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 the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Zhejiang opera music becomes even richer and more colorful.
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The major categories of Zhejiang opera music are: Nan Qu, Gao Qiang, Kun Qiang, Luan Tan and Tan Huang.
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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 the 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 the 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.
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Ancient music score books |
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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 the Ming and Qing Dynasties; the latter kinds belonged to one group closely related with the early tunes in Yiyang, Huizhou, Siping and Yiwu.
For many genres of Gao Qiang, there were no music scores and they simply followed local customs. One did the leading singing and the other joined in it. They used local dialects and rolling tones and had many Qupai tunes as their fundamental tune. In the process of its popularization, Gao Qiang blended with local folk music and dialects, and was influenced by opera music of various kinds, thus forming its own distinctive features. Since the Qing Dynasty, tunes from Luan Tan and Pi Huang began to exert an influence on Gao Qiang. Furthermore, joint performances of Gao, Kun and Luan tunes, or Gao, Kun and Hui tunes, or of Gao, Luan and Hui tunes further promoted the communication and development of the different kinds of opera music. For instance, accompaniments by both wind and stringed instruments were added to Xi¡¯an Gao Qiang, Houyang Gao Qiang, Xiwu Gao Qiang, Songyang Gao Qiang, Ping Diao, and Gao Qiang in Xing Gan Opera. Besides, interludes by wind and stringed instruments were also included in Xi¡¯an and Songyang Gao Qiang.
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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 assimilated into the five mode musical scales and were integrated into the style of Gao Qiang.
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| Gao Qiang tunes were passed around orally with no written musical scores. But beside the hand-written copies of the lyrics of Diao Qiang and Songyang Gao Qiang, there were usually some marks to give hints or to aid memory. These marks indicated the tendency of the tune, the drumbeat positions, the stressed sentences and the length of the prolonged sentences. |
| Kun Qiang was introduced to Zhejiang from Suzhou and has 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 (also abbr. Yong Kun, but with a different Chinese character). Due to its origins and coverage areas, Kun Qiang music in Diao Qiang, Ninghai Ping Diao and Shao Opera was more like Ninbo Kun Ju; Kun Qiang music in Wu Opera was quite the same as Jin Kun; and that in Ou Opera and Luan Tan Opera of Taizhou was similar to 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. Both tunes conformed to definite lyric patterns.The structure of Kun Qu was a link of different tunes. It could be "south tune cycle", "north tune cycle" or "south-and-north joint cycle".
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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 had distinct features. Luan Tan in Luan Tan Opera of Zhuji, which consisted of Luan Tan and Hui Luan, was basically the same as Wu Opera and Gong Shao Opera except that its Bo Zi of Hui Luan was similar to that of Beijing Opera. Luan Tan of He Opera was basically the same as that of Ou Opera except that the former usually sang reversed Luan Tan while the latter mainly used regular Luan Tan tunes. No data have been 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 tunes similar to those in Shao Opera whereas the last had tunes similar to Wu Opera. |
| Zhejiang Luan Tan had "San Wu Qi" (three, five and seven) and "Er Fan" as its representatives. The former blended the characteristics of both Gao Qiang and Kun Qiang whereas the latter was much like Bangzi Opera (the clapper opera of the north). They were believed to have originated from clapper opera Yang Qiang tunes (viz. Kun Yi Qiang, abbr. Bangzi Qiang) and clapper opera Luan Tan tunes (abbr. Luan Tan Qiang) formed in south of Anhui Province before the 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. |
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Playing Bo-Gun, by Shuitou folk troupe of Pingyang |
| Tan Huang (form of ballad singing in south Jiangsu and north Zhejiang that told stories in its early days and later developed into mini-plays or local operas) derived from some folk tunes of the Ming and Qing dynasties such as Tan Huang tunes and Nan Ci Tan Huang tunes. Some of Tan Huang around Jiangsu and Zhejiang province was combined with Hua-Gu (flower-drum, a folk dance popular in the Changjiang valley), hence the popular Hua-Tan. Some were influenced by Kun Qiang Opera and Luan Tan Operas, hence the relatively elegant Qian-Tan. They both belonged to the broad category of Tan Huang. 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¡ªHangzhou Tan Huang. The lyrics of key Qian-Tan tunes were basically sentences 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 lengths. The singles were joined up together as one cycle, or one single could be played in a cycle of different versions, too. It was also true with Hou-Tan. |
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Playing Dong-Dang-Dong | |
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