scholars, there are countless students who have no choice but to grind through the iron inkstone to take the exam. This is their helpless choice. This will inevitably lead to a huge contradiction between the splendor of life and the deadness of reality. Chu Yun, a woman who is used to swinging, feels the beauty of life and the value of freedom on the swing, and the meaning of independent ups and downs. And all of this must be obtained through "playing". Only by "playing" can one truly become oneself and become an otherworldly "immortal" that symbolizes an ideal personality.

So she used "play" to complete the provincial examination on behalf of her father. From this, what she got was not the satisfaction of success and the joy of honor from being the first in the provincial examination, but the fun of playing with herself and tasting the sweetness of freedom. It turns out that everything that seems sacred can be treated mischievously. When she made a private lifelong engagement with Qianxun, the token she gave to her lover was not a jade pendant, a scarf, or a poem, but a grasshopper. This is her concern for life and the preservation of her nature. She not only hopes that she, but also her beloved, can preserve more of their nature in this society where people are full of lust and cannibalism, and leave a space for themselves, even in a cage. However, this kind of freedom and nature cannot be obtained by renouncing one's self and returning to rituals, and by following the norms of orthodox culture. You can only win by playing and releasing your nature.

A swing brings a helpless choice; a joke shows the joy of independent ups and downs. The contradiction between nature and orthodox culture will exist for a long time. The progress of human civilization will eventually provide us with more diverse choices and achieve the unity of digestion and happiness, which will inevitably replace the wild nature of nature with the socialization of nature.

"Swing" weaves a fairy tale; "Swing" shows a fable; "Swing" allows us to change our senses to observe the world, and change our state of mind to appreciate the past...

p>

Xie Xizhang, a senior literary critic of "Beijing Evening News", analyzed and criticized the play. He said:

Is it appropriate to reduce human life experience to "swaying on a swing"? It remains to be discussed, but if it is just to express such a little meaning, Professor Yu Qiuyu will be enough to write an essay, and there is no need to waste people and money on a big show. Since it is a play, what the stage presents should be much more important than the ideas it explains. The exploration of the modernization of opera has been going on for many years, and a very important fact is that the way out for opera does not lie in modern interpretations of traditional texts.

In fact, Ma Lan did not get a good performance in this play. The main reason is that Yu Qiuyu, who is unwilling to be lonely, inappropriately appeared on the front desk.

The foregrounding of culture that should be the background often makes what is presented on the stage appear to be somewhat hesitant and awkward. For example, on the bridal night, a young lady and a princess talk about "what is a woman", and a young man and woman who love each other talk about the value of life on the execution ground, and then stage a "wedding on the execution ground", this kind of confrontation Modern interpretations of traditional texts are obviously subjective and arbitrary, which is difficult to gain recognition from opera audiences and even destroys the rationality of the narrative.

Different from "Swing", "Huizhou Women" performed by Anqing Huangmei Drama Troupe has a completely different style. "Huizhou Woman" stars Huangmei opera artist Han Zaifen. Through the four processes of a woman's "marriage", "hope", "yin" and "return", the story shows the tragedy of life of the woman at the bottom of feudal society. The print-like stage art, innovative directing techniques, and Han Zaifen's lifelike and outstanding performance make "Huizhou Woman" go against the traditional Huangmei Opera style of small, clever, light, and joyful, and replace it with a profound, dignified, tear-jerking, thought-provoking, and unique style. Strong artistic shock. Critic Tangyue wrote an article in "Drama and Film News - Liyuan Weekly" titled "High-quality music does not necessarily mean being modest". He said this:

The leading role on the Huangmei Opera stage was originally occupied by "Xiaojiabiyu" Occupy, and "Huizhou Woman" grandly introduces a "lady" in the Huangmei Opera Character Gallery. Xiaojiabiyu is light and flowing, straightforward and lively, and has many similarities with the temperament of popular opera. The dignity and poise of our ladies is a sight to behold, and it is no different from the "Xiaojiabiyu". But if there is a little more connotation in the dignified and steady image, it will be regarded as an improvement in taste. "Huizhou Woman" can indeed be called a woman with rich connotations. Her long life slowly extends in the plot progression as light as water and as erratic as clouds, including the profound experience of loneliness and confusion, including the love without hatred and the The incisive interpretation of "With No Regrets" contains the unremitting pursuit of life belief and value of life, bursting out strong and profound human power.

