Relevant knowledge of Jin opera

One of the local operas in Shanxi Province. Because it originated in Fenyang, Xiaoyi, Qixian, Taigu, Taiyuan and other places in Jinzhong, it is also called "Middle Road Bangzi" or "Middle Road Drama". Together with Zhou Pu Bangzi, Beilu Bangzi and Shangdang Bangzi, it is called "Shaanxi Four Bangzi". Later spread to other places, known as "Shanxi Bangzi", renamed today after the founding of the People's Republic of China. In the early days of its formation, Jin Opera was only popular in ten counties in Jinzhong Basin, eight counties in the west and four places in the east (Pingding, Xiyang, Mengxian and Shouyang), and its main audience was farmers. At first, Taiyuan was the center, and then it gradually expanded to individual counties in northern Shanxi, southern Shanxi and southeastern Shanxi. With the merchants in Jinzhong going abroad to do business, the activities of Shanxi Opera gradually expanded to Zhangjiakou, Beijing, Tianjin and parts of northern Shaanxi and Gansu. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Zhonglu Bangzi Club also performed in Shanghai. In Zhangjiakou, Jingxing and other places in the west of Hebei Province, it has become the main local drama. There are many professional troupes and some famous artists of Shanxi Opera have settled there and trained many local actors. S}

Old artists have different opinions about the origin of Shaanxi Opera. It is said that Zhou Pu Bangzi developed northward, and in order to meet the appreciation requirements of audiences in Jinzhong area, it gradually formed the Middle Road Bangzi. It is said that Jin Opera and Hokuriku Bangzi were originally a kind of drama, but later they were gradually localized in Jinzhong, and then separated from Hokuriku Bangzi and became independent dramas. There is also a saying that it was formed on the basis of folk arts such as Qitai Yangko in Jinzhong, and absorbed the artistic nutrition of Pu Opera and Hokuriku Bangzi. There is some truth in all of the above, but judging from the fact that Zhou Pu artists and Zhou Pu artists were invited as teachers in early classes in Jinzhong area, and the pronunciation of opera was based on "Bai Pu" (Jinnan dialect), it is generally believed that Zhonglu Bangzi evolved from Zhou Pu Bangzi. In the process of evolution, artists absorbed and melted the timbre and percussion instruments of Qitai Yangko and Xiaofenganban Yangko, changed their pronunciation, singing and performance, and formed their own high-pitched, intense, fresh and euphemistic style. As early as before the formation of Jin Opera, there were records of "Bingzhou Opera" and "Three Cases Opera" in Jinzhong area. By the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty (1862- 1874), the road bangzi had become very popular. After Xianfeng and Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty (185 1- 1874), the banks in Jinzhong prospered, and the development of Zhonglu Bangzi also entered a new period of prosperity. There have been many famous class associations and actors. Many tycoons who love traditional Chinese opera have invited famous artists to form a powerful "font class". Some literati also took part in traditional opera activities, such as the "font class" in North Back Street of Taiyuan. An art group that studies Jin Opera. Folk singing activities such as "one vote" and "one seat" are more frequent. There are many folk games to greet the gods in Jinzhong Plain and East-West Mountain Area, such as Dongyue Emperor Temple Fair on March 28th, Grandma Temple Fair on April 8th and Guandi Temple Fair on May13rd. These temple fairs will sing opera and worship God on the same day. In addition, in the first month, the world sang "population drama" and the grain store sang "Tim Cang drama"; In April and July, Longwang Temple will sing "Rain Play", and folk will sing "Soothing Play" when praying for rain. 1937 after the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Japanese invaders invaded Taiyuan and Jinzhong counties, and the bangzi in Zhonglu was severely damaged, and the class clubs were dissolved one after another, and artists fled everywhere. After 1939, three drama clubs, namely July, People and Lvliang, were established in the Jinsui Border Region under the leadership of China's * * * Production Party. In the war environment, a large number of Jin opera talents have been trained and many new dramas have been compiled. During this period, in addition to transplanting and performing Forced Prostitution and Sanda Zhujiazhuang, he also directed a costume drama with Yue Fei's murder as the theme and a modern drama Xintunbao, which showed the deeds of model workers in the border areas. After the founding of New China, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and other places have set up many Jin Opera performance groups, compiled and created a number of traditional and modern plays, and trained a large number of young and middle-aged actors. e

