The Historical Evolution of Fujian Opera

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a folk opera was popular in Changle and Fuqing in central Fujian, which was sung by amateur farmers. Because it is performed around the straw rope on the terrace, people call it "underground lawn" and "pulling the straw rope" This kind of performance was later combined with foreign troupe artists, with the "Jianghu tune" formed by Yiyang opera in Jiangxi and local folk songs as the main singing voice, which was called "Jianghu class". At that time, there were 36 plays and 72 plays, mostly from Yi and Kunqu. In the areas of Fu 'an and Ningde in the northeast of Fujian, there is also a "Pingjiang Class" ("Pingjiang Class" means singing in dialects) with "Jianghu" and "Ge Xiang" as the main vocals. Most of the plays performed are transplanted from Jianghu dramas or based on folk stories, such as Double Golden Flowers, White Fan and Red Skirt. Later, the "Jianghu Class" originally sung with "Andrew" (Putonghua) was changed to Pingyi (dialect) and gradually merged with Pingyi Class. At the same time, it absorbed part of the vocals of the "old class" (referring to foreign operas such as Kunqu Opera and Huizhou Opera, which are difficult for locals to understand), forming a combination of level and level.

There is also a popular "Confucius Opera" in Fuzhou. Since the Ming Dynasty, the "funny tune" created by the combination of foreign tunes and folk songs has been the main singing style. During the Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty, there were 13 "Confucian Classrooms", which were popular for a while, and most of the scripts were written by literati, such as Purple Jade Hairpin and Sacrifice to the Emperor Hall. After the Revolution of 1911, the "Confucian class" gradually merged with the "flat class" and the "old class" to form the "Fujian Opera Class", which is today's Fujian Opera.

In the early years of the Republic of China, Manchu dignitaries left Fujian in succession, and the Huizhou class where they once sat declined rapidly because of the loss of support. Huizhou artists in Fuzhou began to scatter among the people. Most of them transferred to the "top three symphonic classes", either as actors, masters or musicians. For example, artists from Huizhou class "Sanqing Class",,, Qibao, Guaibao, and "Sanlian Fuban" Zhou joined the Confucian Trisymphony Class and the Heping River Trisymphony Class respectively. With the infiltration of a large number of Huizhou artists into Fujian class, they brought in the tunes (commonly known as old tunes) and repertoire and performance skills of Huizhou opera, so the "three in one" at this time was called "the last three in one". Since then, Fujian Opera, commonly known as "Fuzhou Opera", has been formally formed in Fuzhou. It is mainly based on the funny tune of Confucius Opera, which combines the foreign accent and foreign tune of Pinghua Opera, the Jianghu tune of Jianghu Opera, folk tunes and Huizhou tune. Subsequently, the name "Fujian Opera" appeared in newspapers and periodicals.

The word "Fujian Opera" first appeared in the Republic of China 12 (1923). When the Fujian class "Three Sails Song" went to Shanghai to perform, the audience sometimes verbally called it "Fujian Opera". In July of the following year (Republic of China 13), the Commercial Press published the script "A Textual Research on Zi Yuchai", which recorded that "its score is the highest in Fujian Opera". In the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), Fujian Fujian Fujian Opera Improvement Association was established in Fuzhou, and in June of the same year 10, the association's publication "Fujian Opera Monthly" was founded. The 1920s and 1930s were the heyday in the history of Fujian Opera. The famous troupes in Fuzhou include Old Sail Music, New Sail Music, Three Sail Music, Good Legends, Playing in the Water and Praising Nature. The masses call it "Sanyue, Yiqi and Eryang" (Fuzhou dialect is natural and sheep). In addition, there are female classes such as "Saiyue Palace", "Fangqun" and "Tianxian". These clubs are large in scale, with many plays and new clothes, and they all have a group of famous artists as their pillars. For example, Chen Chunxuan and A Wusheng from the old Saile class, Huang Yin Wu and Chen Xingfen from Hua Dan, and Sanhualin caught up with Class 3; China's Qiu Fan (official), De, Sanhua Linwuxia, etc. Natural; Hua (official), Lin Zhenguan, Wu Sanhua and Wu Puguan of the new Saile class; Hua Dan Fu Yinong, Lin Zhifang, Lin Zhiqing, Xie, etc. Three-match music class; Hua Zou Yi of the legendary class, Xiaoshengguan Changsheng, etc. The famous new national wind class of Dan Xue () and Ma (). Among them, "Zheng (), Zeng (), Xue (,) and Ma () are also called the" four famous actors "in the early Fujian opera. During this period, Zheng starred in New Camellia, Orphan's Blood, Daiyu Buried Flowers, Purple Hairpin, Meng Jiangnv, Qin Xianglian, Hundred Butterflies Fragrant Wooden Fan, Hairpin, Du Shiniang, butterfly lovers, Saving the Country and the People, and Autumn Peace. On the basis of inheriting the traditional "teasing" singing method of Fujian opera, he created a unique singing method, summed up the six-character stage performance art experience of "plain, clean and resting" and "fast, tight and dense", and formed the "Zheng School Art", which was known as "Mei Lanfang of Fujian". In July of the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), the famous writer Yu Dafu came to Fujian to watch Zheng's performance of Qin Xianglian, which was deeply moved. He wrote two poems and seven unique poems as gifts. In addition, Zheng's performing arts have been highly appreciated by the Premier and Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang.

