one of the local operas in Shanxi province. Because it originated in Fenyang, Xiaoyi, Qixian, Taigu and Taiyuan in Jinzhong, it is also called "Middle Road Bangzi" or "Middle Road Drama". Together with Puzhou Bangzi, Beilu Bangzi and Shangdang Bangzi, it is called "the Four Great Bangzi in Shanxi". After spreading to other places, it was called "Shanxi Bangzi", which was renamed today after the founding of the People's Republic of China. In the early days of its formation, Shanxi Opera was only popular in ten counties in Jinzhong Basin, eight counties in the west and four places in the east (Pingding, Xiyang, Mengxian and Shouyang), and its main audience was farmers. After Taiyuan was originally the center, it gradually expanded to individual counties in northern Shanxi, southern Shanxi and southeastern Shanxi. With the merchants of Jinzhong going abroad to do business, the activities of Shanxi Opera have gradually expanded to Zhangjiakou, Beijing, Tianjin and parts of northern Shaanxi and Gansu. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the class club of Zhonglu Bangzi also performed in Shanghai. In Zhangjiakou and Jingxing, western Hebei, it has become the main local drama, with many professional troupes, and some famous artists of Shanxi Opera have settled down there, which has trained many local actors. S}

There are different opinions among the old artists about the origin of Shanxi Opera. It is said that Puzhou Bangzi developed northward, and in order to meet the appreciation requirements of the audience in Jinzhong area, the middle road Bangzi was gradually formed. It is said that Shanxi Opera and Beilu Bangzi were originally the same kind of opera, and then they were gradually localized in Jinzhong area, and then they were separated from Beilu Bangzi and became independent operas. There is also a saying that it is formed on the basis of folk arts such as Qitai Yangko in Jinzhong, absorbing the artistic nutrition of Pu Opera and Beilu Bangzi. There is some truth in all of the above, but judging from the fact that the early classes in Jinzhong area invited Puzhou artists, and that Puzhou artists should be invited as teachers to teach operas, and that the pronunciation of operas should be based on "Pubai" (the local dialect in southern Shanxi), it is generally believed that the middle road bangzi evolved from Puzhou Bangzi. In the process of evolution, artists absorbed and melted the tone and percussion instruments of Qitai Yangko and Fenxiao Ganban Yangko, and changed their pronunciation, singing and performance, forming their own high-pitched, exciting, fresh and euphemistic style. As early as before the formation of Jin Opera, there were records about "Bingzhou Opera" and "Three Cases Opera" in Jinzhong area. By the time of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty (1862-1874), the road bangzi was very popular. After Xianfeng and Tongzhi (1851-1874) in Qing Dynasty, the number of banks in Jinzhong was prosperous and the business was developed, and the development of middle road bangzi also entered a new prosperous period. There have been many famous class clubs and actors. Many tycoons who love opera have invited famous artists to form a powerful "font class". Some literati also took part in traditional Chinese opera activities, such as the "font class" in North Back Street of Taiyuan. An art group that studies Jin Opera. Folk singing activities such as "making a ticket" and "playing a seat" are more frequent. In Jinzhong Plain and East-West Mountain, there are many folk games to greet the gods, such as Dongyue Emperor Temple Fair on March 28th, Grandma Temple Fair on April 8th and Guandi Temple Fair on May 13th. These temple fairs have to sing operas and worship God on the day. In addition, in the first month, the world will sing "population drama" and the grain store will sing "Tim Cang drama"; In April and July, the Longwang Temple will sing "Rain Play", and the folk will sing "Soothing Play" when praying for rain. After the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1937, the Japanese invaders invaded Taiyuan and Jinzhong counties, and the bangzi in the middle road was severely destroyed, and the class clubs were dissolved one after another, and artists fled everywhere. In the Jin-Sui Border Region under the leadership of China's * * * production party, after 1939, three drama clubs, namely July, People and Lvliang, were established successively. In the war environment, a large number of Jin opera talents were trained and many new plays were arranged. During this period, in addition to transplanting and performing Forced Liangshan and Sanda Zhujiazhuang, a costume drama with Yue Fei's murder as the theme and a modern drama "Xintunbao" showing the deeds of model workers in the border areas were also edited. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and other places have successively established many Jin Opera performance groups, arranged and created a number of traditional and modern operas, and trained a large number of middle-aged and young actors. E

