With the development of the times, the audio equipment for stage performances has made great progress. The use of high-tech electronic equipment has made sound effects play an increasingly important role in the opera stage. Sound effects design staff make full use of their sound skills and use high-tech equipment to produce virtual or realistic sound effects to render the atmosphere of opera stage performances, enhance the plot, and make the time environment in the drama more detailed. , which is more intense and contributes to the inner portrayal of drama characters and the development of conflicts in the plot, allowing the audience to rely on auditory art to strengthen their adaptability to a certain activity in the opera. Different sound effects can produce different inner emotions of the characters, which can directly infect the audience's thoughts and emotions and evoke associations with the atmosphere of the opera scene, enhancing the effect and artistry of the dramatic performance.

1. Enhance the plot

Sound effects can enhance the plot, reveal the spiritual world of the characters, complete tasks that cannot be accomplished with physical movements and language in the play, and express the inner world of the characters.

For example, in the overture of the modern flower-drum opera "The Sound of the Windmill", the faint "squeak, squeak" sound of the shaking drum is heard at the beginning, which reminds the audience living in the bustling city of the ancient times. The poverty-stricken and backward rural areas brought about by reform and opening up profoundly reflect the playwright's theme, deepen the appeal of the plot, and enrich the overall concept of the performance.

Sound effects can effectively strengthen and enrich the actors' performance emotions and promote the conflicts in the inner world of drama characters. For example, in the second scene of "The Sound of the Windmill", the "squeak, squeak" sound of the bucket is driven by the wind, as if to tell the story of the inheritance of history and the burden of life. Mountain villages have become rich through reform and opening up, and people's lives are filled with new ideas. Superiors called on mountain villages to open tap water drinking projects to improve people's quality of life. The old president has developed a deep relationship with his old well. The old well is also a witness to history. Today, the countryside has undergone earth-shaking changes and the people are living a prosperous life. Through the new lifestyle and the strong entanglement between the old president's deep historical accumulation and the complicated real life, at this moment, the sound effect of the "squeaking, squeaking" water drum not only enhances the plot, but also reveals the story. The inner world of the three generations of the old president, his son Xu Shan, and his grandson Damao better reflects the emotions of the characters and promotes the development of the plot.

2. Expressing time and seasons

The sound effects have the characteristics of clearly explaining the time of the plot. The big ones refer to the changes in dynasties and historical periods, and the small ones refer to the changes in seasons and day and night.

For example, the sound of the rooster in the sixth scene of the Flower Drum Opera "Bangs Playing with Golden Toad" makes the audience immediately think that the dark night is about to dawn. As for the change of seasons, the sound effects come into play even more. Such as the annoying sound of cicadas in the third and fourth scenes of the flower-drum opera "The Sound of the Windmill", the whistling of the north wind carrying snowflakes in the play "The Picture of Good Luck and Longevity", the chirping of birds in the early morning, and the sound of cuckoos in spring, The sound of frogs chirping at night in summer, the insects in autumn, etc.

3. Promote the development of the plot

Sound effects can promote the development of events and conflicts, sharpen the relationship between characters, and strengthen conflicts and changes in the fate of the characters.

For example, in the fifth scene of the modern flower drum opera "Red Vine Grass", night falls, everything is quiet, the hill and the green jade love each other, and they are dependent on each other in their dreams. At this time, frogs and crickets are heard in the distance from time to time. The screams, the ticking of the clock, a sudden burst of dull and powerful lightning and thunder, the majestic sound of wind and rain, and the majestic sound of heavy rain created an atmosphere for the villagers to carry out tense rescue operations. Without the promotion of the above sound effects, it would be impossible to create such a tense rescue atmosphere just by actors jumping around.

The sound effects at this time play at least four functions: first, the time gap; second, the weather change; third, it heightens the atmosphere of the plot; fourth, it promotes the development of the two conflicts at the end of the plot, and the fruits of the hard work of the folks are immediately The harvest is about to be harvested, but it is washed away completely by a flood. What should I do?

4. Depicting a typical environmental atmosphere

The correct expression and appropriate processing and rendering of the environmental atmosphere are of great significance for expressing the nature of characters, character relationships, and conflicts, and are important in creating Sound effects are often used to create typical environments and render atmosphere.

For example, in the first scene of the modern flower drum opera "City Heroes", the roar of cars, horns and shouts of people, the noise of people coming and going, and the ringing of bicycles are heard from time to time amid the beautiful music. , what is reflected in front of the audience is a living metropolitan scene, which is a typical environment created by sound effects.

At the end of the fifth scene of the modern drama "The Sound of the Windmill", through the mediation of the village chief and the enlightenment of the artist, the old president's decades of depression, like an erupting volcano, erupted with a powerful sound. In the cry "so refreshing", a digital reverberator is used to produce the sound effect of valley echo, which highlights the old president's relief from decades of depression. This is the artistic treatment of typical characters using sound effects in a typical environment.

In short, sound effects are the crystallization of high technology and art. Their application in the entire opera performance should fit the plot and be closely related to the characters, performances, and situations. Only when used appropriately can it be the finishing touch. The effect can show and play the role of sound effects in opera.

Editor in charge: Yin Yu