The characteristics of Jin Opera are euphemistic, smooth, graceful, mellow, cordial and clear, with strong local flavor and unique style in Jinzhong. In the past, Jin opera was sung purely by actors, usually with the f key as the background; Later, it gradually developed into actor-led, and changed to G key. In addition to the falsetto singing of Er Yin Zi, there are seven kinds of random playing: Ping with a beat of 4 /4 (also called "four eyes"); Splint 2 /4 beat; Duality is 1/4 beats; The running water is 1 /4 beats; In addition, there are intermediary boards, reverse boards, white rolling and so on. There are many changes on each plate. For example, there are big running water, small running water, tight running water, slow running water and second running water on the running water board. In addition, there are many flower cavities, such as three-flower cavity, five-flower cavity, horse-walking cavity, three-inverted cavity and inverted cavity. Jin opera attaches great importance to the artistic characteristics of singing, and often adopts the way of duet and rotation of more than two people. For example, "Serving the Country with Loyalty" traces the past stories and communicates the present feelings through singing with a big face and a solemn voice. In round singing, a sex board suitable for narration is often used, and the melody is lengthened. Walking on the Snow Mountain is based on the duet between the old man and Tsing Yi, which tells the story that the old man saved the girl and fled in a hurry after the disaster in Cao Fu. First, the duet with the intermediary board shows the embarrassing state when the master and servant leave the tiger's mouth; Secondly, the singing method of rotation between the two sexes, tracing persecution, the decline of male voice, the resurgence of female voice, and the alternation of singing methods have a unique charm. There are also long solos in Jin Opera. This kind of solo usually uses slow stacking board; For example, the solo arias of Kongming, Qin Xianglian and Shen Hou in the empty city plan, when seeing the queen, hit the golden branch, there was no sound of gongs and drums, and the melody was like dew drizzle, dripping into the ground. In the singing of Jin Opera, there are also singing groups composed of flat plate, splint, hermaphrodite and flowing water. Generally used for memory, confession, thinking, etc. Rolling white is used to express sobbing and extreme sadness. From the door to the singing, it has great appeal. For example, in Lu Hua, Min Deren's two flashes are often sung by actors with tears and listened to by the audience with tears. In the past, the martial arts field of Jin Opera was composed of nine people, known as the "Nine-Handed Opera", that is, drums (conductors), cymbals, ma gongs, small gongs, bangzi, Hu-sucking, three-stringed, two-stringed and four-stringed. Sometimes the accompaniment needs hinges, and the player who plays the four strings will do it for you. When suona accompaniment is needed, it is played by people who play the three-stringed and two-stringed instruments. Wenchang Musical Instrument, Tribe Tiger is a alto musical instrument, also known as "Huluzi". Coconut shell, larger than banhu shell, is shaped like a chicken heart, and its mouth surface diameter is about 12- 13cm, which is glued together with paulownia panels. The main landing gear is made of hardwood and 70 cm long. There is a waist size, fixed in the middle of the file. The yard at the bottom is placed on one fifth of the surface of paulownia. Horsetail bamboo bow, with soft sound quality, resembles baritone voice cavity. Huhula theme, accompanied by two strings, three strings and four strings. The artist said, "Hu Hu, three strings are muscles, two strings are bones, and four strings are tendons." He added: "Call Hu Li's pole, put a plug on the second string, the third string fills the cave, and the fourth string holds a ruler and sets the tone." Machong, a percussion instrument, is heavy and big, with a diameter of 55cm and a thickness of about 1cm, and its sound is steady. At present, the horsemen with the character "six" are widely used, which is in harmony with the sound of the string "sl", so it is useful to have the traditional habit of horsemen to set the tone. Jin Opera has many strings. There are also [embroidered purse] and the like to show a happy mood. There are also [Sun God Needle] and other expressions of distress, such as killing chickens and soothing mistletoe. These qupai can be used alone or in combination. For example, the music of "Noisy Palace" in "Playing Golden Branches" and "Gathering Wood" in "Spring and Autumn Match" is an ensemble composed of several tunes. There are also many suona qupai, such as "opening the door drum" and "sitting on the account", which can render the grand and solemn atmosphere when the marshal raises the account. The antithetical dance used in "The Battle of Wancheng" has the momentum of attacking Ma Benteng with thousands of troops. There are about forty or fifty kinds of percussion gongs and drums. Such as "hard three hammers", "five hammers", "three flippers", "outpost warfare", "war monster", "sea sand", "Beetle", "hat head", "turn around" and so on. When used, it can be selected according to the needs of plot development. For example, "Boring Field" (commonly known as rubbing the stomach) can match the movements and shouting rhythms of the characters. Gao Huaide played in "Cut the Yellow Robe", Zhao Yun played in "Back to Jingzhou", and after Zhang Fei reprimanded Zhao Yun in Longbanpo, they all used this drum beat to set off the characters' irritability and anxiety. Zhong Bangzi sometimes uses [seven hammers] to connect strings before four-legged eyes, splints and bisexual people sing, and when necessary, he uses [Liao Zi] to whip or "connect the door" in coordination with the actions of the people in the play. Song Jiang killed Yan Poxi in "Sitting on a Building and Killing Cherish". When searching her Liangshan letters, he accompanied her in a "small battle", effectively rendering her trembling and extremely nervous state. Rh{auO