Jin opera is characterized by its euphemistic and smooth melody, beautiful tune, roundness, kindness and clear way of telling the truth, which has a strong local flavor and its own unique style in Jinzhong area. In the past, Jin opera was sung purely by actors, and it was generally set in F; Later, it gradually developed to be dominated by actors and changed to G key. In addition to the falsetto singing of "Er Yin Zi", there are seven types of random play: flat (also known as "four eyes") with 4 /4 as the beat; The splint is 2 /4 beat; Sex is 1/4 beat; Running water is 1 /4 beat; In addition, there are intermediary boards, reverse boards, white rolling and so on. There are many variations on each plate. For example, there are big flowing water, small flowing water, tight flowing water, slow flowing water and second flowing water in the running water board. In addition, there are many flower cavities, such as three-flowered cavity, five-flowered cavity, walking-horse cavity, three-inverted cavity, inverted board cavity and so on. Jin opera pays great attention to the artistic features of its singing by means of duet and rotation of more than two people. For example, "Loyalty to the Country", through the singing of a big face and a solemn voice, traces back past stories and exchanges current feelings. In the round singing, the sexual board suitable for narration is often used, and the melody is stretched. "Walking on the Snow Mountain" is based on the duet between the old man and Tsing Yi, which shows the story that after the disaster of Cao Fu, the old man saved the girl and fled in haste. First, the duet with the intermediary board shows the embarrassing state of the master and servant when they leave the tiger's mouth; Followed by the two-sex rotation singing, tracing the persecution, the male voice fell, the female voice rose again, singing alternately, which has a unique charm. There are also long solos in Jin Opera. This kind of solo usually uses a slow stack board; For example, the solo aria of Kong Ming, Qin Xianglian and Shen Hou in Empty City Plan, Seeing the Empress, and Beating the Golden Branches, without the sound of gongs and drums, has the sound of strings, and the tune is like dew and drizzle, which drops into the ground. In the aria of Shanxi Opera, there are also sets of aria composed of flat plates, splints, androgyny and flowing water. It is generally used for remembering, confessing, thinking about problems, etc. Rolling white is used to express sobbing and extremely sad emotions. From the door to the singing, it has great appeal. For example, in Lu Hua, Min Deren's two flashes roll white, often the actor sings with tears, and the audience listens with tears. In the past, the civil and military field of Shanxi Opera was composed of nine people, which were called "nine-handed scenes", that is, drums (conductors), cymbals, ma gongs, Xiao gongs, bangzi, Hu-sucking, Sanxian, Erxian and Sixian. Sometimes you need to use a hinge in accompaniment, and the player who plays the four strings will do it for you. When suona accompaniment is needed, it is played by those who play three strings and two strings. Wenchang musical instrument, Huhu is a alto musical instrument, also known as "Huluzi". Coconut shell, bigger than a banhu shell, is shaped like a chicken heart, and its mouth surface is about 12-13cm in diameter, and it is glued with paulownia jointed board. The main gear is made of hard wood and 7 cm long. There is a waist code, which is fixed in the middle of the file. The bottom yard is placed at the top five-sixth of the paulownia surface. Horsetail bamboo bow, with soft sound quality, resembles baritone voice cavity. Huhula theme, accompanied by two strings, three strings and four strings. The artist said, "Hu Hu, three strings are muscles, two strings are bones, and four strings are tendons." He added, "Call Hu Li's pole, add a plug to the second string, fill the cave with the third string, palm the ruler with the fourth string, and set the tone." Ma Gong, a percussion instrument, is heavy and big, with a diameter of 55 cm and a thickness of about 1 cm, and its sound is not scattered or impetuous. At present, Ma Gong with the character of "six" is widely used, which is in harmony with the sound of the string "sl", so it has the traditional habit of setting the tone with Ma Gong. There are many strings in Jin Opera. There are [embroidered purse] and so on that show happy mood. There are [Sun God Needle] and others who show distress, such as tight killing chickens and soothing mistletoe. These qupai can be used alone or in combination. For example, the music of "Noisy Palace" in "Playing Golden Branches" and "Picking firewood" in "Spring and Autumn Match" is an ensemble composed of several tunes. There are also many suona qupai, such as "opening the door drum" and "slow attendance" used for "sitting on the account", which can render the grand and solemn atmosphere when the marshal raises the account. The antithesis dance used in "Battle of Wancheng" has the momentum of a thousand troops attacking the war in Ma Benteng. There are about forty or fifty kinds of percussion gongs and drums. Such as [hard three hammers], [five hammers], [three flippers], [skirmishes], [war monsters], [sea sand], [Beatles], [hat heads], [turning around] and so on. When used, it can be selected according to the needs of plot development. Such