Qin Opera is not all about "roaring". Qin Opera has many roles such as Xiaosheng, Laosheng, Xiaodan and Zhengdan. There are many singing styles that are euphemistic, lingering and beautiful.
China News Service reporter Alina
"Eight hundred miles of Qinchuan are filled with dust, and 30 million Qin people roar Qin Opera." Qin Opera is one of the ancient Chinese operas and an important part of Chinese drama. With the increasingly close cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, Qin Opera has been recognized by more overseas people, carrying the Qin people's feelings and the soul of China on the world stage, and displaying the rich and diverse Chinese culture.
Why is Qin Opera still popular after thousands of years? How can Qin Opera better protect its heritage and showcase Chinese culture in the changing times? How does Qin Opera play its role as Shaanxi’s “cultural business card” and promote cultural exchanges with overseas countries? Li Mei, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the Shaanxi Opera Research Institute, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" and gave her answer.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
Reporter from China News Service: After thousands of years, Qin Opera is still popular. Where does the vitality of Qin Opera come from? What are the similarities and differences between Qin Opera and Western drama?
Li Mei: Qin Opera, also known as Luantan, had reached a relatively mature form by the Ming Dynasty. On May 20, 2006, it was approved by the State Council and included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.
During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Wei Changsheng, a famous actor of Qin Opera, performed in Beijing three times. He shocked the capital with his moving accent, popular words and superb acting skills, and Qin Opera entered its heyday. Later, in the process of popularity, Qin Opera was combined with other opera forms and folk arts, gradually forming a variety of Bangzi Opera types in various places. Qin Opera is also known as the originator of Chinese Bangzi tune.
The characteristics of Qin Opera are rough, bold, impassioned, majestic and tragic. There are two types of singing tunes: bitter and happy. These two singing tunes are a major feature that distinguishes Qin Opera from other types of opera. Qin Opera covers a wide range of themes, and many of them are classic plays that reflect the excellent traditional virtues of the Chinese nation. The classic plays that have been passed down to this day include "The Case of the Beauty", "Zhou Ren Returns to the House", "The Orphan of Zhao", "Wang Baochuan", etc.
Originating from the farming culture and the open-air stage, when Qin Opera was first born on both sides of the Yellow River, the performance venues were private and the audience stood in the open air to watch. To attract the audience when singing, the actor must suppress the cries and voices in the audience. The voice must be loud and as high as possible, thus giving it the characteristic of "roaring". But Qin Opera is not all about "roaring". Qin Opera has many roles such as Xiaosheng, Laosheng, Xiaodan and Zhengdan. There are many singing styles that are euphemistic, lingering and beautiful.
Qin Opera expresses the broad mind of the Qin people. It is "roared" with a high-pitched and passionate tone. It is not only an artistic expression, but also a spiritual expression. It is bold and unrestrained, and expresses the spirit of the Qin people vividly. This kind of expression has a profound foundation among the people.
Picture: Li Mei plays Li Huiniang in Qin Opera's "Renewed Red Plum Blossoms". Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Opera Research Institute
Qin Opera and Western drama are both comprehensive arts. They are both derived from life and integrate performance, music, art, dance, and even architecture into one. Unlike Western dramas, which focus on representation, experience or realism, Chinese operas such as Qinqiang opera mostly use songs and dances to tell stories, emphasize performance, and are virtual and stylized.
The characteristics of virtuality are embodied in the virtuality of performance content and performance form. Chinese opera performance is based on life, but it is not limited to life, but refines and transcends life, in line with the aesthetic psychology of the audience. For example, a riding whip can gallop thousands of miles; a few captains, thousands of troops and horses, etc.
Stylization is a conventional correspondence relationship gradually established based on real life through the interaction between actors' performances and audience appreciation. For example, to show a character pushing a door into a room, the actor slows down or exaggerates the real-life actions of pushing the door and stepping forward. Although there is no door on the stage, the audience still feels the existence of the door.
Reporter from China News Service: How to better protect and inherit Qin Opera and spread and display traditional Chinese culture in the changing times?
Li Mei: The continuous development of Qin Opera cannot be separated from the "relay" and training of talents. Taking China's Shaanxi Provincial Opera Research Institute as an example, we have increased the training and support of existing young and middle-aged artistic talents, and improved their quality through further studies in professional colleges and universities. We have also built a growth platform for young and middle-aged actors through various participation activities and provided opportunities for them to showcase themselves. The injection of "fresh blood" is related to the future development of Qin Opera, and it is necessary to "prepare for rainy days" to lay a solid foundation for the sustainable development of opera talents. We have invited nationally renowned artists and veteran artists in the academy to give lectures and rehearse plays, and have staged and performed the youth version of Qin Opera "The Female Generals of the Yang Family", Wan Wan Opera "Red Detachment of Women", the Qin Opera mythological drama "Journey to the West" series "Tang Monk Recruits Four Disciples", "Havoc in Heaven" and dozens of excerpts, all of which have been well received.
We have planned a series of activities of "Passing on the Fire, Passing on the Skills from Famous Masters" to carry out the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage inheritors, old artists, Plum Blossom Award actors, outstanding performers, directors and other categories of masters and apprentices, aiming to make the most effective use of the precious inheritance resources of Shaanxi Opera, while concentrating advantageous resources and striving to lay a solid talent foundation for the high-quality development of Shaanxi Opera.