In Jin opera, there are three traditional behaviors: red, black, life, Dan and ugliness. In the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, Jin Opera has formed five main lines and fifteen minor lines. The five elements refer to: red (beard), black (painting), health, Dan and ugliness. The 15th Line refers to Zheng Hong, Laosheng (both Zheng Hong and Dahei), Dahei, Erhei, Wusheng, Doll Sheng, (Tsing Yi), Xiao Dan, Lao Dan, Cai Dan, wudan, Peking Opera Blues, Wen Chou and Wuchou. In Qing Dynasty, the foot color business of Zhongbei Road Bangzi was almost the same as that of Zhou Pu Bangzi, and then it gradually developed and changed. By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Zhongbei Road had five main lines and fifteen branch lines. Five elements: red (bearded), black (painted), healthy, Dan and ugly. 15 Line: Zheng Hong, Laosheng (both in Zheng Hong and Dahei), Dahei, Erhei, Xiao Sheng, Wusheng, Doll Sheng, Zheng Dan (Tsing Yi), Xiao Dan, Lao Dan, Cai Dan, wudan, Beijing Opera Blues, Ugly Writing and Ugly Writing. According to the actor's skill level and the degree of influence among the masses, the foot color business of Shanxi opera can be divided into three categories: headdress (also known as the first way and the first card), two sets (the second way and the second card) and piecemeal. The main role in the headgear play, the second set of second-class roles, should be mixed. "Butterfly Cup" is convenient, Tian Yunshan is wearing a beard, and Hu Yan is the second set, playing Tian Ming in bits and pieces. Hu Zisheng is the most important business in the foot color business of Shanxi Opera. Generally, the troupe takes him as an actor, so he is called a leader. He earns the highest "play" (that is, salary) in the troupe. Bearded students can be divided into black beard students, old students and red students, and most of them play decent roles among middle-aged and elderly people. Wear three strands (Guan Yu is five strands), and the mouth is its main symbol. The general public and actors are used to calling Hu Zisheng a red star. Among the four great bangzi, Hu Zisheng's actor took "red" as his stage name. With a black beard (usually black beard), Hu Zisheng is called Black Hu Sheng, ranking first among bearded students, and often plays middle-aged men with status such as emperors, generals and officials. Bearded actors must have excellent singing skills and solid skills and martial arts. In addition, we must master such difficult skills as sharp skills, mouth-to-mouth skills, hat wing skills, amplitude skills, boots skills, whip skills, etc. Singing, acting and acting should all be affordable. Being able to sing, doing or not singing can't be called a good style. Can only be considered a sub-actor, not qualified to choose a class. In singing, it is characterized by clear articulation, vigorous spouting, slow illness, and false voice (back bow sound). Body, kungfu frame is exquisite instrument solemn, heroic and vigorous. Because it is difficult for actors to perform, it is a tradition that the four great bangzi and bearded voices have always been performed by actors. However, in 1930s and 1940s, a group of Hu Zisheng actresses, represented by Ding Guoxian, appeared in Jin Opera, and they were called Kunqu Opera. Her "Door" is famous for its crisp voice, handsome appearance and realistic and delicate acting skills, which has won the audience's love and quickly replaced the leading position of the actor Hu Zisheng in Shanxi Opera. However, due to the limited physiological conditions of the actress Hu Zisheng, some dramas that focus on figure, kung fu and martial arts are difficult to be competent, which leads to some dramas gradually disappearing from the stage, such as going out to the hall, watching the array, going to the rooftop, and the five thunder arrays. Hu Zisheng still has old students in his career. The difference between red and green. Old students, playing the role of the elderly, are white or pale, and their performance is mainly advocating. Their main characteristics are old, dignified and simple. Hongsheng wears three locks of black and looks red, playing a brave and loyal role. Xiao Sheng: Nothing, martial arts and babies. Wen Sheng has shamao, Zi Ling, towels and poverty. Mainly plays young men. Shamao students, dressed in shamao, embroidered robes or official uniforms, play famous figures, and are required to be dignified and free and easy when performing. Ling Zisheng, with his head stuck in a cone and his tail as the main symbol, plays the role of a military commander and a man with both civil and military skills. Generally, it