as "boring the field" (commonly known as rubbing the stomach), it can cooperate with the movements and shouting rhythm of the characters beating their chests, stamping their feet and sitting upright. Gao Huaide played in Cut the Yellow Robe, Zhao Yun played in Back to Jingzhou, and after Zhang Fei reprimanded Zhao Yun in Longbanpo, they all used this drum beat to set off the characters' irritability and anxiety. The middle bangzi sometimes uses [seven hammers] to connect the strings before the four-legged eyes, the splint and the bisexual singing, and if necessary, takes [Liao Zi] to cooperate with the actions of the people in the play to play the whip or "connect the door". Song Jiang killed Yan Poxi in "Sitting on a Building and Killing Cherish". When searching for Liangshan letters from her, he accompanied her with "Little War", which effectively rendered her jittery and extremely nervous state. Rh{auO

Jin opera is divided into three traditional behaviors: red, black, raw, Dan and ugly. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, five major lines and fifteen minor lines have been formed in Jin Opera. The five lines refer to: red (bearded), black (painted), health, Dan and ugliness. The 15th line refers to: Zhenghong, Laosheng (both Zhenghong and Dahei), Dahei, Erhei, Xiaosheng, Wusheng, Doll Sheng, Zhengdan (Tsing Yi), Xiaodan, Laodan, Caidan, Wudan, peking opera blues, Wen Chou and Wuchou. In the Qing Dynasty, the foot color business of Zhongbei Road Bangzi was roughly the same as that of Puzhou Bangzi, and then it gradually developed and changed. By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, there had been five major lines and fifteen minor lines in the middle and north roads. Five lines: red (bearded), black (painted), health, Dan and ugliness. Line 15: Zhenghong, Laosheng (both Zhenghong and Dahei), Dahei, Erhei, Xiaosheng, Wusheng, Doll Sheng, Zhengdan (Tsing Yi), Xiaodan, Laodan, Caidan, Wudan, peking opera blues, Wen Chou and Wuchou. According to the skill level of the actors and the degree of influence among the masses, the foot color business of Shanxi Opera can be divided into three categories: headgear (also known as head road and head card), two sets (second road and second card) and piecemeal. The main characters in the headgear play, the second set of second-class characters, should be mixed in pieces. "Butterfly Cup" is convenient, Tian Yunshan is the headgear beard, Hu Yan is the second set, and bits and pieces play Tian Ming. Hu Zisheng is the most important business in the foot color business of Jin Opera. Generally, the troupe takes him as an actor, so he is called a leader, and he earns the highest "drama" (that is, salary) in the troupe. Beard students can be divided into black beard students, old students and red students, and most of them play decent figures in middle-aged and old people. Wear three locks (Guan Yu is five locks) and the mouth is its main symbol. The general public and actors are used to calling Hu Zisheng an actor a red singer. Among the four great bangzi, Hu Zisheng's actors take "red" as their stage name. Hu Zisheng, who wears a black beard (usually black beard), is called Black Husheng, ranking first among bearded students, and often plays middle-aged men with status such as emperors, generals and officials. Bearded actors must have excellent singing skills and solid waist-retreating skills and martial arts. In addition, it is necessary to master the difficult skills such as tip-to-tip skill, mouth-to-mouth skill, hat-wing skill, amplitude skill, boot skill and whip skill. Singing drama, doing drama, and fighting drama should all be affordable. Being able to sing or do or can't sing can't be called a good style. It can only be regarded as a sub-actor, and it is not qualified for class selection. In singing, it pays attention to clear articulation, powerful spout, slow illness, and uses the voice as a falsetto (back bow sound), which has the characteristics of high-pitched and passionate. Body, kung fu frame is exquisite instrument solemn, heroic and vigorous. Because it is difficult for actor to perform, it is a tradition that Hu Zisheng, the four major bangzi, has always been played by actors. However, in 193s and 194s, a group of Hu Zisheng actresses, represented by Ding Guoxian, emerged in Jin Opera, which was called Kun Jiao. Her door is known for its bright and crisp voice, handsome appearance, realistic and delicate acting, which has won the popularity of the audience and quickly replaced the leading position of Hu Zisheng, a male actor, in Shanxi opera. However, due to the limited physiological conditions of female Hu Zisheng's actors, some plays with heavy figure, kungfu and martial arts are difficult to be competent, resulting in some plays gradually disappearing from the stage, such as Out of Tangyi, Watching the Array, Going to the Tiantai and Five Thunder Arrays. There are still old students in Hu Zisheng's career. The distinction between red and green. Old students, playing the role of the elderly, hanging white or pale, the performance is mainly advocating, and the main characteristics are old, dignified and simple. Hongsheng wears three locks of black, looks red, and plays a brave and