Criticisms of "Huizhou Women" are more focused on the fact that the play resembles a "drama" and downplays the essence of the "drama", that is, "telling a story with singing and dancing." Especially in the last scene of the play, the main character didn't have a single line to sing. What's incomprehensible is that the crew even praised themselves for not having a single line to sing. This is obviously contrary to the ontological aesthetic characteristics of opera, which is "no sound, no singing, no movement, no dancing". People can say, ""Huizhou Women" is a good play", but it is difficult for people to say ""Huizhou Women" is a good Huangmei Opera." Because if you don't sing, it's not opera, if you don't sing Huangmei tune, it's not Huangmei Opera. This is Basic characteristics that are fixed and immovable.

Of course, the shortcomings do not hide the good points. People, including those who hold critical opinions, give "Huizhou Women" a low overall "score".

Like many types of opera, Huangmei Opera also faces many difficulties in its survival and development in the new century. Many issues such as the restructuring of theater troupes, the inheritance and innovation of repertoires, the cultivation of top young talents, the exploration and development of the opera market, and the loss and protection of famous talents need to be solved urgently. To create a better tomorrow, Huangmei Opera still has a lot of work to do.

What attracted attention and controversy was "Swing Frame" launched by Ma Lan and "Huizhou Women" launched by Han Zaifen in the late 1990s.

"Swing Frame" is a play tailor-made by the famous scholar Yu Qiuyu for her wife, Huangmei Opera artist Ma Lan. This is a legendary story based on the imperial examination in ancient China. It tells the story of a talented woman named Chu Yun who disguised herself as a man and took part in the imperial examination. She passed the examination many times and won the first prize. The emperor decided to marry his daughter to Chu Yun. When Chu Yun was helpless, another talented man Qianxun came to the palace to rescue him. Qianxun and Chu Yun were sentenced to death for deceiving the emperor. Facing death, Qianxun and Chu Yun held an engagement ceremony. This moved the originally angry princess, and the three young people exchanged their thoughts and hugged each other tightly. The incident ended in tragedy. In this story, the imperial examination has become a child's play. It is just the handrail of the story. The direction of the story is a swing frame with symbolic meaning.

As soon as "Swing Frame" appeared, people inside and outside the industry paid enthusiastic attention. Applause and criticism coexisted.

Anhui drama theorist Wang Changan wrote an article praising "Swing Frame" and said:

The feudal imperial examination system is the tragedy of China's old culture. It kills nature, suffocates life, and destroys human creativity. However, due to the selection of scholars, there are countless students who have no choice but to grind through the iron inkstone to take the exam. This is their helpless choice. This will inevitably lead to a huge contradiction between the splendor of life and the deadness of reality. Chu Yun, a woman who is used to swinging, feels the beauty of life and the value of freedom on the swing, and the meaning of independent ups and downs. And all of this must be obtained through "playing". Only by "playing" can one truly become oneself and become an otherworldly "immortal" that symbolizes an ideal personality.

So she used "play" to complete the provincial examination on behalf of her father. From this, what she got was not the satisfaction of success and the joy of honor from being the first in the provincial examination, but the fun of playing with herself and tasting the sweetness of freedom. It turns out that everything that seems sacred can be treated mischievously. When she made a private lifelong engagement with Qianxun, the token she gave to her lover was not a jade pendant, a scarf, or a poem, but a grasshopper. This is her concern for life and the preservation of her nature. She not only hopes that she, but also her beloved, can preserve more of their nature in this society where people are full of lust and cannibalism, and leave a space for themselves, even in a cage. However, this kind of freedom and nature cannot be obtained by renouncing one's self and returning to rituals, and by following the norms of orthodox culture. You can only win by playing and releasing your nature.

A swing brings a helpless choice; a joke shows the joy of independent ups and downs. The contradiction between nature and orthodox culture will exist for a long time. The progress of human civilization will eventually provide us with more diverse choices and achieve the unity of digestion and happiness, which will inevitably replace the wild nature of nature with the socialization of nature.

