What I Know About Peking Opera, Chiu Chow Opera, and Fast Board (Essay)

Categorization of the line

The division of the line of Peking Opera is not only based on the natural attributes of the characters (gender, age) and social attributes (status, occupation), but also on the character traits of the characters and the creator's attitude towards the characters, both positive and negative, which vary.

The division of the line has been around for a long time, and the one that has had the greatest impact on the division of the line in Beijing Opera is the Han Opera. Han Opera **** is divided into 10 kinds of line: one end, two net, three students, four Dan, five ugly, six outside, seven small, eight stickers, nine husband, ten miscellaneous. The content of the roles played by these ten kinds of lines, probably like this: the end is the main male role, that is, the Peking Opera side of the line of students; net and Peking Opera in the net is the same, refers to the flower face; Dan is the Peking Opera Dan, refers to the female roles; paste, is short for paste Dan, Peking Opera in the early division of the line, including paste Dan, refers to the role of Dan line of the lesser Dan, commonly known as the second Dan, for example, now in the Peking Opera "Hongniang"! For example, in the current Peking Opera "Hongniang", the one who plays Ms. Yingying is the paste Dan. Generally speaking, these ten kinds of roles in Han Opera were divided into more detailed roles, which laid the foundation for the division of roles in Peking Opera. Peking Opera was later divided into four major types: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou, which seemed to be more simplified and concise, but each of these major types contained several minor types, so in fact these ten types of roles were all included. Not only included, but also more detailed and rigorous. The only difference is that although Han Opera has a Sheng line, his main line is the end, not Sheng. In the Peking Opera, the Sheng line has become the main line.

The four major schools of Beijing Opera

The formation of Beijing Opera schools peaked in the mid-1920s to the end of the 1940s, when Mei Shang, Cheng Xun, Nan Qi, and North Ma, and Lao Sheng, and Yu Sheng, were the most popular styles of Beijing Opera. The four main schools of Peking Opera are: the Mei Shang Cheng Xun, the South Ki, the North Horse, the Elderly Yu Gao Yan, Tan Xi Yang Tang, the Martial Artist Yang Gai Yu, the Flowery Face Jin Hao Hou, the Four Little Famous Dan. The Haiku School of Chinese Opera ...... really blossomed. The lively and extraordinary. Schools and schools of thought, countless, is the most prosperous period in the history of Peking Opera.

After the liberation, the real creation of Beijing Opera schools only Zhang Junqiu, Qiu Shengrong two tree up the flag of schools (the end of the 40s has been the foundation), the 50s to the 60s, in the art of the seniority of the performance of artists a little bit after the four major sousansheng, the unique one time, self-contained, in the recognized people are also many people, such as Li Wanchun, Li Shaochun, Gao Shenglin, Yuan Shihai, Zhao Yanyuan, Guan Sushang, Tong Zhiling, Li and Zeng, etc. Due to various factors, most of them unfortunately did not form a "scale" and "formalization" as Zhang and Qiu did, and the rest of them were "sects without streams". However, it was they who made the Peking Opera glorious again after 1949 and before 1966.

Among all the schools, the schools of Ma, Tan, Xi and Yang, Mei, Shang, Cheng and Xun, as well as the four famous dancers and the martial artists Yang and Gai are the most dominant, and the repertoire that is still performed today is still the classics of each of them, and there are many descendants of these schools. In the circle outside the circle are now talking about revitalization of Beijing opera, training new people, people are concerned about, but also more focused on so-and-so is the heir to which school, like or unlike, but few people mentioned that in the past few decades and then there is no new school to produce, Peking Opera schools flourished and declined, why is it difficult to innovate? In my opinion, there are three main reasons:

First of all, the troupe system is different from the previous troupe group, the former is the corner of the center, pick their own class to match the qin masters and collaborators, the actors according to their own conditions to line up the repertoire, set up the singing voice, such as "horseback riding for the generals," the period of Gao Shenglin, Zhang Junqiu, have their own long-term, fixed supporting cast! Classes and drummers or qin masters, and thus a long time to form a unique style or genre, and can be more lightweight and simple to exchange performances (or run the dock), and now the troupe is not to the style, genre and group, the kind of atmosphere, the atmosphere, the environment are gone, it is difficult to create a new school.

Secondly, in the past, the actor refers to singing to eat, feed their families, so there must be something real, even if the conditions are not very good, but also have to think of ways to Cheng Yanqiu froze to squeeze out a Cheng Pai, and now there is still a lot of scenery. And then the competition was also very fierce, a little loose energy, will be eliminated. At that time, the four famous singers had to row new plays, but also led to the development of new plays, and each genre has a representative repertoire. This point is like a singer under marketization, without people under the task, they go to find the development, sing new songs, otherwise in the era of talent will soon be forgotten. Now the actors are famous not pointing, not famous pointing not, and which school which school is still entangled in learning like it is not like, lack of self-creation consciousness, can not wait to point to the teacher to eat it, with the "master disciple" brand and can be red-hot for a while it!

Third, the actors generally lack a sense of innovation, some have been basically self-contained, but do not dare to explain. Although some actors lack of innovative consciousness, everything refers to the sign, director, composer to assist, but in some of the best actors can also be seen. For example, now people are discussing Yu Kui Zhi in the end is Yang (Baosen), Yu (Shuyan), Li (Shaochun) which school, his singing in the voice, as for the future can become a school, but also depends on the kung fu, but the momentum is good.

