Sichuan opera

Sichuan opera (Chinese: 川劇; Sichuanese Pinyin: Cuanju; pinyin: Chuānjù) is a type of Chinese opera originating in China's Sichuan province around 1700. Today's Sichuan opera is a relatively recent synthesis of five historic melodic styles. Chengdu is the main home of Sichuan opera, while other influential locales include Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hubei and Taiwan. Sichuan opera was listed among the first batch of the Chinese Ministry of Culture's "Intangible Cultural Heritage List", announced on May 20, 2006.
Notable characteristics of Sichuan opera include quick changes of masks or personae (known as the face change) and the importance of the character of the fool.
Initially, there were five distinct opera styles. The history of each style varies greatly.
The origins of Sichuan opera can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. The Jiaodian opera of the later Han dynasty laid the foundation for the early Sichuan opera. A famous poem from the Warring States period, "Song Yu Asks the King of Chu", states: "they are Xialiba people, and there are thousands of people in the country who belong to harmony". The term "Xialiba people" here refers to Sichuan folk songs and dances, as well as singers and dancers. According to the records of the Taiping Guang Ji and Tares History Compilation, there was a play of Bullfighting since Li Bing was the governor of Shu County in the 3rd Century BC. During the Three Kingdoms period, the first satirical comedy appeared in Sichuan. This can be regarded as the originator of Sichuan opera comedy.
Between the Tang dynasty and the Five Dynasties, the popular drama of Sichuan reached its peak. This was sometimes referred to as an example of "Shu skills leading the world". Frequently performed plays in this period included Liu Bijimai, Maixiu Liangqi and Guankou God. During this period, the earliest troupe in the history of Chinese opera, consisting of Qian Manchuan, Bai Jia, Ye Si, Zhang Mei and Zhang Ao in "Youyang Zazu", was formed.
In the Song and Yuan dynasties, Southern opera and Szechuan Zaju were popular in Sichuan. The most famous song from this period was "Jiu Se Cai Qi".
Jin Guanger's class of "Sichuan Opera" in the Ming dynasty once went to Jiangsu and caused a stir in Nanjing, which formed a competitive situation with the Southern Opera.
At the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, the population of Sichuan dropped sharply. Immigrants from various parts of China moved into Sichuan, which is known as Huguang-filling Sichuan. Immigrants brought many different styles of opera from their hometowns. This resulted in styles of opera from both northern and southern dialects spreading throughout Sichuan successively. In its long-term development and evolution, based on Sichuan Lantern Opera, Sichuan Opera integrated with other dialects, such as Gaoqiang Opera, Kunqu Opera, Huqin, and Tanqiang Opera. Sichuan opera also merged with the Sichuan dialect, folk customs, folk music, and dance. This gradually established a formal style of Sichuan opera a voice art with Sichuan characteristics.
Following the Xuantong era, the 1911 revolution led to the proclamation of the Republic of China (1912–1949) and the dissolution of the monarchy. Inspired by these revolutionary trends of thought, the lead singer Gaoqiang opera troupe banquet music, as well as Changle, Binle, Cui Hua, Taihong, and Shuyi— who mainly sang Kunqu opera, playing opera and Hu qin— voluntarily formed the "Sanqing Hui" after consultation, so that the five kinds of voice could be integrated into one. "Sanqing Hui" had notable actors such as Kang Zilin, Xiao Kaicheng, Tang Guangti, Tang Deyi, Zhou Mingchao, Liu Zhimei, and Lei Zhejiang. It also advocated for the reform of opera. While inheriting and preserving the traditional Sichuan opera, it created fashion shows that were more relevant to the contemporary era, such as The Story of Qiu Jin, The Recovery of Wuchang, and the Queen of the West. The establishment of "Sanqing Hui" promoted the development of Sichuan opera from square art to theater art, and the artistic level and cultural taste of Sichuan opera rapidly evolved, becoming the most influential local opera in southwest China.
In 1952, the Sichuan Opera delegation organized a large performance group to attend the first National Opera Viewing and performance Conference in Beijing. Several plays and performances, including The Willow Shadow, Autumn River, Snow Review, and Trace, Farewell, Brother Wutaihui, won awards. Innovations were made in the aspect of voice cavity, especially in regards to the high voice cavity. Female voices would lead cavity, help cavity, choose a beautiful tone actress who was good at singing as a lead cavity, and help cavity personnel. Along these lines, there were other experiments— such as female actors helping with female voices, male actors helping with male voices, and male and female voices helping with combined voices. Each troupe also set up a system of full-time female voices helping personnel. At the same time, troupes also made innovations in singing and accompaniment.
