What is the West River Drum, which is extremely popular?

West River Drum was originally known as Meihua Tune Drum, also known as Hechang Drum. After the Republic of China, it was named Xihe Drum in Tianjin. It is the main type of music in Hebei Province formed in the late 19th century on the basis of stringed books and wooden board drums. In the early days, the famous artist Ma Sanyi changed the wooden board into a pearshare board, and changed the accompanying instrument from a small sanxian to a large sanxian, as well as innovating the singing style. Since then, there have been many different genres, and at the end of the Qing Dynasty, it spread to the northeast and Shandong Province. West River drums to rap long book-based, **** more than 80, more than 60 in the book. Among them, "Xue family will be" "Yang family will be" "Hu family will be" the most widely circulated, known as the "three generals", there is a "gold Yang family, silver Hu family, the old Xue family can not be said" said.

The Xue family will be a book, including "Xue Rengui conquest of the East", "Xue Dingshan conquest of the West", "Xue Gang anti-Tang" and the sequel to the book "Xue Lei Sweeping the North". Yang family generals" book, originally only Yang Jiye, Yang Yanzhao, Yang Zongbao grandparents and grandchildren of the story, and then the Tianjin artists compiled and performed the "Hu Yang Heping", "small five tigers" two books, glorified Yang Wenguang, Yang Huaiyu two generations of heroes. Northeastern artists and the former fill the follow-up, compiled and performed the "Yang Family Generals prequel"; sequel to the book and "Yang Shi Han sweeping the North" "Yang Jinbao down the mountain" "Yang Zaixing looking for his father," "Young Generals Yang Mantang". A **** glorified the Yang family ten generations of heroes, even up can be said on a year. Liaoyang famous artist Shi Changling has an exclusive bibliography of six "Spring and Autumn" - "Left Spring and Autumn" "Heroes Spring and Autumn" "Guan Yue Spring and Autumn" "Silver Box Spring and Autumn" "Walking Horses Spring and Autumn" "Front Sword Spring and Autumn". It is a combination of history and myth, mainly depicting the three legendary characters of Wu Zixu, Saltless Lady Zhong Li Chun and Sun Bin during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods. The six books of Spring and Autumn can be told together for a year.

West River Drum's long book, in the early days, was mostly a "robe and belt book". After the Republic of China, Zhao Yufeng, Cheng Futian and other people to the commentary artists to learn many "short book", such as "big five righteousness", "small five righteousness", "double chaste nine old ten righteousness map", "Qing Lie Chuan" and other books. Among them, in the "small five righteousness" added "three old," "four masters" and other characters and "white eyebrows Xu Liang learning" and other episodes.

Ring Horse Biography has the most "books outside the book", such as "Qin Qiong fights", "Luo Cheng sells threads", "Sanquan Town", "Three Provinces Zhuang" and other eighteen books. The case of Liu Gongcheng can also be divided into "whirlwind case", "the crows report", "flower dog report", "the trial of the head", "take the country too" and other books, so there is "endless "ringing horse biography", singing endless "Liu Gongcheng" said. There are more than two hundred short books, often sung in the "Dazhuangtiangong", "Great Western Box", "Linglong Tower", "Parrot Poetry" and other repertoire.

Meihuatong is rich in singing, mainly in Jizhong and absorbed a lot of folk songs, divided into three boards of the first board, a board of the second board, a board without eyes of the three boards and other boards, which two boards of the first board, double-high, running boards, etc. have their own characteristics. In addition, there are many flowery cadences, and the lyrics are popular and fluent. However, some artists also have some water words in the improvisation of long and big books, which is why Miu Donglin said that it has "more vulgar words and phrases". Short paragraphs have quasi words; the middle of the "eight sticks" is also quasi outline quasi words, relatively strong literary.

The artist's performance skills are many, including "speaking, singing, commenting, chanting, playing, hitting, learning, table", etc., which are lively and flexible. Therefore, by the majority of the lower level of the audience's welcome. According to rumors of old artists in the West River drum community, known only in Shenyang at the end of the Qing dynasty to dedicate the third generation of artists Zhang Tingrui (1891-1968), the artist's name Zhang Yingxun, was then known as the "Hundred racks of eagles," one of the artists. He studied the art of calligraphy, to the point of obsession, so he was nicknamed "Zhang bewildered". On the eve of the 1911 Revolution, he came to Shenyang, just twenty years old. After the Republic of China, this person went to Heilongjiang to dedicate to the art, famous in the north of the river.

Miu Donglin in the book "Shenyang hundred chants" has a bamboo stick lyrics are:

The iron plate knocking hands do not stop,

High burning silver candles shine in the courtyard.

The plum blossom is a tune of the spring breeze,

and people in the Golden Kingdom listen to it all night long.