There is also Li Weikang, her singing, style, repertoire are representative, has clearly differentiated from the former and other schools, may form a new school. Another example is Liu Changyu, her flower girl play is different from the authentic Xun school, and has a representative repertoire, with its own characteristics of doing and singing, also has the conditions to produce a new school. But they have not dared to say that they are self-contained, perhaps quite a lot of rules in the pear orchard line, but the new is good, means that the development, said there is no harm.

Additionally, the spread of the school is also a problem, some schools were very good, but because of the heir less or do not love to pass and disappeared. Measure the conditions of the school should have a teacher and audience recognition, but there is no more than a personalized style, repertoire, and the heir. The repertoire, as well as the heirs. The reason why the four great sushi, the four famous dan is widely spread, active dissemination is an important factor, the Mei school is the most typical, the Mei family active teaching to make it become the largest danjiao faction, Zhang (Junqiu) school is also the same. However, the Xi (Xiaobo) school without Zhang Jianguo, and the Yan (Jupeng) school without Yan Xingpeng would probably have been lost. The Ma (Lianliang) school, which is unanimously regarded as the best-sounding of the sousheng, is currently facing a crisis. Zhang Xuejin is currently the old generation in the outstanding, his role in the spread of the horse school can not be underestimated, but further down seems to be only Zhu Qiang a person to carry, currently can withstand for a while, such as no one later, the horse school will be dangerous, and then I am afraid that it is too late to regret.

While questioning the difficulty of creating a new school, it is equally important to pass on the old school, which is the only way to create a new one, and it is difficult to create a new one without the old one, so inheriting some of the best schools will also promote innovation. Fortunately, recently, some young actors such as Xi Zhonglu, Fu Xiru, Tan Zhengyan, Wang Peiyu, Chang Qiuyue, Wang Lijun and so on also have the awareness of this aspect, so innovation is not impossible, I am afraid that it is only a matter of time.

The Four Famous Dancers

In 1927, Beijing's Shun Tian Times held a contest to select the "Best Actor in the First Peking Opera Dan Role", and Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Shang Xiaoyun, and Xun Huisheng were elected, and were regarded as the Four Famous Dancers of the Peking Opera.

Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), a native of Jiangsu Province, was born into a Peking Opera family. He studied opera at the age of eight and appeared on stage at the age of eleven, specializing in the role of Qing Yi (Green Clothes), and also playing the role of Duo Ma Dan (Sword and Horse Dan). In more than 50 years of stage practice, Mei Lanfang created and developed the singing, recitation, dance, music, costume, make-up and other aspects of the Dan role, forming a unique artistic style, known as the Mei School. He had a deep knowledge of the art, and was a master of both literature and martial arts; he had a beautiful stage style and excellent disguise; his voice was mellow, and his singing was graceful and charming, creating a large number of typical images of ancient women with different postures. Mei's masterpieces include The Cosmic Front, The Drunkenness of the Concubine, The Broken Bridge, The Chihuahua, Farewell My Concubine, and Mu Guiying Takes Command. Mei Lanfang has led the Peking Opera Troupe to Japan, the United States and the Soviet Union for many times, and is an opera performer who has spread Chinese opera abroad and enjoys international reputation.

CHENG Yanqiu (1904-1958), a native of Beijing, studied opera since childhood and played the role of Qingyi under Mei Lanfang. He was courageous to innovate and create in his art, paying attention to phonetics, focusing on the four voices, and pursuing a high degree of combination of "sound, emotion, beauty, and water", and according to the characteristics of his own voice, he created a kind of singing voice with a gentle, undulating and staggering sound, with intermittent and varied rhythms, which formed a unique style of art and is known as the "Cheng School" in the world. "Cheng Yanqiu was good at acting in tragedies. Cheng Yanqiu excelled in tragedy, compiling and acting in plays such as "The Tomb of the Mandarin Ducks", "Tears of the Deserted Mountain", "The Sword of Green Frost", "Yingtai's Resistance to Marriage", and "Sinus E's Grievance", most of which were performances of the tragic fates of women in the feudal society.

Shang Xiaoyun (1900-1976), a native of Hebei, entered the opera troupe at an early age, and at the age of 14, was named "the first child actor". At the age of 14, he was honored as the "first child actor". He was known as "Shangpai" because of his deep skills, wide and bright voice, and strong singing style. His masterpieces include "The Second Palace", "The Sacrifice of the Pagoda", "Zhaojun's Exodus from the Frontiers", "Liang Hongyu", etc., in which he portrayed a number of women heroes and chivalrous heroines.

Xun Huisheng (1900-1968), a native of Hebei, studied in the Hebei Opera Class at an early age, and switched to Peking Opera at the age of 19, playing the roles of Hua Dan (花旦) and Dao Ma Dan (刀马旦). He had a deep knowledge of the art of playing the role of the flower girl in Peking Opera, and formed a unique artistic style, which is known as "Xun's School". She was good at playing innocent, lively and gentle women's roles, and was famous for her performances in the plays Hongniang, Jinyu Nu, Honglou Eryou, Hairpin Phoenix and Xunununiang.