is played by civil and military students. Zi Ling should be the unique skill of this kind of foot. Towels are raw, shawls are worn, pleats are worn, and folding fans are held (so they are also called fans). Mainly play a romantic and elegant son, and the performance requires romance, elegance and handsomeness. Poor students, dressed in plain clothes or rich clothes, play the role of poor scholars. It is required to show the poor and ambitious facial expressions of the characters. Dolls are born to play with children. The scenes are not heavy, and most of them are performed by Tong Ling and students. Wusheng: There are two kinds: bunting and relying. Play a young man with strong martial arts. Short-handed martial arts students, wearing hats, arrows, clothes and leopard clothes, mainly perform martial arts and somersaults, while martial arts students rely on thick-soled boots, and mainly perform fighting and fighting. Play: There are mainly positive (including boudoir play), decimal point play, Lao Dan play, Cai Dan play, Wudan play and Beijing Opera blues play. Zheng Dan, also known as Da Dan and Tsing Yi, mainly plays married and decent middle-aged women. Mainly singing opera, quiet and dignified, sensible and wise, there are also some unmarried women in singing opera (the so-called "boudoir Dan"). Zheng Dan is also in charge of this work. Zheng Dan often plays with Hu Zisheng, and the weight of this play is generally heavy. Xiao Dan mainly plays young women, divided into Xiao Dan and Hua Dan. The difference between them lies in the character and performance characteristics of the characters. Xiao Dan plays a decent and naive young woman, and her performance is mainly about singing. He is famous for his liveliness, innocence and agility. Hua Dan, on the other hand, mainly works and reads white, playing a wild and provocative or coquettish and pretty young woman, with pungent and heartless as the main feature. Zheng Dan and Xiao Dan are the main businesses of Bangzi Opera, so there is a saying that "one nest of eggs (Zheng Dan and Xiao Dan) is enough to eat" and "one star anise at a time". Lao Dan plays an old woman, Cai Dan, also known as ugly girl and ugly girl, plays a funny or cunning woman, Wu Dan, and plays a brave female role. Generally, she dresses up very little, does not wear pythons, and relies on martial arts. Beijing Opera Blues General Class Club. Beijing opera blues plays many young and middle-aged women who are good at martial arts. Wearing a big figure, a seven-star forehead and a feather, singing, playing ball and dancing are all important. This kind of foot color is mostly played by actors with solid foundation, so it is also called Tao. Draw face lines: also known as clean and black heads. Divided into big painted faces and two painted faces. Play more people with special appearance, personality and quality, and mark them with facial hooks (that is, paint masks of various colors on their faces). Big face, mainly singing, reading, doing and acting, slow and steady, mainly playing people with high status, such as Bao Zheng, Cao Cao and Xu. There are three kinds of faces: white face, black face, red face and clean face, which are determined by the character, quality and behavior of the characters. Such as Bao Zheng's black face, to show the impartiality of law enforcement; Cao Cao and Pan Shiyi, because of their treachery, are ruthless and have a white chest; Guan Yu played with his face to show his loyalty and strength. There used to be a saying that "Hualian doesn't choose courses", but some actors with high artistic achievements can still choose courses. For example, Qiao (Lion Black), a student of the Jin opera Hualien, has been taking this course for many years. In the past, there was a body double system (also called substitute system) in Bangzi Opera, which was caused by the shortage of cast members in the old class club. Painting Dan is usually replaced by clown actors, and some small Dan actors are also replaced. For example, Ji Meilian, an actress of Shanxi Opera, played the matchmaker Liu in Picking up the Jade Bracelet and the ugly girl in Wrong Kite, which won favorable comments from the audience. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the development of the times and the requirements of the audience, the establishment of the troupe was gradually expanded, and the cast members were greatly increased. Drama schools and training courses also pay attention to training Lao Dan actors. Except for a few troupes, most of them are performed by special people. However, the transportation system with doll sheng has continued to this day.

