Tracing the origin of Mianyang ancient painting and drama

Mianyang ancient painting drama has experienced a history of more than 300 years from its origin to today. Like many operas, it originated from folk drums. In ancient times, Mianyang was located in a thousand lakes. On the ridge, one by one sang well, beating gongs and drums to sing, "beating gongs and drums to sing yangko, forgetting the pain and working quickly", and the lively and loud singing songs spread all over the ridge. In the five years of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1577), Fei Shangyi, a scholar in Mianyang, wrote a poem when transplanting rice in the southern suburbs, in which he wrote, "I was idle in the bean shed to accompany guests, and suddenly I heard drums singing agricultural songs."

Mianyang ancient painting drama was formed in Jiaqing Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty, and has a history of more than 200 years. Originated in the Dongjing River area of Mianyang, it was formed in Mianyang and Tianmen, and was popular in Mianyang, Tianmen, Qianjiang, Jianli, Honghu, Hanchuan, Jingshan, Zhongxiang, Jingmen, southern Hubei and northern Hunan.

Mianyang ancient painting drama is developed on the basis of Mianyang folk songs and Mianyang dialect. It took shape in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and reached its peak in the late Qing and early Republic of China. A large number of artists from counties around Mianyang have come to Mianyang to learn from their teachers, or Mianyang masters have gone to Jianghan to preach. In the early days of liberation, the number of Mianyang ancient painting artists was unprecedented. According to the Records of Jingzhou Ancient Paintings, before 1949, there were 579 famous ancient painters in Jingzhou, including 284 famous artists in Mianyang (including Honghu Lake), accounting for half of the total number of artists in the region. At that time, there were many folk troupes, which performed in rural areas of Jianghan Plain and even in Henan, Hunan and other provinces.

Jingzhou ancient painting drama originated in Mianyang. According to the Record of Mianyang Zhouzhi Extraordinary Flood, in the second year of Yongzheng in Qing Dynasty (1724), there was a situation of "wandering and begging along the street and singing flower drums along the door". In the Qianlong period, the flower drum gradually evolved into a performance form with dressed characters and simple singing content. Artists sing along the door or divide the stage, which is called "Flower Drum along the door" or "Flower Drum on the ground". There is also a person who carries a wooden stool, sings while knocking, and hangs a "shelf flower drum" of gongs and drums. This is the embryonic form of Mianyang Flower Drum. During the Daoguang period, three or five groups of artists sang on a square table or a stage made up of meat cases in their spare time. People call it Taiwan Flower Drum, also known as "Mai Huang Opera" or "Plough Tail Opera".

Later, a perennial troupe appeared, and the performance venue changed from a platform to a four-pole stage, and then upgraded to a six-pole "balcony" or a "Huitai" with ribbons on the stage. Actors developed from the early three primary schools (primary school students, Xiao Dan, clown) to beards, Yi Dan, old students and so on. When singing, they sang in unison, accompanied by gongs and drums. So far, Mianyang Flower Drum has developed into a new kind of drama.

(1) The earliest recorded artist of Mianyang ancient painting was in the Kangxi period. "Wang Yuanfa's five small families (because) arrested and played with homeless and anonymous people. Although he entered the Jianghu, he always preached operas, pushed ancient paintings, made colorful lotus boats, sang ditties, hit puppets and hit tiles. Pass it on to my son ... and to Wang Chunbao. " (See Genealogy of Wang Disciples, which was saved by artist Liu Tiandang 1944 from his teacher). Wang Chunbao is the eighth generation descendant of Wang Family.

(2) 1845 Mou (twenty-five years of Qing Daoguang), Wang Chunbao of Changjiawan, Mianyang, "I liked to play and sing colorful lotus boats since childhood, and often took the lead in welcoming the gods". /kloc-When he was 0/3 years old, he studied under Wang Kai, worked as an actor, and changed his role in middle age. After Master died, he took over Wang Ban. Technically, he learned from others and became a school of his own. The first Mianyang Flower Drum "Wangjiamentou" (adapted from Jingzhou Flower Drum Opera).

As a form of China traditional opera, the performance of Mianyang ancient painting opera was first recorded in Daoguang period. According to Fu Zhuoran's Mao Jiang Night Talk: "During the Daoguang period, there was a singing class in Daijiachang, which simply accompanied the fishing drums. Now people are sitting together, the venue is packed and has a good reputation. The villagers call it the platform flower drum. Jin Lu, a scholar, once wrote a poem: "Taiwan Flower Drum Theatre plays in Lujiazhuang, an ancient willow by the lake. Who knows Mianbei Sanling, Shuizhen is vying to see He Shiro. "This shows that Mianyang Huagu Opera has begun to take to the stage, and it is no longer a door flower drum or a car.

By the time of Xianfeng and Tongzhi, Mianyang Flower Drum entered its first heyday, from a Taiwan Flower Drum to six lemons (a stage form). Artists have developed from a class of three to five people to a scale of seven tight, eight loose and nine present, and the repertoire has also developed from a single play to a two-person play, as well as three small plays (Xiao Sheng, a small shop and a clown) such as Picking Cabbage. It is often performed in greeting gods, competitions, birthdays and congratulations. Known as the magic lantern country drama, the performance is unprecedented, forming the performance scale of "five miles and three stops" in Mianyang countryside.

During the Tongzhi period from Daoguang to Xianfeng, since the appearance of Wangmen, its influence has been expanding, and there have been three gates of Huang, Shi and He, which are also called Mianyang Huagu. It can be seen that the ancient painting drama is Mianyang drama.

In Xuantongyuannian (1909), ancient paintings were first performed in three towns of Wuhan. Artists Lu Jinyu and Zhou organized classes in Xujiapeng, Hankou Railway Station and Yingwuzhou, Hanyang, and went into the open-air (theater) to perform Standing on the Flower Wall, Writing in the Liulin and Sanguantang. Six years of the Republic of China (19 17). More than twenty people, including Chen Xingou, Chen Jialin, Shen Si, Xie, Tang Shitou, Yao Yuchun, Huang Heigou and Wu Fuxing, entered the French Concession in Hankou for the second time and performed in Shengpinglou (the first regular theater in three towns in Wuhan at that time). As a result, they made a sensation in Jiangcheng with wonderful singing and performances.