Zhejiang opera
music is an important integrative part of Zhejiang music. The major
characteristic of it is that several tunes, in the course of performing
together, developed into a multi-tuned opera. Those ancient Nan Qu (south
tune), Yuyao Tune, Haiyan Tune and so on all hold significant positions in
Chinese theatrical history. They used to prevail in Zhejiang for a time,
and had great impact on the development of later tunes. The later tunes,
Hun Qiang, Gao Qiang and Luan Tan for example, continued to be influential
until today. Each tune finds its way into its opera with distinct
characteristics, and after getting the particular brand from the opera, it
develops further. With the rise of some new kinds, like Yue Opera born
upon the early singing-and-talking music and folk songs of Ming and Qing
Dynasty, Zhejiang opera music becomes even more rich and
colorful.
|
The
major categories of Zhejiang opera music are: Nan Qu, Gao Qiang, Kun
Qiang, Luan Tan and Tan Huang.
|
Nan Qu
was the tune of the early Nan Xi (southern opera, alias Yongjia Za-Ju or
Wenzhou Za-Ju). "The tunes, added in Song Ci as lyrics, were made for the
streets." (Record of Nan Ci by Xu Wei) In addition, it took in
elements from traditional music (such as Da Qu of Tang and Song dynasties,
Zhu Gong Diao, Chang Zhuan and Zhuan Ta), Bei Qu (the north tune), music
of the minority groups (such as Fan Qu) and religious music (such as
Buddhism tunes and Taoism tunes). The structure of Nan Qu was relatively
free - just a link of independent singles. It did not have strict modes or
metrical lyrics. It could be acceptable as long as it was easy for singing
aloud. However, "only neighboring and close singles could be joint
together as a cycle" (Record of Nan Ci by Xu Wei). The singles were
suitable for all kinds of roles, but the major male and female characters
in the opera generally used tunes whose lyrics were in the form of Ci
whereas the characters with painted faces and the clowns used the tunes
from folk songs. The singers could do solo, antiphonal singing, collective
singing, or assistant singing. In the course of development, Nan Qu fully
absorbed the strengths of Bei Qu and created a new form with the mixture
of the two. Once it arrived at a place, it combined with the local music
and gave birth to many new local opera tunes. In Ming Dynasty, the
emergence of Yuyao tune, Haiyan tune, Hangzhou tune and Yiwu tune in
Zhejiang was the very result of the age-old Nan Qu traditions joining up
the local music and dialect.
|
 |
Ancient music score
books |
Gao Qiang
included the following: Diao Qiang in Diao Qiang Opera, Diao Qiang in Shao
Opera, Diao Qiang in Luan Tan Opera of Zhuji, Ping Diao of Ping Diao Opera
of Ninghai, Gao Qiang (Rui'an Gao Qiang initially) in Ou Opera, Gao Qiang
in Luan Tan Opera of Taizhou, Song Yang Gao Qiang, Gao Qiang in Xing Gan
Opera, and Xi'an, Xiwu, Houyang Gao Qiang in Wu Opera. The first six were
similar with each other, and were generally considered to be evolved form
Diao Qiang popular around Shaoxing at the turn of Ming and Qing Dynasty;
the latter kinds belonged to one group closely related with the early
tunes in Yiyang, Huizhou, Siping and Yiwu.
|
Gao
Qiang included the following: Diao Qiang in Diao Qiang Opera, Diao Qiang
in Shao Opera, Diao Qiang in Luan Tan Opera of Zhuji, Ping Diao of Ping
Diao Opera of Ninghai, Gao Qiang (Rui'an Gao Qiang initially) in Ou Opera,
Gao Qiang in Luan Tan Opera of Taizhou, Song Yang Gao Qiang, Gao Qiang in
Xing Gan Opera, and Xi'an, Xiwu, Houyang Gao Qiang in Wu Opera. The first
six were similar with each other, and were generally considered to be
evolved form Diao Qiang popular around Shaoxing at the turn of Ming and
Qing Dynasty; the latter kinds belonged to one group closely related with
the early tunes in Yiyang, Huizhou, Siping and Yiwu.(violin) and Heng-Feng
(bended flute).
|
 |
Walk-and-play, by
Shaoyunxuan folk troupe of Shangyu |
Gao Qiang
followed the traditions of early Nan Qu in that its structure was of some
settled cycles of singles. Though most of the tunes retained the same name
as those in Na Qu and Bei Qu, their melodies changed. Most of the Bei Qu
tunes were south-ized into the five mode musical scales and were
integrated into the style of Gao Qiang.