The note cloud: "According to the custom like to listen to the big drum book plum blossom tune, the girlfriends are very. Every spring and fall, the flower moon good time, the rich and powerful clan even extended. The family of the well-off, or particularly effective, sounding iron drums, often all night long." Here it is said to play the iron plate sung by the plum blossom tune drum book. Liu Shiyin, Miao Donglin account of the two, the drum, especially the plum blossom tune, are derogatory, they are accustomed to listening to the elegant words sung by the children of the book, for the main rap wild history sung by the plum blossom tune of the drums, are very unpleasant to the ear.

Let's take a look at a passage from the Qing Yin Zidi book "The Absolute Red Willow," published by the Wen Sheng Bookstore in Shengjing in the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign (1896):

The most detestable Plum Blossom Tune,

Holding the two pieces of spade iron thumping the mountain, and humming inside the mouth.

The sound of the fish drums beating the skin is even harder on the ears.

Listen carefully to the second crash and the second crash.

Here is still a strong objection to the plum blossom tune. Although the literati at that time hated the plum blossom tune, many lower-class citizens loved this plum blossom tune, which specialized in singing long and big books. It had a common language, a bright singing style, and a twisted and legendary story. The general audience did not care whether the story was historically accurate or not, and how "vulgar" the words were. Different listeners have different preferences, just like the Song Dynasty, popular in the music world, two words: "Singing the words of the end of the world only to attract children, listen to the Taojin are all villagers." This is where the distinction between the elegant and the vulgar is made. Plum Blossom Tunes were introduced to Liaoning during the Tongzhi period and blossomed in the Republic of China. Just like the opera in the evaluation of the opera, produced in Hebei, the development of the same in the Northeast. The rejection of the literati did not stop their development.

Hao Yanfang sings the Xihe drum

By the 1940s, many small, medium and large cities all over the Northeast had Xihe drum artists performing in tea houses. And it did not spread to the countryside, so the vast countryside in the Northeast is still the position of the Northeast big drum artists.

In 1925, the West River drum "Qingjiamen" has a famous artist Zhang Shicheng, Zhang Shide brothers came to Fengtian Tazigou area to dedicate their art, walked the "fire hole". The next year, they invited their teacher, Mr. Cheng He Lan to Fengtian. Mr. Cheng told books during the day and passed on his art at night. Mr. Cheng opened his door in the Northeast and collected a lot of disciples, including Cheng Shizhang, Tian Shijie, Cai Shijun, etc. Cheng He Lan's disciple, Yang Shijie, was the most popular one. Mr. Cheng's disciple, Yang Shiyou, was known as the "life-sacrificing goat". He should have taken the character "Shi" for his disciple, but since "Shi" and "Shi" have the same sound, he changed the character to "Fu". The character "Fu" was passed down to the four generations of "Fu, Qi, Lian and Zeng". The "Fu" generation of artists include Guo Fuhai, Bang Fulai, Li Fuyuan, Zhao Fuyuan (Zhao Yufeng), Cheng Futian, Cheng Funong, and six major disciples.

Mr. Hao Yingji, the founder of Hao Pai Xihe Drum

Mr. Hao Qingxuan, the eldest son of Hao Yingji, the founder of Hao Pai Xihe Drum, and a famous Xihe Drum performer

Because of the Xihe Drum's popularity with the audience in Northeast China, after the 30's, many performers came to Dalian and Fengtian to dedicate their performances. Among them, "Meijiamen" artists under the "De, Qing, Tian, Xiang" four generations, "Qing" generation of artists Li Qinghai, Li Qingxi (later changed to commentary), Zhao Qingshan, etc. have been to Shenyang and other places to present their art. The "Qing" generation artists, such as Li Qinghai, Li Qingxi (who later changed into a storyteller) and Zhao Qingshan, have all traveled to Shenyang and other places to perform. "Qing family" artists "up" generation of Wang Qiren long lived in Shenyang (later changed to commentary). In addition to Mei Qing two large schools, has come to Liaoning to dedicate the art of a Lei Bingan and others. Shandong faction of the "Li" generation artists are Wang Liheng, Song Lizhang, Zhang Liqing and others. Some of them are also the whole family to Shenyang to dedicate, such as Hao Yingji with son Hao Qingxuan, Hao Qingguo, daughter Hao Yanchun, Hao Yanfang, Hao Yanqing; Zhang Dingshan with son Zhang Shuhui, Zhang Shuling, daughter Zhang Shanting, Zhang Xiangjun, Zhang Shannan, Zhang Xiangyu; Wang Fuyi with son Wang Laijun, Wang Laixin, Wang Laiyin, daughter Wang Xianggui, all settled in Shenyang. In addition, there are also a few Fengtian drum artists, once changed to sing the West River drum, such as Nie Tiansheng, Xu Zhengman and others. West River drum famous artists have "three big banners" and "black and white two girls".

