The Development and Evolution of Ju Yang's Opera

The earliest source of Ju Yang Opera can be traced back to the ancient paintings and incense operas in Jiangdu area. There are two roles in the ancient painting drama, namely, the clown and Xiao Dan. During the performance, all the actors "step off the stage", that is, they sing and dance collectively, and then Xiao Mian and Baotou sing and dance, which is called "playing the opposite play" or "stepping on the opposite play". This ancient painting drama was formed in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1736- 1795). In the process of the continuous development of the folk, it has also absorbed the repertoire of Anhui classes and other operas, and can perform more than 40 simple plays, such as Visiting Family, Planting Highland Barley, Borrowing Wife, Monks and Monks Going Down the Mountain and so on.

19 19, Yangzhou ancient painting opera was performed from the countryside to Hangzhou for the first time, which was a success and attracted the attention of Beijing opera circles. In the second year, he once again boarded the Shanghai world stage and caused a sensation in amusement parks of various companies. In order to meet the needs of the audience, the artist changed the lyrics in Weiyang ditty, such as "The Blind King's Fortune Telling" and "The Little Nun Down the Mountain" into scripts. In terms of music, in addition to dressing table tunes, some tunes of Weiyang Xiaoqu were added. At this time, the Huagu opera has developed to the point of its heyday. Hu Dahai, an artist, first felt that the name Huagu Opera was no longer suitable for the performance at that time. At his initiative, it was renamed Weiyang Wenxi. To distinguish the categories that are not ended.

Weiyang Wenxi established herself in Shanghai and began to recruit female apprentices. The first outstanding actresses were Xiao Lanzhen, Xiao, Chen and the famous Kunqu opera Jin Yungui. The increase of actresses has played an important role in the further development of Yangju Opera, because the singing of ancient painting operas is only accompanied by silk strings instead of gongs and drums, so the audience calls Weiyang Literary Opera "Xiao Kai".

Although Xiao Kai is a kind of performance form that combines ancient painting and Qing Qu, it is different from ancient painting and Qing Qu. In the early stage, the role only had one face (ugly) and one head (Dan), and later it developed into three covers and four sides (that is, three ugliness and four Hua Dan), with multiple angles on the same stage. Most of the dramas are life dramas, such as visiting relatives and cursing mothers, herding cattle on graves, watching lights by blind people, taking demons by Taoist kings, and beating city gods. The repertoire has developed from "two big ones and two small ones", namely "Planting Barley", "Big Smoke Sighs", "Little Nun Going Down the Mountain" and "Little Widow Going to the Grave" to "Parting Corner", "Meng Jiangnv" and "Liu Yin" with complicated plots and many characters. The tunes are light and lively, euphemistic and melodious, mainly including [Palace Board] (also known as [Continental Board]), [Acacia Tune], [Separated Stack] and [Green Yarn Fan].

Speaking of incense plays in northern Jiangsu, Jiangdu people had the custom of putting incense cabinets in the hall a long time ago. It is said that the incense cabinet is specially used to burn incense and worship the king. In the early Qing dynasty, it developed from offering sacrifices to gods and burning incense to performing and entertaining incense parties. When their performance develops to a complete story by singing, reading, doing and playing, it becomes a drama, which is called incense play.

There are two kinds of incense operas: inner altar and outer altar. There are many fairy tales in the inner altar, such as "Mu Lian saves mother" and "Qin Shihuang drives away mountains and blocks the sea". There are many folklore and historical stories in Waitan. 1920 or so, when Yangzhou ancient painting drama was performed in Shanghai, it also arrived in Shanghai. When performing in Xinmin Theatre for the first time, it was renamed Weiyang Taipan. Weiyang large class also has great influence among the people. Incense play is accompanied by gongs and drums, and the tunes include [Seven Words], [Cross Sentences], [Doushi], [Qigong Tune], [sissy] and [Aquarius Tune]. High-pitched, simple, rough and magnificent, the audience is commonly known as "Weiyang big-scale drama".

At that time, Zhabei Xinmin Theater, Hongkou Changqing Theater and Taiping Bridge Tongqing Teahouse and other theaters that specially staged the "big opening" opened one after another. In addition, the "Weiyang Grand Stage" on Anakin Road (now Dongtai Road) also staged a "big show", and the number of artists who came to Shanghai to sing gradually increased, and the dramas staged gradually focused on secular family themes, such as pipa, tooth marks, contract, Liu Yin, Sanyuan, etc. It is said that the makeup of "Ten Plays and Nine Records" has also developed, and Hua Dan wrapped his head in a gauze skirt and put on ancient costumes. The performance imitates Beijing opera and can perform martial arts. When Yangzhou Qingqu entered Shanghai, it was similar to incense opera, mainly rap. The first batch of Qingqu artists who came to Shanghai often sang "Tang Hui" for the weddings and birthdays of wealthy families in Shanghai.

Incense Opera and Flower Drum Opera are both local operas that originated in Yangzhou. Although their growth process and characteristics are different, their language is the same, and they all speak Yangzhou dialect. Artists who used to sing Weiyang's big class have changed to sing Weiyang's literary operas. Weiyang Opera was accompanied by martial arts gongs and drums, and Weiyang taipan was accompanied by stringed instruments. In the long-term performance practice, the two attract each other and gradually merge together, constantly absorbing the excellent aria of folk songs and Yangzhou Qingqu, and the content and form are becoming more and more perfect. 1935, weiyang Wenxi and weiyang taipan finally merged formally, which was called weiyang opera, and Yang Yang opera came into being. At the same time, Ten Beautiful Pictures, jointly performed by Subei Xiang Troupe and Yangzhou Ancient Painting Troupe, also marked the groundbreaking of this new drama.