The Origin of Banhu and Opera Music

Introduction: The origin of my country’s bowed string instruments can be traced back to the Sui and Tang dynasties. The Xi Qin (Ji Qin) of the Tang Dynasty is considered to be the predecessor of Chinese bowed string instruments. Chen Yang gave a clear explanation of the shape and performance form of the Xi Qin in "Music Book": "Xi Qin, the original Hu music, comes from strings. The shape is also similar. The two strings are covered with bamboo pieces. It is not used by the people today. "There is also a record of Xi Qin in the Japanese "Tai Jie Chao": "Xi Qin two pieces ( One without strings, one with two strings), dated in April of the ninth year of Tianqing." It can be seen that Chinese bowed string instruments were already very popular in the Tang Dynasty, and are "used among the people to this day", which means they have been loved by the common people. . Since the Xi Qin is a musical instrument of the Xi people, and the Central Plains people at that time called the northern ethnic minorities "Hu people", the Xi Qin was also called the "Hu Qin".

With the development of huqin musical instruments, its shape and branches have changed. my country's bowed stringed instruments are divided into bowed stringed instruments whose sound body is covered with a membrane and bowed stringed instruments whose sound body is covered with a membrane. ***A bowed stringed instrument whose sounder has a board as its surface. Banhu is of course classified into the second category.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the huqin developed to a new stage. With the emergence of the Bangzi Opera genre, the banhu gradually replaced its early accompaniment, the two-strand string, and became the main accompaniment instrument for the Bangzi Opera genre. Because Banhu is used as an accompaniment to Bangzi tunes in various places, the names are also different. Shaanxi and Shanxi call Banhu "Hu Hu". In Henan and Hebei areas, Banhu is called "Lao" and "Da Xian". Banhu also has some other names, such as "Qinhu", "Banghu", etc.

When enjoying banhu performance, we often feel that its volume and timbre are loud and sharp, and the melody is free and handsome. It lacks some gentleness and softness, and emphasizes publicity and domineering, and sometimes even gives people a sense of unscrupulousness. Similarly, northern operas, especially the singing of Bangzi Opera, also give people the same feeling, such as the high-pitched, loud and hoarse singing of Shaanxi Qinqiang, the vigorous and vigorous Henan Opera, and the sonorous and choppy rhythm of Hebei Bangzi. It is the similarity in aesthetic trends between the two that makes the banhu appear as the main instrument in various Bangzi operas in the north. Perhaps, the use of banhu is also a choice in the aesthetic trend of opera music.

1. The dramatic connotation of opera music gives the music a strong artistic appeal

Banhu has a deep connection with opera music. The origin, development, performance style of Banhu and opera music are closely related to each other. There is an inseparable relationship. It can also be said that opera music is the source of banhu and national instrumental music creation. Judging from the creation of banhu music since the founding of the People's Republic of China, most of its creative materials come from local operas, folk songs, and folk arts. Among them, the banhu music created with materials from various local operas is the most abundant, such as "Qin Opera Brand Music", "The Red Army Brother Is Back", " Famous Banhu songs such as "Hua Bangzi" are all created based on the tunes, ban styles and melodies of local operas. Opera music is dramatic music that combines music and drama. Drama creates artistic images through the performances of actors. When this kind of performance is combined with music, it can make use of music's ability to express emotions and have strong emotional appeal, so that the creation of this artistic image can enhance the concentration of emotions. And the depth of expression makes it have more touching artistic charm. Although opera-style Banhu music is the main source of Banhu creations, there are not many Pingju-style Banhu music. The Banhu music "Qin Xianglian" composed by Mr. Zeng Jianxiong fills the gap in the creation of Pingju-style Banhu music. The drama of Pingju music, Pingju music The changes in musical pattern make the music full of artistic appeal.

The Banhu song "Qin Xianglian" uses Pingju opera music as the material for music creation. The creation of each section of the music is closely related to the plot of Pingju opera "Qin Xianglian", making the music very visual. The structure of the music is composed of introduction---matching---Adagio---rocking board--duo board---allegro--xing strings---one, two, three, and so on. The music provides a broad space for the performers to display their performing arts.

1. Introduction:

The introduction of the music is played by the band's bass string group, and the original plate tune of Pingju Opera extracts a deep and tragic theme. , the audience was brought into a dramatic mood from the beginning. After the percussion "Duba Da Tai--", after the gongs and drums, the Banhu solo entered, and the bow swinging from slow to fast performed the traditional Ping Opera "matching" singing style. , the author has greatly expanded on the melody of Pingju Opera. The theme of the music is played from banhu, using rich changes in bowing and string touching, and playing in different positions. At the beginning of the music, the performer starts with the first One person said that Qin Xianglian got into the role and used tragic melodies to give a touching display of the character's inner grief.

2. Adagio

The second section of the piece is Adagio, which is the core section of this piece. The Adagio is full of sadness and helpless emotions. It is created using the melody of the Bai School of Ping Opera singing "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers Come to the Capital". The author fully expanded the original singing melody and is full of sadness and grief. The music theme presentation shows the desolate scene of Qin Xianglian crying about three years of famine, her parents-in-law dying of cold and starvation, cutting black silk silk and replacing them with reed mats to bury their bones, and Qin Xianglian taking a pair of children to beg for food and go to the capital to find her husband. Subsequently, the melody of "Crying Mizi", which was developed with the melody of "I was shocked when I heard this" from Li Pai's famous drama "Du Shiniang", further rendered Qin Xianglian's emotions of grief, anger and sobbing in a more in-depth way. .