Jin Opera, namely Zhonglu Bangzi, is a representative opera in Shanxi Province and one of the four major bangzi in Shanxi Province. Because its activity area is in central Shanxi, especially near Taiyuan and Jinzhong, and this kind of drama has always been welcomed and loved by the people in central Shanxi, it is called Zhonglu Bangzi.

Zhonglu Bangzi is characterized by euphemistic and smooth melody, beautiful, mellow and cordial melody, clear and simple, with strong Jinzhong local flavor and unique style.

Zhonglu Bangzi originated from Zhou Pu Bangzi and was popular in the Qing Daoguang and Xianfeng years. It has absorbed many characteristics of Pu Opera and gradually formed its own style through the enrichment and development of many artists. It can be said that it is a unique Bangzi opera formed on the basis of the bold breakthrough and innovation of Pu Opera.

In the past hundred years, some predecessors and old artists of Zhonglu Bangzi have made positive contributions to the development of this kind of drama, such as Meng Zhenqing (stage name "San Er Sheng"), Zhang Jingyun (stage name "Thirteen Red"), Gao (stage name "Pingshuhong"), Qiao (stage name "Lion Black"), Tian Guizi and so on. Especially, Ding Guoxian, a famous actor of Shanxi Opera, has made new progress in singing, speaking and acting since he took office, which has played an important role in the formation of the style of Shanxi Opera today.

The earliest main activity of Zhonglu Bangzi was in Taiyuan, and it was easy to absorb the advantages of brother operas and achieve mastery through a comprehensive study. Therefore, the performance scope of this kind of drama has gradually expanded. Before War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it had spread to western Hebei, northwestern Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and other places. In the above-mentioned areas, fixed Zhonglu Bangzi troupes have been set up to sing Jin Opera. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, many Bangzi artists took part in the heroic struggle to save the nation from peril under the leadership of the China Production Party, and performed in the revolutionary base areas such as Jinchaji, Jinsui and Taihang. They perform not only traditional dramas, but also modern and new dramas. Performing in the front and base areas was praised by the people and played a certain role in inspiring people's morale. Jin-Sui July Drama Club (Zhonglu Bangzi) once went to Xi, Chengdu, Tianshui, Gansu and other places to perform with the troops for a long time.

After liberation, the number of Zhonglu Bangzi Troupe increased gradually, especially in Jinzhong, Lvliang and Taiyuan. Almost all counties have professional troupes, and many townships have amateur troupes. The famous drama "Golden Skill" has been made into a movie.

Shanxi Jin Theatre is the main performance group of Shanxi Jin Opera. Established in February 1959. This troupe has a long history of performance. Over the years, he has trained many young actors and accumulated rich practical experience on stage. Many outstanding actors gathered here and won the support of outstanding actors in Shanxi Province.

Shanxi Jin Theatre is located in Taiyuan, with 287 cast members. Historically, the theater has gathered a number of old artists of Shaanxi Opera, such as,,, Liang, and Ji Meilian. Through the painstaking management of stage life, these old artists have formed their own unique performance style and singing style, leaving a deep impression and high prestige among the masses.

At present, the famous actors in this theater are,, Jiping, Ma,,, and so on. The representative plays of Jin Opera include traditional plays, such as Beating Golden Branches, Han Yan, Little Banquet, Killing Palace, Counting Grain, etc.

The Origin and Development of Zhonglu Bangzi

Shaanxi Opera, formerly known as Zhonglu Bangzi, is a drama developed from Zhou Pu Bangzi. At first, it was mainly active in the central part of Shanxi Province, that is, the counties under the jurisdiction of Taiyuan Prefecture, Fenzhou Prefecture and Pingding Prefecture in Qing Dynasty. Later, due to the rapid development, the spread area gradually expanded, and the social influence became greater and greater, until it became the representative drama of Shanxi Province today-Jin Opera.

