Ningxiang Liushahe Tuba is the cradle of flower-drum opera. The Tuba troupe contributed greatly to the formation of Hunan Flower Drum Opera. Flower Drum Opera is a small folk drama created by the working people. It was formed in the Qing Dynasty, popular in central Hunan, east Hunan and Dongting Lake, is a unique style of art, the masses based on a deep, distinctive local color, the rich flavor of life of the local small drama.
Ningxiang Flower Drum Opera's song and dance singing forms were developed on the basis of folk songs and dances, absorbing labor songs, walking cards and opera music. Initially by the song and dance form of the ground flower drums developed into a more storyline of the pair of flower drums; then developed into the "three small plays" (Dan, Sheng, clowns), and gradually with the nature of the drama, for the stage of the grass-roots class performances; and later absorbed the cadences of other types of theater, accompaniment and performance of the artistic expression of the opera genre. It was created and formed in the folk, not like other types of theater first by the court, the upper society advocate and then spread to the folk, so it is very mass. Before the liberation, Ningxiang Huadu Opera was regarded as obscene by the rulers and was strictly prohibited.
Ningxiang flower-drum opera singing, initially once a clown "two" play (small Dan, clowns, or pairs of plays), and later developed into "three small", and this is the main feature. After nearly a hundred years of artistic exchanges and mutual integration, the flower-drum opera has formed a more complete system of Ningxiang flower-drum opera today.
Flower Drum Opera Genre
Ningxiang: because of the entry and exit of urban and rural areas, and therefore had to be committed to the innovation of the vocal music, to the minor key, handling delicate, the words are round, euphemistic and fresh, sincere and moving, and the development of the stringed accompaniment.
Liuyang: represented by the "Caicha Tune", which is often performed in positive dramas such as "Xuemei Teaches Her Son" and "Meng Jiangnu"
Pair of Flower Drums
Pair of flower drums is also known as the "Ground Flower Drums". The ground flower drums". Pair of flower drums is initially working people in the mountains and fields in order to eliminate fatigue or to express their feelings and humming songs, and then through the artistic processing of artists, developed into a set of song, dance, music in one of the folk art form, the performance place is no longer confined to the mountains and fields, to the Household, the Sun Valley and the stage, mainly for the New Year's festivals or wedding and birthday celebrations and use.
Because it is easy to understand, its form of expression to self-entertainment, enthusiasts as long as a little practice will be able to act, so in the folk glow a very strong vitality, spread widely, can be a lot of people, 50 years Ningxiang had a "10,000 people flower drums," the grand scene.
Ningxiang pairs of flower drums generally have once a clown two actors, props to hand towels, fans are mainly used as musical instruments with drums, gongs, cymbals, tubes, suona, gongs, orchestra consists of about ten people. Ningxiang pairs of flower drums are divided into two categories: a "haunted stage", mainly reflecting the lively scene, the performance style is enthusiastic, exuberant, high-pitched and warm tunes; a "singing ditties", the performance style is leisurely and light-hearted, lively and refreshing, and the tunes are mellifluous and fluent. The theme of the pair of flower drums is mostly to reflect the practice of labor and production and the love of men and women.