Adagio is the core section of this piece of music. On the one hand, the performer must master the charm, style, and unique performance techniques of Pingju opera music. On the other hand, the performer needs to follow the changes in the mood of the music. Only by appreciating the image of the music and understanding the inner activities of the characters in the music can the audience be moved. In the melody arrangement of the slow music, I used different bowing and string-touching techniques of wiping, sliding, padding, beating, pressing, and rubbing to make the size of the "tip" gradually faster and slower according to the change of mood. The sudden fast and sudden slow processing fully exaggerates the character's grief-stricken and sobbing emotions in a gradual and gradual manner.

　3. Rocking Board

The third section of the music is a rocking section that is played hard and sung slowly. The idea of ????the music creation comes from the "Killing the Temple" section in the play "Qin Xianglian" , Han Qi was ordered by Chen Shimei to kill Qin Xianglian's mother and daughter, and chased them to the ruined temple. Qin Xianglian was filled with grief and anger, accusing Chen Shimei of being ungrateful and killing her relatives. Han Qi was unable to do anything, and finally committed suicide. This section is the most dramatic and intense section in the Pingju Opera "Qin Xianglian". In the play, Qin Xianglian's singing voice is high-pitched, passionate, full of grief and anger, and has a strong impact. In this section, Banhu plays a melody of sorrow and indignation. The rapid rhythms of Bangu and Bangzi and the free playing of Banhu form the characteristics of a tight and slow singing melody. The band's "passing" and Banhu's melody promote each other, forming an ups and downs. Ups and downs, strong dramatic effect. In the performance of this section, rhythm control is the key factor, and it needs to be coordinated with the bangu and clapper according to the rules of opera music to achieve a perfect fit. At the same time, the introduction of the banhu melody also requires some design, to grasp the rhythm of the band's transition and the banhu melody, to grasp the breath of the performance during the fast and slow singing, and to divide the syntax so that the phrases can be processed calmly, passionately and compactly. Rather than being the same.

4. Duo Ban and Allegro

The fourth section of the music is Duo Ban and Allegro, which adopts the "Xing Xian" and "Yao Er San" plate patterns of Ping Opera, and sonorous Powerful 'Allegro' rhythm combination. It vividly expresses Qin Xianglian's spirit of resistance against the powerful. This passage is played with continuous sixteenth notes. When playing, pay attention to the granularity and clarity of the fast bow. In the performance of the cadenza, the coordination with the bangu and clappers and the mastery of the rhythm are particularly important. This section must be processed faster and faster, highlighting the elastic tendency of opera music, and the music becomes more and more intense, reaching the point of the music. the climax.

　5. Ending

At the end, the band reproduced Qin Xianglian’s broad and passionate theme, which complemented the alternating melody of the Banhu solo. With the cooperation of opera gongs and drums, the Banhu solo played a majestic The melody shows Qin Xianglian's musical image of not fearing the powerful, having the courage to resist, and ultimately winning.

2. Thoughts on the creation of opera-style banhu music

Banhu comes from opera. It appeared on the stage as an accompaniment to opera in the early days. Its rich playing techniques and delicate style changes make it Banhu is extremely charming. Today, when the performance techniques of national instrumental music tend to be Westernized, how banhu music should be composed and how to perform has become a question that banhu players and educators need to think about.

First of all, neither technology nor style are unique. The creation and performance of banhu music in the new era must have a distinct sense of the times, profound ideological connotation, modern performance skills, and master the performance of various local styles. Technique. Opera has a long history, spanning 1,500 years in China, and is an indispensable part of Chinese cultural history. The origin and development of Banhu are inseparable from opera music. Opera music is the source of Banhu creation and performance. Therefore, opera-style Banhu music plays an important role in Banhu performance and creation.

work. In the creation, the author pays attention to the combination of Banhu melody and language, the combination of melody and plot, making the rhythm of the lyrics in the singing echo the Banhu melody, making the plot of the famous Bai Pai drama "Qin Xianglian" consistent with the Banhu melody, and integrating the ups and downs of the plot. Ingeniously combined with the right melody, the banhu melody is also very consistent with the character's personality. As a performer at the premiere of Banhu and the band's "Qin Xianglian", I am often moved by the artistic charm of the music. A strong sense of picture emerges before my eyes, and I can't help but immerse myself in the role, as if the performer himself is Qin Xianglian. Banhu's "Qin Xianglian" "Performance has been highly praised by banhu circles, experts and audiences. It is also one of my repertoire that I have played deeply in recent years.

The key difference between opera and other art forms is that it breaks away from the simplicity of ordinary music art and has a more distinct and intense drama. The biggest feature that distinguishes opera-style banhu music from other banhu music is its drama. As a performer, when playing opera-style banhu music, you must not only master the key factors such as technique, style, and rhythm in the music, but also pay attention to its drama. , that is to say, the mood of the performance and the music processing are consistent with the plot and characters. It is necessary to have a deep understanding of the plot and characters of the play. The key to performance is to grasp the rhythm and emotion of the passages with strong dramatic changes. The performance of "Qin Xianglian" gave me a deeper understanding of Pingju opera music. Chinese opera has great charm. Banhu performance teaching and creation are inseparable from opera music. As a banhu educator and performer, I also hope to have More and better opera-style banhu pieces similar to "Qin Xianglian" will be released. I believe that with the development of banhu performance skills in my country and the richness of banhu compositions, the development of banhu career will be better and better. ;