|
Gao
Qiang tunes were passed around orally with no written musical scores. But
beside the hand-written copies of lyric of Diao Qiang and Song Yang Gao
Qiang, there were usually some marks for hint or to aid memory. These
marks indicated the tendency of the tune, the drum beat positions, the
stressed sentences and the length of the prolonged sentences.
|
Qu Qiang was passed into Zhejiang
from Suzhou and since then prevailed in the area for long. It gradually
drew in the local dialects, folk music and opera elements, and formed
different opera tunes as Yongjia Kun Ju (abbr. Yong Kun), Jinhua Kun Ju
(abbr. Jin Kun) and Ningbo Kun Ju (abbr. Yong Kun, a different Chinese
character). Due to the origins and coverage areas, Kun Qiang music in Diao
Qiang, Ninghai Ping Diao and Shao Opera was more like Ninbo Kun Ju; the
one in Wu Opera was quite the same as Jin Kun; and the one is Ou Opera and
Luan Tan Opera of Taizhou was similar with Yongjia Kun Ju. When it comes
to the music used by Zhejiang Kun Ju Troupe, it was close to Kun Qu of
Suzhou except that it carried the accent of Zhejiang dialect.
|
Following the traditions of Nan
Qu and Bei Qu, Kun Qiang also fell into south tunes and north tunes. But
no matter which it belonged to, there was set patterns for the lyrics. The
structure of Kun Qu was link of different tunes. It could be "south tune
cycle", "north tune cycle" or "south-and-north joint cycle".
|
 |
Playing Beng-Gu
(strain drum) |
Luan Tan
was the general name of the seven tunes from Wu Opera, Shao Opera, Ou
Opera, Luan Tan Opera of Taizhou, Luan Tan Opera of Zhuji, He Opera and
Ping Diao Opera of Ningbo respectively. The first four were distinct in
features; Luan Tan in Luan Tan Opera of Zhuji was not only similar to Bo
Zi of Hui Luan and Beijing Opera, but also the same as Wu Opera and Gong
Shao Opera in part; Luan Tan of He Opera was basically the same as that of
Ou Opera except that the former usually sang reversed Tuan Tan while the
latter mainly used regular Luan Tan tunes; no material is left about Luan
Tan in Ping Diao Opera of Ninghai. Yong Opera, Yue Opera and Xing Gan
Opera took in some Luan Tan tunes from the prevailing ones in the local
area, so the first two had Luan Tan similar with those in Shao Opera
whereas the last had tunes similar with Wu Opera.
|
Zhejiang
Luan Tan had "San Wu Qi" and "Er Fan" as its representatives. The former
blended the characteristics of both Gao Qiang and Kun Qiang whereas the
latter was much like the clapper opera of the north. They were believed to
be originated from clapper opera Yang Qiang tunes (viz. Kun Yi Qiang,
abbr. Bang Zi Qiang) and clapper opera Luan Tan tunes (abbr. Luan Tan
Qiang) formed in south of Anhui Province before Mid-Qing Dynasty. It was
Shi Pai Qiang Troupe and Anhui Troupe that brought them into Zhejiang. The
above mentioned two tunes were varied in different operas, hence many
different names.
|
 |
Playing Bo-Gun, by
Shuitou folk troupe of Pingyang |
Tan Huang
derived from some folk tunes of Ming and Qing Dynasty such as Tan Huang
tunes and Nan Ci Tan Huang tunes. Some of it around Jiangsu and Zhejiang
province was combined with Hua-Gu (flower-drum, a folk dance popular in
the Changjiang valley), hence the worldly Hua-Tan. Some were influenced by
Kun Qiang Opera and Luan Tan Operas, hence the relatively elegant
Qian-Tan. They both belonged to Tan Huang system. Yong Opera, Yao Opera
and Hu Opera were all Hua-Tan (Yong Opera later took in Siming Nan Ci and
some tunes from Shaoxing Luan Tan) while Wu Opera, He Opera, Ou Opera and
Taizhou Luan Tan belonged to Qian-Tan. Since 1961, Hangzhou Opera also
absorbed the local folk art music - Hangzhou Tan Huang. The lyric
sentences of key Qian-Tan tunes were basically all made up of seven
characters. Sentences of ten characters were also acceptable. The
assisting tunes could either be the sentences of the same length or of
different length. The singles were joined up together as one cycle, or one
single could be played in a cycle of different versions, either. It was
also true to Hou-Tan.
|
 |
Playing
Dong-Dang-Dong | |
Path: HomePage -> Culture -> Culture & Arts -> Music