In Zhou Enlai's "Speech at the Symposium on Literary Work and the Conference on the Creation of Feature Films" (19 June 1961), he said: "I saw the material in Sichuan. A vice minister of culture went to Sichuan and said: 'Sichuan opera is backward'. Offended the people of Sichuan. At that time, a comrade replied: 'Whether backward or not is up to the 70 million people in Sichuan to answer and decide.' I think this comrade is very brave. Good answer! People like it. You don't like it. Who are you? Shanghai people love Pingtan, Huai Opera and Yue Opera. What do you want Beijing people to approve? Leaders may have preferences. Some love operas, some love paintings, and some love antiques. What does it matter? We saw the play say good, not necessarily good, our words are unreliable, everyone has their hobbies, how can as a standard? Art is to be approved by the people. As long as people like it, it has value."
During the "Cultural Revolution", more than 100 Sichuan opera troupes were disbanded, and a large number of famous actors, directors, writers, and artists were treated as "Devils, ghosts, snakes and gods", expelled, or transferred to "Reform through labor teams". Some were even persecuted to death. After the "Cultural Revolution", Sichuan opera was quickly revived. The Cultural Bureau of Sichuan Province announced the opening of traditional operas in batches while holding literary and artistic arrangements to promote creation and performance. Sichuan Opera School was restored, Sichuan Opera Art Research Institute was established, and Sichuan Opera Theater and other units were rebuilt. Emei Film Studio produced a TV series called Sichuan Plum Blossoms, which was shown throughout the province and all of China. In 1979, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of National Day, Sichuan operas such as "Lying Tiger Order" and "Repair or Not Repair" were performed in Beijing and won awards. In 1980, the Art of Sichuan Opera, a quarterly opera magazine, was published.
During the long-term development of Sichuan Opera, there were differences between regions in what voice styles were popular, as well as in the relationships between artists and their teachers. Due to this, several schools of Sichuan Opera were formed. These include: the Huanxian (Huaxian) school, Chouxing Fu (Sangan) School, Cao (Junchen, Wusheng) school, and the Wuzhou (Wuchou) school. These are is sometimes praised as the "King Cao" schools, due to the perceived superior quality of its artists. At the same time, there are four schools, namely the Western Sichuan School, Ziyang River School, Northern Sichuan School, and Eastern Sichuan School, which are called the "four rivers" in the circle of Sichuan Opera.
Like in several other folk arts, there is no standard tone in Sichuan Opera. Additionally, each of the "four rivers" has its own cultural center. The four river schools of Sichuan Opera can be divided into the western Sichuan Ba School, the Ziyang River School, the North Sichuan River School, and the Xiachuandong School.
The western Sichuan Ba School is centered in Chengdu and Wenjiang County, and includes the Bazi counties in western Sichuan. The actors use the Chinese Chengdu dialect without the Meihua sound. It is dominated by Gaoqiang opera and lantern opera, which has resulted in a unique "Ba tune".
The Ziyang River school is centered in Zigong City, and includes both Zigong and Neijiang county. The standard tone is the Zi Chinese dialect. It is dominated by Gaoqiang opera, and is considered to have the most careful artistic style.
The North Sichuan River School is centered in Nanchong County and Santai County. The school includes parts of Nanchong, Mianyang, and Guangyuan. It has no standard tone. However, based on the differentiation of n/l and f/h in the Nanchong dialect, it appears to be influenced more by the Qinqiang dialect, with Multi-lining characters and heavy nasal tones. The school mainly focuses on singing and playing opera, and has primarily been influenced by Qin Opera.
The Xiachuandong School, or the Eastern Sichuan school, is centered in Chongqing and includes the eastern Sichuan area. It is greatly influenced by Han Opera and Peking Opera. The language used is diverse, but is usually mixed with Wuhan dialect and Peking Opera based on Chongqing dialect. Huqin is also characteristic of this school.
Sichuan opera is notable for its quick changes of masks and personae, referred to as the face change.
Clown facial makeup is painted on the bridge of the nose in a white square. Makeup used can vary among both positive and negative characters. Yu Zhuang in harmony; Pure Angle, also known as "Flower face", is a colorful facial makeup that indicates a clear loyalty and treachery. Black represents fortitude and integrity, white represents treachery and cruelty, red represents loyalty and courage, green represents chivalry and righteousness, blue represents firmness and determination, yellow represents cruelty and tyranny, and a gold and silver face represents holiness and majesty.