Discussion on origin

The origin of zhonglu bangzi has been a controversial issue for many years. According to the information I have, the origin of Zhonglu Bangzi should be in the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty. Because before this, there were three kinds of urban and rural drama performances in Jinzhong revealed by a large number of stage questions: Zhou Pu Bangzi, Kyoto Huaqiang Class (now Peking Opera) and Jiangnan Sizhu Class (South Kunqu Opera), and there was no trace of description of "Middle Bangzi" at all. It was only in the early years of Daoguang that Zhou Pu Bangzi, then known as Shaanxi Bangzi, was revived. During the so-called "Daoguang Emperor went to Long Ting, Shanxi Bangzi became fashionable again", Pubang performed in Jinzhong and Taiyuan in the north, which not only caused a sensation in Taiyuan and shook Beijing, but also catered to the entertainment requirements of a group of wealthy businessmen rising in the Middle Road area. Its representative classes are Wanhe Class in Pingyao County, XiaoPingyao Class and Qing Ji Class in Jiexiu County.

In the early years of Xianfeng, cattail sticks began to be neglected. At this time, the Taiping Rebellion took place. An insurgent army arrived in Pingyang, Shanxi (now Linfen) in August of Xianfeng three years, aiming at Beijing, the capital of the Qing Dynasty. Under this historical background, foreign operas, including Pu Opera, rarely come to perform in the Middle Road area, which leads to a relatively vacant period of drama activities in the Middle Road area, which makes the middle road people who love drama, especially the wealthy businessmen, very disappointed, so a few people began to invite idle literati, ticket lovers, yangko and shadow puppetry artists to organize discussion groups and plan to create their own operas. In the middle and late period of Xianfeng, after hard discussions by many teams, on the basis of inheriting the rhyme of Pu Bang and the distinction between gongs and drums, combined with the singing characteristics of Zhonglu Yangko, the embryonic class club of Zhonglu Bangzi was initially formed and began a pilot performance. Among them, there are the representative black shop class in Yuci and Sanqing class in Qixian County. In addition to the stranded Pubang artists, Yangko and Shadow Play artists, there are drummers, shop assistants, miners and ticket lovers.

In the early years of Tongzhi, the social order in Shanxi improved. The appearance of a new type of middle bangzi has also been favored by more wealthy businessmen. So the rich people in Taigu, Yuci Pingyao, Xiaoyi, Jiexiu and other places, represented by the rich people in Qixian County, successively set up the upper and lower Liyuan classes, Sixi classes, Sixong classes and Siqing classes. In the performance practice, learn from each other and constantly improve, so that the singing and civil and military scenes are more and more perfect; And draw lessons from the experience of foreign drama management class clubs, so that the troupe gradually moves towards standardization. Except for the middle-level artists in Wu Wen, most of the members of the troupe are hired from Zhou Pu with high salaries, so there is a folk proverb: "Qi Zhong Tai Zi, Zhou Pu Wan Zi". Secondly, large enterprises have also built theaters, purchased Suzhou and Hangzhou embroidered garments, increased transport vehicles and made performance plans. If the troupe is responsible for transportation, most of the performances on each stage will last for three days, with performances in the morning, afternoon and evening, and the troupe will provide its own meals. Every year, the stacking boxes will be closed on the fifth day of the lunar calendar 10/KLOC-0, and artists will have a holiday, and classes will be organized in the first month of the following year. The monitor is responsible for macro leadership and the class teacher is responsible for specific affairs. The troupe is not commercial, and the profits and losses are entirely borne by the troupe owner. It's just that everywhere I go, I put a wooden tiger sign at the front desk with the name of a troupe hosted by rich people in a county to show off, and I have to write my name on the powder wall in the background. These stage inscriptions have a wide range of contents, which have become the stone evidence for us to study the development of Shanxi Opera today.

