The Origin and Development of Huangmei Opera

Huangmei Opera, formerly known as Huangmei Tea Picking Tune, originated in the early Tang Dynasty and was a folk opera formed in Huaining, Anhui Province in the late18th century, adjacent to Anhui, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces.

Before and after Daoguang in Qing Dynasty, Tongcheng tune, Fengyang tune, Huangmei tea-picking tune and Jiangxi tune, which were produced and spread in Anhui, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces, were influenced by traditional operas Qingyang tune and Huizhou tune, and combined with folk arts such as Lianxiang, stilts and dry boats, gradually formed some operas. After a period of development, on the basis of absorbing the performance contents and forms of "Luohanzhuang", Qingyang tune and Huizhou tune, a repertoire with a complete story is produced. In the process of the transition from small drama to this drama, a performance form called "string drama" appeared by old artists. The so-called "string play" refers to a group of small plays that are both independent and interrelated. Some of these plays are "strung together" by events, and some are "strung together" by people. The story of "cross-dressing" is richer than that of a small play, and the characters appear in it have also broken through three small areas: Clown, Xiao Dan and Xiao Sheng. Some old roles in the play need to be played by Zheng Dan, Lao Sheng and Lao Jiao. This created conditions for the production of this play. In terms of repertoire, the play is known as "36 major plays, 72% off small plays". The play mainly shows the people's dissatisfaction with class oppression, the disparity between the rich and the poor and their yearning for a free and beautiful life. For example, buckwheat story, Gao, Tian Xianpei and so on. In the play, there are many fragments of rural laborers' life, such as ordering barley, spinning cotton yarn and selling buckets.

Huangmei Opera was in the early stage of development from the last years of Qing Qianlong to around the Revolution of 1911. Huangmei Opera, formerly known as Huangmeidiao or tea-picking opera, is a folk drama formed in the adjacent areas of Anhui, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces in the late18th century. One of them gradually moved eastward from Huaining County to Anqing, Anhui Province, and was called "Huaiqiang" or "Huaidiao". This is the predecessor of Huangmei Opera today. Huangmei Opera has experienced four historical stages from its emergence to its development: one-man show, three plays, three hits and seven songs, and orchestral accompaniment. The first three stages were completed in Huangmei, Hubei Province, which provided sufficient preconditions for the final formation of Huangmei Opera. The period from Kangxi, Qianlong to Guangxu in Qing Dynasty was an important historical stage for the formation and development of "Three Strings and Seven Singing". At this stage, the accumulation of traditional plays, aria and performing arts and the wide spread of traditional operas have been fully practiced. During this period, the traditional repertoire was very rich, and artists could perform more than 200 kinds of dramas and operas, commonly known as "Big Ben 36, ditty 72". Many of them are based on the true story of Huangmei, such as Gao Jingcheng, Gao Bafei, Mercy and Compassion, Crossing the Boundary Ridge. In terms of repertoire, it is known as "36 major dramas, 72% off small dramas". The play mainly shows the people's dissatisfaction with class oppression, the disparity between the rich and the poor and their yearning for a free and beautiful life. For example, The Story of Buckwheat, Guan, Tian Xianpei, etc. Traditional Chinese operas mostly show the life segments of rural laborers, such as ordering barley, spinning cotton yarn and selling buckets.

Huangmei Opera is the main local opera in Anhui Province. Huangmei Opera is an important means to interpret and spread the traditional culture of China. The distribution is centered on Anqing and spread all over the country. Hubei, Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Taiwan Province and Hongkong all have professional or amateur Huangmei Opera performance groups, which are widely welcomed. Huangmei Opera, formerly known as "Huangmei Tune", is a folk opera formed in Huangmei in the neighboring areas of Anhui, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces in the late18th century. One of them gradually moved eastward to Anqing City, Anhui Province, and was called "Huai Qiang". This is the predecessor of Huangmei Opera today. The name "Huangmei Opera" was formally put forward for the first time in Susong County Annals (192 1) published in 0/0.

The development history of Huangmei Opera can be roughly divided into three stages:

The first stage, from Qing Qianlong to around the Revolution of 1911. Tea-picking tune, Jiangxi tune, Tongcheng tune and Fengyang tune, which originated and spread to Anhui, Hubei and Jiangxi, were all influenced by the performances of local operas (Qingyang tune and Huizhou tune).

The second stage is from the Revolution of 1911 to 1949. At this stage, Huangmei Opera gradually moved towards professionalism, and stepped onto the urban stage from the rural grass-roots team. After Huangmei Opera entered Anqing, it was combined with Beijing Opera, and was influenced by Yue Opera, Yang Opera, Huai Opera and Pingju Opera from the north in Shanghai. Great changes have taken place in both content and form. A number of new plays have been directed and transplanted, including series such as Wen, Hong Bi Yuan, Gorgeous Garden and The Tale of Bees. In music, the traditional singing method has been reformed, which reduces the empty talk in the old cavity, makes it bright and smooth, and makes the audience easy to understand the singing content. Cancel the help and try to accompany Hu Qin. In terms of performance, it absorbed and integrated the procedural movements of Peking Opera and other brother operas, enriching the means of expression. Others, such as clothing, make-up, stage setting, etc., have also developed compared with rural areas.

The third stage is 1949. From 65438 to 0952, Huangmei Opera artists performed plays such as "Beating Pig Grass" and "Blue Bridge Club" in Shanghai. For decades, a large number of actors have been trained. Besides Yan Fengying, Wang Shaofang and other artists of the older generation have made outstanding achievements in the singing art of Huangmei Opera, Ma Lan, Han Zaifen and other young and middle-aged actors have also shown their heroic roles on stage, screen and TV screen, attracting the audience's attention. Yan Fengying and Wang Shaofang co-starred in A Match Made in Heaven, which was made into a movie twice and caused a sensation at home and abroad.