There are many kinds of costumes in Sichuan opera, depicting characters such as: the "anaconda", "Dependent child", " Official clothing", and "Pleated child." Depending on the style, face paint is also limited compared to other related forms. Jing characters do not appear, and the only painted face characters are those with a small white patch in the middle of the face, which indicates a slightly evil character. The face paint colors are traditionally limited to black, red, white, and grey.
Sichuan opera music is unique. Its percussion music is intended to be especially exciting. Sichuan opera gongs and drums are especially revered due to their strong sound, clear and changeable rhythm, and unique timbre. The wind and percussion music of Sichuan opera is also among the most important content in Sichuan opera. There are many suona tunes, gongs, and drum sets. Sichuan opera silk and bamboo music is often played with huqin and flute tunes. In terms of use, Kunqiang uses Qudi and Huqin tunes. Both the huqin and its cover are used, and the accompaniment of "minus" is used for the lantern show. The music styles are diverse and feature a variety of artistic characteristics.
Gaoqiang is the most distinctive and representative form of Sichuan opera. Its main characteristics are a free line and free singing style. There is no accompaniment, and only a clapper and drum are used to adjust the rhythm of Gaoqiang. The percussion music uses large gongs and drums. These run through the Qupai frequently, so that the help, playing, and singing are closely combined. Singing alternates between the recitative and aria, which allows the accompaniment and singing to enhance each other. In addition, the accompaniment of gongs and drums can make the atmosphere of the stage change infinitely. The most distinctive feature of Gaoqiang music is its tone.
In the past, Sichuan Opera was mainly assisted by drum masters and other musicians. In recent decades, it has been equipped with a female chorus intended to have a better voice. This can set the tone, describe the environment, create the stage atmosphere, remind the audience of the inner feelings of the characters, and represent the evaluation of the third party on the characters. The language of Sichuan opera is intended to be lively, humorous, full of vivid local flavor, and with a strong atmosphere. In mass performances of Sichuan Opera, the content of the drama is based on life, and the humorous words are said to often cause the audience to cheer and laugh repeatedly.
Gongs and drums play an important role in Sichuan opera music, which not only accompany the opera but also directly express the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the opera. Small drums, Canggu, large gongs, large cymbals, and small gongs are commonly used, and collectively called "five squares". Together with strings and Suona, the "six squares" are conducted by small drums. During singing, gongs and drums run through it, so that singing, acting, reading, and playing can be organically combined, forming a unique style of Sichuan Opera. At the same time, the gongs and drums of Sichuan Opera play a special role in the performance art as a whole. There are about 300 gongs and music pieces alone. In Sichuan opera, gongs and drums are often used as sound effects. The sound of rowing, gurgling water, the rushing ocean, the whispering wind and rain, and the thudding sound of moving heavy objects can all be vividly expressed.
Overall the art form is well known for its singing, which is less constrained than that of the more popular Beijing opera form. Sichuan opera is more like a play than other forms of Chinese opera, and the acting is highly polished. The music accompanying Sichuan opera utilizes a small gong and an instrument called a Guqin, which is similar to the Erhu.
The traditional formula can be quite systematic, and may include a combination of stunts— such as Bian Lian, Tihuiyan, sword-hiding, fire-spitting and beards changing with the plot and different characters.
The character of the fool, or uncouth bumpkin, is significantly more prominent in Sichuan opera than in other forms of Chinese opera. Fool characters appear in guises including Mangpao (the emperor's attendant), the fool in mandarin's clothes, the playboy fool, the dirty and disheveled fool, the old-fashioned fool, and the thief fool. The thief fool is one of the most popular character archetypes in Sichuan opera.