As the middle road bangzi became more and more stereotyped, it aroused the interest of the middle and small rich and the Chinese businessmen. They also invite artists or children from Zhou Pu to offer courses. By the end of Tongzhi, Zhonglu Bangzi Society had begun to take shape in a few counties in Shanxi Zhonglu and even North Road. The famous new troupes are: Hesheng Troupe in Jiexiu, Wuyi Garden in Xugou, Sishenghe Troupe in Taigu, Shuangqing Garden in Qixian, Haodian Troupe in Taiyuan and Yiqing Troupe in Fenzhou. Famous actors include 1000 red, 800 black,,, Tian and Bangbanghong, as well as drummer, Song and pianist Peng Genzhi. The repertoires frequently performed are: Congratulations, Chessboard Street, Spring and Autumn Competition, Salvation Poetry, Imperial Garden, Fisherman's Music, Zhao Jialou, Burning Pillar, Forward Arrow, Auspicious Picture, luoma lake, Beitianmen and Father. Thanks to their superb performances, the artists left a deep impression on the audience. Up to now, there is still a "four-happy class" in Jinzhong, which is full of drama, baldness and ugliness, covering Shaanxi. Ginseng dolls, ugly mouths, followed by a flag ... "and other dramas spread. However, at this time, Zhonglu Bangzi was still a rookie of Shanxi Opera, while Zhou Pu Bangzi, headed by Jinhe Class, Huaqiang Class in Kyoto, headed by Sanqing Class, and Jiangnan Kunqu Opera Class, headed by Mingfu Class, were still active in Zhonglu area, forming an era in which many operas coexisted and competed for each other.

Unfortunately, the above situation did not last long, and an unprecedented disaster happened. From Guangxu Yuan to four years, Shanxi and its surrounding provinces suffered serious natural disasters such as drought and insect pests. In this case, most troupes stopped performing, artists were separated or killed, and even the wealthy businessmen who had donated money changed their original intentions. It was not until 1967 Guangxu that Zhonglu Bangzi began to recover. Starting point club is an entertainment group with a long-term contract system, and it has become a commercial management organization led by famous artists or rich people. At this time, there was a serious shortage of artists attending classes, so we had to take in poor children from nearby middle schools to train and use them. After teaching for 3-5 months, he was forced to take the stage, commonly known as "leaving the nest". Some of them forced them to study drama by beating, cursing and corporal punishment. At that time, the famous classes were Erbaohe Class in Liucun, Yuci, Xili Garden in Qingyuan du cun and Xiaoli Garden in Feng Meng Village. Among them, the second Baohe class trained the most actors, almost all over the middle road.

Brilliant period

Ten years after Guangxu, the middle road bangzi rose again, and a new atmosphere of middle road artists performing middle road operas appeared, which changed the old situation of Pubang artists performing middle road operas. From the 15th year of Guangxu to the end of Qing Dynasty, Zhonglu Bangzi entered a glorious period. At this time, wealthy businessmen, rich men and employees from all over China and Shandong once again supported the development of China-Shandong Bangzi. Some of them take over classes by themselves, and some act as backstage artists, which makes drama clubs mushrooming. At that time, there were no less than two or three clubs in various prefectures, prefectures and counties, with Taigu and Pingyao as the most, with no less than five clubs all the year round. The performances include temple fairs, fairs, treadmills, opening ceremonies, business exhibitions, opening ceremonies, praying for gods, making vows, offering sacrifices, weddings, funerals and birthdays, and official dramas. In ordinary villages, there is also a singing opera every year; There are as many as 5- 10 large market towns every year. Zhonglu Bangzi has become the main kind of drama that people in Zhonglu like to see and hear, and it also competes with local operas in Zhangjiakou, Baotou and Guihua with merchants in Zhonglu. During the development of Zhonglu Bangzi, due to geographical relationship and different absorption of folk art, three schools were formed in performance programs, singing styles and frontcourt classics, namely, Luban in the county under the jurisdiction of Taiyuan Prefecture; Off-duty in counties under the jurisdiction of Fenzhou area; Pingding and Liaozhou counties are divided into four levels. It was not until after liberation that the above three small differences were integrated.

During this period, the famous classes in the middle road included He Sanbao Class in Yuci, Yin Hui Class, Li Kun Garden in Taigu, Rongsheng Class and Yongsheng Garden in Qixian, Tongchun Garden and Zhu Feng Garden in Pingyao, Quanfu Class and Tongsheng Garden in Jiexiu, Hechun Garden and Ruyi Class in Fenzhou, Changsheng Class and Cui Liyuan in Xiaoyi, Xiaowanshun Garden and Sanhong Class in Shouyang and Yuxian County. There are Shengxing Class in Xinzhou, Xiaojing Cuiyuan in Fengxian, Wansheng Class in Datong, Changsheng Garden in Wutai and He Yiban in Tiancheng (town) County on the North Road. Famous artists include Sandengqu, Erbahei, Fushengsheng, Jade Doll (Liu Yufu), Walnut Red, Liulicui, Yu Changhong, Jin Dachao, Dog Egg, chamber pot Ugly, Boneless, Flying on the Grass, June Fresh, May Fresh, Jiuhuangya, Shoe-drying Dan, Zisheng and Tian Master Ren Yingzhi. Representative repertoires include North Tour Palace, Yanta Temple, Huluyu, Gankun Belt, Sun and Moon Map, Mu Huguan, Loyalty and Filial Piety, Zangong, Luhua River, Yellow River Array, Fog Star, Nanyang Pass and Yurang Bridge. The audience recognized that the top three plays were Kunli Garden, Jinli Garden and Rong Sheng Class in Qixian County of Taigu. Kun Liyuan, under the leadership of the squad leader's Sanduang District, was very popular and was rated as the "font class". As the saying goes, "When he enters the city, he buys and sells people, risking his soul ..." "When he enters the village, the long-term workers tend the sheep. I saw Qixing Temple in the morning and the stool palace in the afternoon. " It is obvious that the performance is booming.