During this period, Fujian Opera Troupe also performed in Taiwan Province Province and overseas. In 1 1 (1922), the old Saileban performed in Taiwan Province for the first time. Then, every year or two, a new troupe goes on tour, sometimes for a year. Its locations are mainly in Taipei, Taichung, Keelung, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Changhua, Hsinchu, Dounan and Yunlin. Performances include Yue Fei, Night Cup, Purple Hairpin, Meng Jiangnv, Wan Hualien Boat, Autumn, Yan and so on. Chen Chunxuan, a famous martial artist, has performed in Taiwan four times and is known as "a living Zhao Yun". Taiwan Province compatriots gave him eight gold medals and two pennants.

16 (1927) In June, Fang Qun's female class went to Singapore to perform, which opened a new page for Fujian Opera to perform abroad. The actors in this class are all young women in their twenties, with beautiful clothes and sweet singing. In addition, performances such as Lingzhicao, Yan Menglan and Golden Nail are mostly female, so they are very popular with overseas audiences. Some actresses were retained to live in the local area and spread the seeds of Fujian opera art to foreign countries. In August of the same year, he went to Xianban Singapore to perform. From 17 (1928) to 1, New Saile performed in Malaya, Singapore and Indonesia for three years and returned to China in the 20th year (193 1). The repertoires include Woods' Mourning the Tomb, An An's Sending Rice, Grief for Blessing, Chen Jinggu, Iron Gong Ji, Iron Dragon, Gu Chenghui, Sijie Village, Sanchakou and Jiujiangkou.

In the 1940s, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out in an all-round way. In the thirty years of the Republic of China (194 1) and thirty-three years (1944), Fuzhou was occupied by Japanese invaders twice, and the traffic was cut off, the economy went bankrupt, the troupe disintegrated, the artists scattered, and the famous artist Zheng lived in the mountainous area of northern Fujian, and the art of Fujian opera declined.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Fujian Opera was reborn. From 1950s to the Cultural Revolution, Fujian Opera experienced a new period of prosperity. During the period of 1952, Fujian Opera went to Beijing to participate in the first national opera performance, and performed the traditional play "Hairpin Phoenix", which won the second prize for performance, and Guo won the first and second prizes for actors respectively. 1September, 954, Fujian Opera Troupe went to Shanghai to attend the East China Opera Concert, giving performances such as Lian Yin, Litchi for Hearts, Fishing Boat and Candles, etc. Among them, Lian Yin won the first prize for creation and excellent performance, and Lin Rushan, Lin Wuxia, Guo won the first prize for actors. The play won the prize in June. From 65438 to 0959, at the invitation of overseas Chinese in Fuqing, Indonesia, Zheng went to Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and other places to teach the children of overseas Chinese the traditional dramas of Fujian Opera, such as Purple Hairpin, Meng Jiangnv, Mei Yupei, Hairpin Phoenix and Fengyang Flower Drum.