loyal character. Xiaosheng: nothing, martial arts and baby. Wensheng has shamao, Lingzi, towel and poverty. Mainly play young men. Shamao students, wearing shamao, embroidered robe or official clothes, play a famous figure, and require dignified and free manners in performance. Ling Zisheng, with his head stuck in a cone and his tail as the main symbol, plays the role of a military commander and a man with both civil and military skills. Generally played by civil and military students. Lingzi should be a unique skill for this kind of feet. The towel is born, wearing a towel, wearing pleats and holding a folding fan (so it is also called a fan). It mainly plays a romantic and elegant son, and the performance requires romantic, elegant and handsome. Poor students, wearing plain robes or rich clothes, play the role of poor scholars. It is required to show the characters' poor and aspiring facial expressions, and the dolls are born to play children. The drama is not heavy, and most of them are played by Tong Ling and students. Wusheng: There are two kinds: bunting and relying on. Play a young man who is good at martial arts. Short-handed martial arts students, wearing hats, arrows, clothes and leopard clothes, the performance is mainly martial arts and tumbling, while the martial arts students rely heavily on thick-soled boots, and the performance is mainly fighting and fighting. Dan Hang: There are mainly positive amount (including boudoir Dan), decimal point Dan, Lao Dan, Cai Dan, Wu Dan and peking opera blues. Zhengdan, also known as Dadan and Tsing Yi, mostly plays married and decent middle-aged women. Singing is the main feature, quiet and dignified, sensible and wise, and there are some unmarried women in singing dramas (so-called "boudoir Dan"). Zhengdan was also responsible for the work. Zhengdan often played with Hu Zisheng, and the weight of the play was generally heavier. Xiao Dan, who mostly plays young women, is divided into Xiao Dan and Hua Dan. The difference between them lies in the character and performance characteristics of the characters. Xiao Dan plays a decent and innocent young woman, and her performance is mainly based on singing. He is known for his liveliness, naivety and agility. Hua Dan, on the other hand, mainly does work and reads white, and plays the role of wild and provocative or coquettish and pretty young women, with provocative and ruthless as the main feature. Zhengdan and Xiaodan are the main businesses in Bangzi opera, so there is a saying that "a nest of Dan (Zhengdan and Xiaodan) has enough to eat" and "once you pick an octagonal". Lao Dan plays an old woman, Cai Dan, also known as ugly Dan and ugly woman, plays a funny or cunning woman, Wu Dan, and plays a brave female character. Generally, she dresses up in a small way, does not wear pythons and relies on martial arts. General class club by peking opera blues. Peking opera blues plays many young and middle-aged women who are good at martial arts. Wearing a big body, wearing a seven-star forehead and a feather, singing, playing and dancing are both important. This kind of foot color is mostly played by Xiao Dan actors with solid foundation, so it is also called Dao Ma Xiao Dan. Painted face line: also known as net and blackhead. Divided into big painted faces and two painted faces. Play more people with special appearance, personality and quality, and all of them are marked by facial hook (that is, drawing various colors of masks on the face). With a big face, he focuses on singing, reading, doing and acting steadily, and mainly plays people with high status, such as Bao Zheng, Cao Cao and Xu Yanzhao. There are three kinds of painted faces: painted face, white face, black face, red face and clean face, which are determined by the character, quality and behavior of the characters. Such as Bao Zheng's black face, to show that he is impartial in law enforcement and selfless; Cao Cao and Pan Shimei, because of their treachery and cruelty, have a white chest; Guan Yu plays with his face to show his loyalty and strong character. In the past, there was a saying that "Hua Lian didn't choose classes", but some actors with high artistic achievements could still choose classes. For example, Qiao Guorui (Lion Black), a student with Hua Lian in Jin Opera, had chosen classes for many years. In the past, there was a substitute system (also called substitute system) in Bangzi opera, which was caused by the shortage of cast members in the old class club. Painted Dan is usually replaced by ugly actors, and some small Dan actors are also replaced. For example, Jin opera actor Ji Meilian plays the matchmaker Liu in Picking up the Jade Bracelet and the ugly girl in Kite Mistake, which won the praise of the audience. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the development of the times and the requirements of the audience, the establishment of the troupe has been gradually expanded, and the cast members have been greatly increased. Drama schools and training classes have also paid attention to cultivating Lao Dan actors. Except for a few troupes, most of them are played by special personnel. However, the substitute foot system of Cai Dan and Doll Sheng is still extended to this day.

Jin opera