Another symbol of the glory of Zhonglu Bangzi is the ticket classes and self-help classes all over the urban and rural areas. The so-called ticket class is an entertainment organization spontaneously established by businessmen, farmers and private mats. Participants are called ticket friends, and those with high skills are called "writers". Most of them get together in their spare time and sing by themselves, which attracts many audiences. This kind of organization has played a bridge role in promoting drama to the masses and deepening their love for drama. Solitary Lofty Class is an opportunity for wealthy families to invite famous artists and cultural celebrities to sing and entertain at home, and at the same time discuss and modify scripts, tunes or improve performances. This kind of activity is also called "dark". When it is mature, it will officially perform on stage, which is called "exposure". This trinity self-help class composed of rich people, intellectuals and famous old artists is a pioneering work in the history of the development of Zhonglu Bangzi. Among them, outstanding achievements are the collection of literary works in Taiyuan County (now Jinyuan Town), Caojiaban in Beimeng Village of Taigu, and Qujiaban in Qixian City.

After the middle road bangzi reached its peak, the Jiangnan Sizhu class and Kyoto coloratura class basically withdrew from the middle road stage, and only Pu Bangzi came back occasionally, and the momentum was greatly reduced.

After the Revolution of 1911, the counties in Zhonglu were once in turmoil, and most rich and powerful people took a wait-and-see attitude. Therefore, most of the people in charge of the class in Zhongluzi were replaced by the former Qing government, the old escort agency and others. At the same time, the number of artists in Zhonglu has also grown. Except for the settlers, the other artists of Pubang no longer come to the middle road for classes. During the period of 5-19 (1916-1930), the situation in Shanxi was relatively stable, and Zhonglu entered the second glorious period. Features are:

(1) There are many class clubs and schools are expanding. At this time, Zhonglu Bangzi not only took root in Yanbei and occupied the mouth, but also developed and established class clubs in the western part of Hebei Province, the northeastern part of Shaanxi Province and the northern counties under the jurisdiction of Pingyang House and Lu 'an House in the province, forming a large-scale drama across the five provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, Suiyuan and Chahar in northern China, so it was called Shanxi Bangzi. As far as 30 counties in Central Shandong are concerned, there are more than 120 troupes in this stage, among which Shouyang is the most, and it has successively undertaken 2 1 troupe. The famous dramas of the last three classes are Jinli Garden in Yangchengzhai, Taigu County, Wanfu Garden in Hu County and Zicheng Garden in Xugou County.

(2) There are many famous actresses and the competition is fierce. Because there are many classes and clubs, they compete with each other. After the Republic of China 14 years, Chen Yu, the squad leader of Xugou Zicheng Garden, transferred back the Kunjiao artists such as Niu Niu and Er Nvzhi from Zhangjiakou for the first time, and performed on the same stage with the male artists in this class, which caused a sensation and attracted a large audience. Later, Hebei Bangzi martial artists came to Shanxi to attend classes, and their martial arts dramas won unanimous praise from the audience. Then there are some class clubs represented by Wan Fuyuan in Ethereum Valley, and they are not far behind. Second, they went back to Zhou Pu to select new talents. In this way, Zhonglu Bangzi has formed a great situation of talented people, strong strength and mutual competition. The famous artists at this time are: Gai, storyteller Hong, (who later sang Peking Opera), Shisanhong, Xiao Shierhong, San Ersheng, Tian Guidan, Dan, Lion Black, Seventeen Students, Ugly and Yan.