CHINA / Historical and Cultural Yangzhou
Folk opera brings old hero to life on stage
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-04-07 16:56
Besides Peking Opera, known as the "national opera," China boasts more
than 360 local styles of opera, of which about 50 enjoy great popularity.
Without exaggeration, a foreign visitor can enjoy at least one local
opera wherever he travels.
Specially in the capital, visitors have a variety of choices as more
local opera troupes have taken to touring Beijing.
This evening, the Yangju Opera Troupe from Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu
Province is scheduled to perform a full-length historical play "Shi Kefa"
at Chang'an Theatre.
Originated in mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Yangzhou, Yangju Opera
derived from xianghuoxi, huaguxi and qingqu, all of which are local folk
music and story-telling forms. Now it is popular in Shanghai and the
provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui.
Similar to other Chinese local operas, Yangju Opera is a traditional
dramatic form that brings together music, literature, fine arts, martial
arts and acrobatics.
The nine-scene play "Shi Kefa" was produced in September 2002 to mark the
400th anniversary of Shi's birth.
So far, Yangzhou Yangju Opera Troupe has given 43 performances of the
play in Jiangsu and Shanghai to great receptions from local audiences.
Shi is the household hero in Yangzhou.
The respected commander and politician of the late Ming dynasty
(1368-1644), Shi Kefa (1602-1645) was born in Central China's Henan
Province.
He devoted his life to defend the Ming Dynasty and entered the court to
serve the emperor when he was only 20 years old.
After the Manchu army captured Beijing and the last emperor of the Ming
Dynasty hung himself on the hill at the back of the Forbidden City, the
royal families fled southward and one of the emperor's nephews was
crowned in Nanjing, now capital of Jiangsu Province. He appointed Shi as
the commander in charge of safeguarding Yangzhou which was the fortress
town of Nanjing.
Shi led the soldiers and residents of the town through a bloody, 10-day
battle against the invaders and finally was captured and killed.
Written by Liu Pengchun and directed by Yu Keping, the two-hour-long play
focuses on nine of Shi's episodes and vividly depicts the life of a
general who shows no fear in face of death, a good husband and a filial
son and a poet with scholarly and refined manner.
"It's a challenge for me, because the historic material only records
Shi's 10 days' fighting against the Manchu army and some of his simple
life," said the playwright Liu.
Liu had to create some details and supporting roles, according to
historical records and folk legends, to make the play more interesting.
For example, he wrote a scene in which Shi misses his mother's birthday
because he is on duty. His mother, knowing what her son is doing,
supports his action.
Less dramatically, Liu writes lyrical scripts for the play and
incorporates some poems written by Shi.
Composers Ge Hong and Feng Chengjie wrote the scores by borrowing tunes
from folk songs, Peking Opera and Shaoxing Opera.
Ge said it's hard to compose for such a historical story and such a
heroic role, because Yangju Opera usually portrays common people's
everyday life or follows traditional archetypes and traditional romances
between pretty women and talented young men.
They chose dakaikou, a rough and powerful tune of Yangju Opera to display
Shi's tragic and worthy fighting.
Wu Xiaoping, professor of the Nanjing Academy of Arts produced a MIDI
accompaniment for the play. The electronic music gives the score a modern
flavour.
Setting designer Zhou Shufu sets a part of the broken town wall on the
backline of the stage to imply the bloody battle to guard Yangzhou. A
full bright moon hanging over the wall produces a somewhat sad and dreary
atmosphere and some plum blossoms mark the place where Shi's remains are
buried after he is killed.
Li Zhengcheng, the leading actor in the troupe, as well as a leading
performer in the Yangju Opera, gives a vivid performance of the title
role of Shi. His singing sounds mellow and sonorous with a little flavour
adopted from the Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera.
"I was impressed by Shi's integrity and fighting spirit the first time I
read the script, but then I feel Shi's consideration for his wife and
mother and his soldiers. So I do not depict him only as a fearless
commander, but a man with responsibility," Li explains.
Born into a family of Yangju Opera, Li learned to sing opera at the age
of eight from his parents both of whom were famous Yangju players.
Then he entered Yangzhou Arts School where he was trained formally for
five years. With a gifted voice and hard work, Li has become one of the
best young Yangju opera performers in Jiangsu.
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