Gaoqiang is the most distinctive and representative form of Sichuan opera. Its main characteristics are its free line and free singing style. There is no accompaniment, and only a clapper and drum are used to adjust the rhythm of Gaoqiang. The percussion music uses big gongs and drums, which run through the Qupai so that the help, playing, and singing are closely combined. In the singing process, the recitative and aria are used alternately, and the accompaniment and singing enhance each other. In addition, the accompaniment of gongs and drums can make the atmosphere of the stage change significantly. Gaoqiang from Jiangxi Yiyang tune development, the Yongzheng Emperor two years (1724), Chengdu has Gaoqiang opera troupe "old Qinghua class". During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing dynasty, Gaoqiang opera, then called "Qing Opera", was introduced to Sichuan. Gaoqiang is a form of folk singing, which does not use strings, but instead sings in a more colloquial style. It has a large number of Qupai and is complemented by percussion music (consisting of gongs and drums). It has distinctive characteristics and is deeply loved by the Sichuan people. It combines with the Sichuan dialect, local Yangko rap, and other folk arts to enrich its expressive force and form its own unique style. During the first year of the Republic of China, the Gaoqiang Opera troupe, banquet, music troupe, and other opera groups formed the "Sanqinghui". Gaoqiang Opera gradually became the main voice of Sichuan Opera.
Kunqiang, or Chuan Kun, refers to the Kunqu opera of Sichuan Opera. This evolved from the Kunqu opera of Jiangsu Province. Jiangsu's Kunqu Opera (shortened as Sukun) flowed into Sichuan in the late Ming dynasty. After the Qing dynasty, as a large number of government officials and celebrities immigrated to Sichuan, Kunqu became popular with their families, and Kunqu also entered Sichuan. When Kun Opera arrived in Sichuan, it retained its original tunes, but in order to meet the needs of Sichuan audiences, the opera changed to the Sichuan dialect, which became Sichuan Kun. Combined with Gaoqiang, Huqin, Tanxi, and other tones as well as Sichuan opera gongs and drums, it was performed in the form of group tunes of "two and three groans", also known as "Kuntouzi". At the same time, it is customary to dissolve the blow tone into Kunqu's tone. Kunqu Opera is the result of a long-term combination of the Sichuan dialect, folk music, Sichuan opera gongs, and drums. This gradually evolved into Sichuan singing characteristic of Kunqu— Sichuan Kun. In 1912, the Kunqu Opera troupe Shuyi Ban joined the Sanqing Association and Kunqu Opera became one of the five Sichuan opera tones.
The Huqin voice, also known as "Sixianzi", got its name because it is mainly played by "Xiao Hu Qin". It is developed from the Hui tune and Han tune and absorbs the components of Shaanxi Hanzhong Erhuang. It is also complete with Xipi and Erhuang, but it is distinct in areas such as tone, style, and passing through the door. It is also sung in the Sichuan dialect. Huqin tune became popular in Sichuan during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty. Later, it was gradually adapted into the "Sichuan-style" by combining it with Sichuan dialect and music— especially through the gongs and drums used in Sichuan opera as well as other tones. First, it was performed in the form of "two cooking POTS" and "three cooking POTS". In the first year of the Republic of China, the Huqin Opera troupe officially joined the "Sanqing Association" and became the Sichuan opera of the five-tone Republic.
Also known as "Chuan Bangzi" or "Gai Banzi", Tanxi is a variation of Qinqiang in Sichuan. The Qinqiang Opera was introduced into Sichuan earlier. One theory is that Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong introduced it when they entered Sichuan in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Another theory involves the reign of Kangxi in the Qing dynasty. During the evolution of Qin Opera in Sichuan, Shaanxi Opera was first changed into Sichuan Opera to adapt to the habits of Sichuan audiences. At the same time, it was gradually combined with Huqin, Gaoqiang, and other tones, as well as Sichuan opera gongs and drums, or performed in groups. Many Sichuan opera plays are mainly performed by playing opera, which is also integrated into Huqin and Deng. After the establishment of the "Sanqing Hui", the opera troupe Taihong joined the league, and the opera became an integral part of the five tones of Sichuan Opera. Tanxi includes two kinds of tunes with very different emotions: one is called "Tian Ping", showing the feeling of joy and elation. One is called Kuping, which expresses sad and bitter feelings. The plate has "yizi", "erliu", "sanban", "duoban", "daoban" and so on.
