The early singing method of Pingju Opera - the middle stage singing method of Pingju Opera

The tunes of Pingju Opera originated from Lotus Falls in the east of Hebei Province. Including Lianhualuo tune, Shibuxian tune, folk songs, minor tunes, bamboo board calligraphy, etc., it is not developed from one or two single tunes.

Before Lotus Falls formed an opera form, it still belonged to the category of folk art and was widely spread in the vast rural areas of eastern Hebei. When Lian Hua Luo developed to the stage of "demolition", such as "The Second Sister Wang Misses Her Husband", "Opening a Shop", "Little Chinese New Year", etc., the corresponding structure of the upper and lower phrases appeared, and the rapping quality was strengthened, marking that it had begun to become a drama. Later, due to the recession of Hebei Bangzi, many artists joined the Lianhua Luoban Society. Lianhualuo artists began to learn the music and posture of Hebei Bangzi, and borrowed the percussion of Bangzi. The Bangzi singing was high-pitched and exciting, and the Lianhualuo artists could not sing it, so they changed the Bangzi Banhu tuning from 3-6 to 5-1. Although the singing tune is a Hebei Bangzi tune, the pitch has been lowered and the falsetto singing method is no longer used. There have been changes in style, color and accompaniment instruments. This is what Lianhualuo artists call "banging out the high-pitched bangzi singing tune and replacing it with a flat tune", which is called "flat tune bangzi opera". Ping Opera still retains the pointed boards, guide boards and running boards of Hebei Bangzi.

Pingju Opera learned from Hebei Bangzi, which played a role in promoting the development of Lianhualuo. At the same time, the singing method is gradually improving. This should be said to have laid the foundation for the formation of the Dakouluozi singing method of Pingju Opera. Later famous actors such as Li Jinshun, Hualien Fang and Liu Cuixia were all characterized by their big-mouthed singing style of combining true and false voices. The true and false singing methods of Pingju Opera are also closely related to the Leting shadow puppetry. The old artist Cheng Guozhen once said: "Ten lines of Pingju opera and nine shadow puppets". Before Pingju opera was formed, Leting shadow puppets had rich singing styles and different professions. Lianhualuo artists often drew nutrition and experience from shadow puppets. To this day, Pingju opera tunes still retain the musical elements of shadow puppetry.

After the first generation of actresses appeared in self-review dramas. The art schools represented by Li Jinshun, Liu Cuixia, Ai Lianjun, etc. have seen new changes in singing methods. In summary, it can be divided into two types. One is the singing method of combining true and false voices, such as Li Jinshun and Liu Cuixia, and the other is the original voice singing method (commonly known as the big Ben voice), such as Bai Yushuang and Ailianjun, the first generation of Pingju opera. Many actors of this generation were born in Luoziguan, also known as Kun Shuguan, in Tianjin. A small stage was set up in Kun Library with a copper railing in front of it. The female singers sang while holding on to the railing. At that time, most of the songs sung were Dagu Shu, Paizi tunes, Yuanyang tunes, Bangzi, Pihuang, etc. In the early years of the Republic of China, the Qingchun Troupe's Bangzi Opera in flat tune became a sensation in Tianjin. Seeing the popularity of the Bangbeng Opera, Kun Library asked the female singers to learn Yue Mingzhu's Luozi tune, so they added ten kinds of juggling by female singers. A small play, Li Jinshun and Hualien Fang started their acting lives in Kun Library. Because each Kun library is called Luozi library. ?Luozi Hall? provides better conditions for the cultivation and growth of Pingju opera talents.

For example, Li Jinshun, Hualien Fang, Liu Cuixia, Bai Yushuang and later Ailian Jun, etc., they were all influenced and trained by folk art and opera art in Luozi Guan since childhood. Li Jinshun is known for her singing skills, and her singing has been widely recognized and welcomed by the audience, making her a smash hit. At that time, young actors in Pingju opera also imitated it. What are the characteristics of her singing? This needs to be analyzed from her conscious experience. Li Jinshun studied Hebei Bangzi for more than a year when she was young, and later switched to Beijing Dagu, which has both real and false voices, as well as a full voice. We can tell from the records that her main singing method is to play high notes, and there is not much change. Basically Characterized by true and false voices. It should be admitted that this singing method has initially entered the stage of opera singing. Another singing style is represented by Bai Yushuang, including later Ju Guisheng, Liu Yanxia and Xiao Junting. The pitch of these singing methods is chosen between G Palace and F Palace, and the pronunciation is mainly based on the native singing method, that is, the big Ben voice singing method. The native singing method is similar to the singing methods of folk arts such as Jingyun Dagu, and some of the above-mentioned actors mostly learned to sing Le Ting Dagu when they were young. For example, Bai Yushuang learned to sing Le Ting Dagu when she was in Tongqing Luozi Hall, and later changed her studies to Sun Fengming as her teacher. Criticize opera. This singing method has a lower chime and a lower voice, but it has the advantages of clear enunciation and deep alto, and has been widely recognized and appreciated by the audience. The above two singing methods represent the second stage of the development of Pingju Opera, which is based on the lotus falling and the bangzi and drum singing methods. ;