"Swing" weaves a fairy tale; "Swing" shows a fable; "Swing" allows us to change our senses to observe the world, and change our state of mind to appreciate the past...

p>

Xie Xizhang, a senior literary critic of "Beijing Evening News", analyzed and criticized the play. He said:

Is it appropriate to reduce human life experience to "swaying on a swing"? It remains to be discussed, but if it is just to express such a little meaning, Professor Yu Qiuyu will be enough to write an essay, and there is no need to waste people and money on a big show. Since it is a play, what the stage presents should be much more important than the ideas it explains. The exploration of the modernization of opera has been going on for many years, and a very important fact is that the way out for opera does not lie in modern interpretations of traditional texts.

In fact, Ma Lan did not get a good performance in this play. The main reason is that Yu Qiuyu, who is unwilling to be lonely, inappropriately appeared on the front desk. The foregrounding of culture that should be the background often makes what is presented on the stage appear to be somewhat hesitant and awkward. For example, on the bridal night, a young lady and a princess talk about "what is a woman", and a young man and woman who love each other talk about the value of life on the execution ground, and then stage a "wedding on the execution ground", this kind of confrontation Modern interpretations of traditional texts are obviously subjective and arbitrary, which is difficult to gain recognition from opera audiences and even destroys the rationality of the narrative.

Different from "Swing", "Huizhou Women" performed by Anqing Huangmei Drama Troupe has a completely different style. "Huizhou Woman" stars Huangmei opera artist Han Zaifen. Through the four processes of a woman's "marriage", "hope", "yin" and "return", the story shows the tragedy of life of the woman at the bottom of feudal society. The print-like stage art, innovative directing techniques, and Han Zaifen's lifelike and outstanding performance make "Huizhou Woman" go against the traditional Huangmei Opera style of small, clever, light, and joyful, and replace it with a profound, dignified, tear-jerking, thought-provoking, and unique style. Strong artistic shock. Critic Tangyue wrote an article in "Drama and Film News - Liyuan Weekly" titled "High-quality music does not necessarily mean being modest". He said this:

The leading role on the Huangmei Opera stage was originally occupied by "Xiaojiabiyu" Occupy, and "Huizhou Woman" grandly introduces a "lady" in the Huangmei Opera Character Gallery.

Xiaojiabiyu is light and flowing, straightforward and lively, and has many similarities with the temperament of popular opera. The dignity and poise of our ladies is a sight to behold, and it is no different from the "Xiaojiabiyu". But if there is a little more connotation in the dignified and steady image, it will be regarded as an improvement in taste. "Huizhou Woman" can indeed be called a woman with rich connotations. Her long life slowly extends in the plot progression as light as water and as erratic as clouds, including the profound experience of loneliness and confusion, including the love without hatred and the The incisive interpretation of "With No Regrets" contains the unremitting pursuit of life belief and value of life, bursting out strong and profound human power.

Criticisms of "Huizhou Women" are more focused on the fact that the play resembles a "drama" and downplays the essence of the "drama", that is, "telling a story with singing and dancing." Especially in the last scene of the play, the main character didn't have a single line to sing. What's incomprehensible is that the crew even praised themselves for not having a single line to sing. This is obviously contrary to the ontological aesthetic characteristics of opera, which is "no sound, no singing, no movement, no dancing". People can say, ""Huizhou Women" is a good play", but it is difficult for people to say ""Huizhou Women" is a good Huangmei Opera." Because if you don't sing, it's not opera, if you don't sing Huangmei tune, it's not Huangmei Opera. This is Basic characteristics that are fixed and immovable.

Of course, the shortcomings do not hide the good points. People, including those who hold critical opinions, give "Huizhou Women" a low overall "score".

Like many types of opera, Huangmei Opera also faces many difficulties in its survival and development in the new century. Many issues such as the restructuring of theater troupes, the inheritance and innovation of repertoires, the cultivation of top young talents, the exploration and development of the opera market, and the loss and protection of famous talents need to be solved urgently. To create a better tomorrow, Huangmei Opera still has a lot of work to do. Agree1| Comment