Also known as Dengxi or Lantern theatre, Dengdiao is derived from the folk Lantern Festival custom, as well as folk song, dance, and music in Sichuan. The main voice is the accompaniment of folk ditties, also known as "pangtongtong". In the process of its development, it absorbed the North and South ditties and developed from the custom of the Lantern Festival to be performed all year round. Dengdiao music is generally relatively short, with a distinctive rhythm, and bright melody. It is intended to have a relaxed and lively feeling, as well as long performance with witty comedy scenes. In the use of Dengdiao, Qu Pai is also used to connect the form. However, because the music is relatively short (usually only four or six sentences), when singing, a piece of music (section) is mostly repeated with several different lyrics. The main accompaniment instrument is the "datongtong Huqin", which has a thick and short rod, a large tube, and a slight "om" sound. Later, string instruments such as the Sichuan Erhu were added
The repertoire of Sichuan opera is varied and rich. There is a saying that "three thousand in the Tang dynasty, eight hundred in the Song dynasty, and countless countries". There are more than 100 repertoires on the stage. Among them, there are many relics from the Song and Yuan Southern Operas, Yuan Zaju, Ming Legends, and many classic operas of ancient vocal operas, as well as Bashu literati such as Zhao Xi, Huang Ji'an, Yin Zhongxi, Liu Huaixu, Ran Qiaozi, Zhao Xunbo, Xu Wenyao, Wu Boqi, Li Mingzhang, For the outstanding contributions of Wei Minglun, Xu Fen, and others. After 1949, 321 repertoires were identified and 116 repertoires were compiled and published. Among them, "The Story of the Willow Shade", "The Story of the Caillou", "Yu Zan Ji", "La Lang Pei", "Mandarin Ducks", "The Royal River Bridge", "The Adventure of Master Qiao", "The Story of Burning Incense", "The Legend of Fu Nu" ", "Jinshan Temple" and others have been well received by audiences within China and abroad. There are also many historical story dramas and modern dramas compiled and performed, such as "Marriage", "Husband and Wife Bridge", "Wangniangtan", "Ding Youjun" compiled by the writer Li Mingzhang, and "Red Rhododendron" and "Yibin Baimao" written by other playwrights. Female", "Xu Yunfeng", "Jiang Jie", "Jiang Lang Da Xin", "Yi Bold", "Four Girls" are also included.
The legacy of the Gaoqiang style is the largest, and the artistic features are also the most prominent, such as in the "Five Robes", "Four Pillars", and "Jiang Hu Shi Ba Ben".
The repertoire of Tanxi is represented by the four major volumes of "Chun Qiu Pei", "Mei Jiang Xian", "Hua Tian Cuo" and "kujiezhuan".
Huqin repertoires mostly perform the stories of the Three Kingdoms and other countries. The "Huangben" written by Huang Ji'an, a writer in the late Qing dynasty, are the most famous, and include stories such as: "Qing Ling Tai", "San Fa Song", "Shen Nong Jian", "Shen Ji Ping", "Chai Shi Jie", " San Jin Zhong", "Mian Zhu Guan", and "Jiang You Guan."
There are not many repertoires of Kunqu opera. The most popular stories include: "Yi Jian Xian Jian", "Dong Chuang Xiu Ben", "Zui Zao", "Zui Da", "Zhui Ma", "He Fan", and "Dao Hui."
The repertoire of lantern opera includes "Ping Zhang Nian", "Bai Xin Nian", "Da Mian Gang", "Wu Zi Gao Mu", "Cai Yi" and so on. Among the works of literati, Zhao Xi's "Qing Tan", Ran Qiaozi's "Dao Wu Bi" and Yin Zhongxi's "Li Yan Ai."
The roles in the drama are called trades in Sichuan Opera. The roles of Sichuan Opera are divided into six categories: sheng, dan, jing, mo, chou, and za.
Since the Qing dynasty, innumerable Sichuan opera performing artists have emerged, such as Wei Changsheng in the Qianlong period, Xiao Xiating and Yue Chun in the Xianfeng and Tongzhi years, Fu Sangan and Huang Jinfeng in the Guangxu and Xuantong years, Yang Sultan and Yang Sulan in the late Qing dynasty and the early Republic of China. Kang Zilin, Tang Guangti, Huanhuaxian, etc., Xiao Kaicheng, Tian Lai, Cao Junchen, Yan Bingzhang, etc. during the Republic of China. After the Republic, there was the older generation, such as Jia Peizhi, Zhang Decheng, Zhou Haibin, Zhou Mulan, Wu Xiaolei, etc.; The middle-aged generation includes Liu Chengji, Zhou Yuxiang, Zhou Qihe, Chen Quanbo, Yang Youhe, Xue Yanqiu, Jiang Shangfeng, Yuan Yukun, Zeng Ronghua, and so on. The young generation includes Chen Shufang, Jing Hua, Yang Shuying, Xu Qianyun, Situ Huicong, Li Xiaofei, Xie Ping 'an, etc.; Rising stars include Zhao Youyu, Lan Guang Lin, Zhang Qiaofeng, Liu Shiyu, and others.