Hao faction of the West River drum heirs, the Hao family five sisters group photo. Front row from left to right: Hao Yanfang (old four), Hao Yanzhen (old some of the small school artists, such as "Nankou school" big), Hao Yanchun (old two); back row from left to right: Hao Yan "Bing" generation of artists are Cheng Bingquan, Qing (the old five), Hao Yanxia (the old three)

Zhao Yufeng (1883-1972), known by the stage name Zhao Fuyuan, was a native of Hetian County, Hebei Province. He learned the art from his brother Zhao Shuangyin when he was young, and later studied under the master Yang Shiyou. When he was young, he performed in Beijing and learned from Qun Fuqing's commentary "The Case of Shi Gongcheng" and transplanted Pan Chengli's commentary "The Three Heroes and the Five Righteousnesses" into a drum book, which was the first of its kind in the West River drums' "short-playing book" rap. He also "drum king" Liu Baoquan's Jingyun drum singing into the West River drum. In the early years of the Republic of China, when he was performing in Shenyang, he was instructed by Liang Dianzhi, a famous book critic, and his skills were greatly improved. He also learned Peking Opera martial arts from Gao Fu'an and applied it to his performance of storytelling, forming the Zhao School of Drumming, which integrates speaking, singing, tabling and acting. When he performed in Tianjin, he, Cheng Futian and Huang Fucai were known as the "Three Flags of the West River Drums", and around 1927, he accepted four disciples in Tianjin, Zhu Feiyun, Tian Qishan, Zhang Qiwu, and Li Qizhao, who were known as the "Clouded Mountains and Misty Shadows". After liberation, he traveled to the northeast, sang "Fisherman Hate" and other new repertoire. 1956 to participate in the Anshan Opera Troupe, in his later years to teach, with disciples Huang Qibin. Shan Tianfang, Liu Lanfang, etc. were taught by him.

Cheng Futian (1904-1940) was a native of Jinghai County, Hebei Province. His father, Cheng Fenglai, used to go to the palace to speak for the eunuchs during the Guangxu period. He, his brother Cheng Fulin, and his younger brother Cheng Funong all studied under Yang Shiyou. He was a good storyteller, specializing in books such as "The Five Righteousnesses" and "The Little Five Righteousnesses". He said the "small five righteousness" book, added the "three old" "four masters" and other characters and "white eyebrows Xu Liang learning" and other episodes. 1933 to Dalian, two years later in Shenyang to perform, famous Guandong. The show was famous in the Guandong province. Unfortunately, he died at an early age.

Huang Fucai (1909-1951), a native of Dacheng County, Hebei Province, a famous Xihe drummer, Yang Shiyou's disciple, became famous in Tianjin in the 1930s, and then went to the northeast of Shenyang in the early 1940s to dedicate himself to the arts. After liberation, he settled in Anshan. He has written a lot of books, including The Five Generations of the Tang Dynasty, The Yang Family Generals, The Eight Righteousnesses, The Pagoda of Zhen Grievance, The Martyrs of the Ming Dynasty, The King of Yan Sweeps the North, and The Shuangzhen Nine Old Men and Ten Righteous Charts. His son, Huang Binggang, was awarded his true heritage and later became a famous book critic.

Wang Xianggui (1916-1979) is a woman from Baxian, Hebei Province. Her father, Wang Fuyi, and her brothers, Wang Laijun, Wang Laixin, and Wang Laiyin, were all drum book artists. Wang Xianggui from a young age with his father to learn the arts, and then worship Liu Fuxuan as a teacher, fourteen years old on the stage that red, known as the "white girl". Her singing skills are superb, with distinctive board eyes, loud voice, and especially good Daoist language. Book language clever, fine plot, characters live, is recognized in the Northeast book of the first corner of the female artists. She performed in the Shenyang Hui Bin Xuan Tea House, Tea House for her high pine branches, with neon advertising, there are also many reviews in the press. She said "Yang family general", "Hu family general", "Ming Yinglie" and other books. 1955 to settle in Harbin. 1958 participated in the first national opera performance. Her son, Shan Tianfang, later became a famous book critic.

In the late 1940s, due to the shortage of string masters, there were many male performers of the Xihe drum who switched to storytelling. After the liberation, only Cheng Fu Nong also insisted on singing Xihe drums, "Cultural Revolution" after the comeback, also changed to the commentary. Actress Hao Yanfang, after the founding of New China, the highest fame, was elected vice chairman of the Liaoning branch of the Chinese Opera Association.