During the Cultural Revolution, Fujian Opera was severely damaged, the troupe was dissolved, artists were assigned jobs, and artistic materials and costume props were burned. It was not until the end of the Cultural Revolution that Fujian Opera began to recover gradually.

In the 1980s, Fujian Province put forward the slogan of "Revitalizing Fujian Opera", and new dramas emerged constantly, such as Hongwu Whipping Hou, Grass Man Protecting Bamboo Shoots, Qu, Mrs. Cai, Tao Xiaolan, Lin Zexu Chongjun, Soul Breaking Yanshan Mountain, Swan Banquet and Danqing Soul. Among them, Swan Banquet and Danqing Soul won the Wenhua Award from the Ministry of Culture, and Lin Youquan, the main actor of Swan Banquet, won the Wenhua Performance Award. His performances in the winter of 199 1 and the autumn of 1992 are considered as "typical events in the art world". At the same time, the third generation of outstanding young and middle-aged actors thrived and won prizes in previous operas and competitions for young and middle-aged actors. Among them, Hu won the "National March 8th Red Flag Bearer"; Li Shaohua, who was elected as a deputy to the National People's Congress; Lin Ying, elected as a member of China People's Political Consultative Conference; Zhang Jianbin, who was named "Top Ten Outstanding Youth in Fuzhou"; Chen Naichun and others who won the 10th National Plum Blossom Award.

1984 to 199 1, Fuzhou Fujian Opera Troupe, Fuqing County Fujian Opera Troupe, Fujian Provincial Fujian Opera Experimental Troupe and Hongqi Fujian Opera Troupe visited Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong to perform Lian Yin, Lin Zexu Chong Jun, Pearl Tower, Mrs. Cai and Hong Kong. Since 1989, Fuzhou has held performances of folk professional troupes every year. In May, 1992 held a celebration meeting for the 60th anniversary of the performance of "Three Minor Schools of Fujian Opera" (Liu Xiaoqin, Li Xiaobai and Dong Xiaohu). At the same time, the Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and the Fujian Provincial Academy of Art jointly held the 80th anniversary celebration of Zheng Congyi.

1993 Fujian operas "Red Shirt Army" and "Sun Quan Zhang Zhao" won the drama award, the director award and the music and dance beauty award in the first cross-strait (Fujian and Taiwan) drama festival and the drama performance in Fujian Province 19. 1From May to June, 1994, at the invitation of Taipei Huarong Music Co., Ltd., a troupe of Fuzhou Fujian Theatre went to Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Keelung and Mazu to perform "Three Searches for the Fantasy Palace", "The Jade Hairpin" and "The Pearl Tower". This is the first time that Fujian Opera has performed in Taiwan after a lapse of 45 years, and it is also the first art group in Chinese mainland to be allowed to perform in Mazu Island. 1995-10+010 Fujian minju experimental troupe went to Taiwan to perform, Qu and Chen's beheading prince, etc. At the invitation of the Ten Townships Association of Fuzhou City, Taiwan Province Province. On the way back to Hong Kong, at the invitation of the Ten Townships Association in Fuzhou, Hong Kong, young actors gave a special performance of the play.

1February 1996 to1February 1996, Fujian experimental Fujian Opera Troupe, Fuzhou Fujian Opera Academy Troupe and Hongqi Fujian Opera Troupe went to Malaysia and France respectively. In February, 65438, at the 20th drama performance in Fujian Province, the Phoenix Egg performed by Pingtan County Folk Troupe won three awards: drama, director and dance beauty. 1997 1 10 In October, at the invitation of the Arts Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, the Fujian Provincial Fujian Opera Experimental Troupe went to Beijing to perform "Demotion of Officials", and in May, it won the 7th Wenhua New Drama Award, Wenhua Director Award and Wenhua Performance Award. In September, he was awarded the second "Five One Project Award" by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee.

On May 20th, 2006, it was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. On June 8, 2007, Fujian Theatre won the first Cultural Heritage Day Award from the Ministry of Culture.