Nowadays, the ecological environment in which Qin Opera exists is changing. In order to inherit and develop it, we have done a lot of work and innovation. In terms of creation, we always insist on sorting out and adapting traditional dramas, new historical dramas and creating modern dramas to go hand in hand and blend with each other, so that the ancient local operas present a rich and fulfilling style. In terms of traditional plays, many excellent traditional plays have been resumed, including "Xie Yaohuan", "Matchmaker", "Lin Suo" and "Splitting the Mountain to Save the Mother". At the same time, new plays such as "Li Shisan", "Lu Yao's World", "Guanxi Confucius", "Oasis of Life", "Model Village" and "The Poet Du Fu" were also launched, which were well received by the public.
Picture of Li Mei teaching her apprenticeship "Renewing the Red Plum Fate". Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Opera Research Institute
Passing down the fire from generation to generation and living inheritance are the everlasting charm of Chinese opera. I hope that while I still have the energy to spare, I can teach the best things to young people as much as possible, build a platform for them to grow, and let the art of opera be passed down better. In recent years, the plays I starred in, such as "The Late Blooming Rose", "The Big Tree Migrates to the West", "Renewed Red Plum Blossoms", "The Love of Proud Yang" and "Oasis of Life", have been effectively passed down to young actors. They were rehearsed in groups A and B. Famous teachers and apprentices entered the rehearsal venue together and appeared on the same stage. The addition of young actors is not only conducive to promoting the rapid growth of young actors, but also reflects the contemporary and dynamic inheritance of the ancient Qin Opera art.
Picture: Li Mei (middle) plays Meng Bingqian in Qin Opera's "The Big Tree Migrates to the West". Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Opera Research Institute
Reporter from China News Service: How does Qin Opera play its role as Shaanxi’s “cultural business card” to promote cultural exchanges with overseas countries?
Li Mei: As an important carrier of Chinese culture, Chinese drama has become more and more closely communicated with world drama through rich and diverse expression styles, allowing foreign audiences to have a better understanding of Chinese drama and Chinese traditional culture. The same is true for Qin Opera. We are not only invited to perform abroad, but also receive many foreign literary and artistic figures. We have benefited a lot from mutual exchanges.
After many years of acting, I have performed overseas many times. In 1992, I starred in "The Grudge of the West Lake" which was performed in Finland. As the first Qin Opera play to appear on the European stage, it was warmly welcomed by the local audience. It also opened a new chapter in the exchange and dialogue between Shaanxi opera and European art.
Picture: Li Mei plays Li Huiniang in Qinqiang Opera's "The Grudge of the West Lake". Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Opera Research Institute
We have organized nearly 100 group visits to Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and other regions, such as going to Australia and New Zealand to participate in the "Happy Spring Festival" cultural exchange activities, and going to Denmark to participate in the Copenhagen International Opera Festival, etc., all of which aroused strong responses.
Chinese culture is becoming more and more attractive. Literary troupes, youth groups, literary and artistic practitioners from all over the world have a strong demand to learn about China. Opera culture has become an indispensable part of their visits. In the past five years, the Shaanxi Opera Research Institute has received a 100-member youth delegation from Pakistan, a youth delegation from India, and a gathering group composed of senior musicians from 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Reporter from China News Service: How does foreign exchange help the development of Qin Opera? How to use Qin Opera as a "media" to promote more in-depth and extensive cultural exchanges in the future?
Li Mei: With the increasingly close exchanges between China and foreign countries, Chinese and Western cultures are also learning from each other. The creation of modern Qin opera, especially the creation of modern dramas with realistic themes, the opera program should also develop with the development of life and change with the changes of life. It requires creators to have more experience, start from the inside and outside of the characters, create characters, and complete the plot of the drama. This is to learn from Western dramas.
Picture: Li Mei plays Wang Baochuan in the Qin Opera movie "The Cold Kiln". Photo courtesy of Shaanxi Opera Research Institute
It is necessary to create high-quality cultural and performing arts projects to showcase Qinqiang art in various forms, so that people who are interested in Chinese culture can have more opportunities to understand and learn Chinese culture. In addition, we can also expand the dissemination and influence of Qin Opera through the development of "peripheral products" of opera culture, and gradually form cultural consumption, so that traditional Chinese culture can enter the lives of overseas people.
Shaanxi opera culture has a long history and various types of operas. We will actively explore new ways and methods to carry out international cultural exchanges and showcase the charm of traditional Chinese culture.
Interviewee profile:
Li Mei, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the Shaanxi Opera Research Institute, is a first-class actor. National advanced worker, national March 8th red flag bearer, representative of the 12th National People's Congress, member of the 13th and 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, "four batches" talents of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, advanced worker in the national cultural system, expert enjoying special government allowances from the State Council, and the first of the "four famous dancers" of China's Qin Opera.
The 9th and 13th China Culture and Art Government Awards﹒ Wenhua Performance Award, the 13th and 25th Chinese Drama﹒ Plum Blossom Award, the 15th and 20th Shanghai Magnolia Drama and Performing Arts Awards﹒ Protagonist Award, the 29th Shanghai Magnolia Drama and Performing Arts Award﹒ Winner of the Organizing Committee's Special Award and the Best Actress Award at the 8th Paris Traditional Chinese Opera Festival. The principals are Zheng and Xiaodan, who are familiar with Qin Opera, Meihu and Wanwan Opera. They are known as "Sanmenbao" and are known as "Qin Opera Yizhimei". For more than 40 years in the art industry, she has starred in dramas such as "The Late Blooming Rose", "The Big Tree Migrates to the West", "Leave the True Love", "Yang Qiniang", "The Grudge of the West Lake", "Su Ruolan", "Renewed Red Plum Blossoms", "Yang Guifei", "The Necklace", "The Love of Proud Yang", "The Oasis of Life" and the Qinqiang opera film "The Cold Kiln".
