weekend·human geography丨hunan kunqu opera: new voices of music and songs
2024-09-01
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stills from the play "zhao zilong's plan to conquer guiyang" by hunan kunqu opera troupe
stills from the hunan kun opera "the joy of fisherman's home" photo courtesy of the hunan kun opera troupe
stills from the hunan kun opera "hujiazhuang" photo courtesy of the hunan kun opera troupe
【treasures from the mountains and rivers】
in late summer, at the hunan kunqu opera troupe, you can see green bamboos, pavilions, and big banyan trees in front of you, and hear the ups and downs of hunan kunqu opera in your ears, which will make you intoxicated.
xiangkun, also known as "guiyang kunqu", is the abbreviation of "hunan kunqu". it is a branch of kunqu in the south. after the mid-ming dynasty, kunqu began to become popular in chenzhou and was later called xiangkun.
in the winter of the third year of the wanli reign of the ming dynasty (1575), hu han, the governor of chenzhou, invited several of his staff members to the wanhua cave in the west of the city to walk in the snow and drink. they sat in the cave, listened to kunqu opera, chanted poems and wrote essays, and returned with great pleasure. after returning to the city, hu seemed to be still unsatisfied, and wrote another article "wanhua cave records", which inadvertently left the earliest record of kunqu opera in chenzhou history.
in 1960, in order to rescue, inherit and develop xiangkun art, the chenzhou xiangkun troupe was established, later renamed hunan kunqu opera troupe, and gradually developed into one of the eight major kunqu opera troupes in the country.
hunan kunqu opera has both the common characteristics of elegance and the individuality of simplicity. the language of hunan kunqu opera is based on chenzhou mandarin, combined with zhongzhou rhyme, and the singing is greatly influenced by qi opera and local language tones. the voice of hunan kunqu opera is not as delicate and beautiful as su kunqu opera, nor as bold and magnificent as northern kunqu opera, but the tone is high and the pronunciation is powerful. because it absorbs some folk songs and colloquial sounds from southern hunan, it has formed a distinctive "vulgar actor vulgar score".
"the peony pavilion", "the story of the black stone", "the story of the white rabbit", "the story of the thorny hairpin", "the half quilt"... over the past 60 years, one classic hunan kunqu opera after another was born here, spread across the country and the world, showcasing the unique charm of chinese traditional culture.
"kunqu opera not only enriches people's spiritual and cultural life, but also adds a lot of charm to this city," said ou longjuan, a young actor from the hunan kunqu opera troupe.
ou longjuan lives near the hunan kunqu opera troupe. when she was a child, she was often attracted by the melodious sound of kunqu opera and fell in love with this art without realizing it. she said: "every time i hear kunqu opera, i feel like i am under a spell and completely immersed in it."
in 2011, the hunan kunqu opera troupe recruited new students. the 12-year-old ou longjuan signed up without hesitation, and successfully passed the exam, becoming a professional kunqu opera actor.
over the past 13 years, no matter how many setbacks and difficulties she encountered, ou longjuan's love for kunqu opera has never diminished. "standing on the stage, facing the spotlight, this is my favorite feeling. every time i perform, i feel like i am passing on culture."
liao maoxun and ou longjuan entered the hunan kunqu opera troupe in the same year, and now he is a martial artist in the troupe.
in the first two years after joining the troupe, liao maoxin practiced his face, waist and legs every day. after he had a solid foundation, he slowly learned singing and other opera courses.
"at that time, i felt very tired doing the same thing every day, and even thought about giving up," liao maoxin said frankly. "if you do something, you must love it. if you decide to do it, you must do it to the best of your ability, or don't do it." the master's teachings made liao maoxin persevere.
liao maoxin strives for perfection in every performance. he said that as a drama worker, this is his artistic duty and also a respect for the audience.
over the past 60 years since its establishment, the hunan kun opera troupe has discovered, compiled, created and performed more than 60 major plays and more than 100 excerpts, and many actors have won major drama awards such as the "plum blossom award", "orchid award" and "hibiscus award". the hunan kun opera troupe has also performed in beijing and abroad many times, becoming a bright business card for promoting chenzhou, hunan and displaying china's excellent traditional culture.
(reporter yu aihua longjun, correspondent chen hongjun zeng songqun)
