Selected Yuan Dynasty Opera

Author: Wang Yunqi Wang Yin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Yuan Opera, a form of Chinese theatrical art from the Yuan Dynasty. It developed from Song-Jin Zaju, integrating music, storytelling, dance, and other arts from the Tang and Song dynasties. Due to its use of northern tunes, it is also known as Northern Opera or Northern Zaju. In the history of Chinese literature, Yuan Qu, which is often mentioned alongside Tang poetry and Song ci, actually includes Sanqu and is not limited to Yuan Opera alone. The formation of Song-Yuan Nanxi and Yuan Opera marked an important milestone in the development of Chinese theatrical art into a mature stage. Formation and Rise: The formation and rise of Yuan Opera were influenced by various political, economic, and artistic factors. Intense national and class conflicts led to the emergence of many rebellious plays. The development of industries and commerce in northern cities like Dadu, Zhending, and Pingyang provided material conditions and a mass audience for Yuan Opera performances. The prosperity of urban centers, especially the numerous "goulan" and "washi" venues in the Song Dynasty, accommodated various artistic performances, fostering the growth of Yuan Opera as a comprehensive art form. As everyone knows, Jin Yiban laid the foundation for Yuan Opera. This is evident in: ① Yuan Opera inherited the performance style of Jin Yiban, using the entrance and exit from the upper and lower doors to establish the unique sequential performance format of Chinese theater. ② Building on the role divisions of Jin Yiban, Yuan Opera expanded them into Dan, Mo, Wai, Jing, and Za, with Dan and Mo further subdivided into Zhengdan and Zhengmo, who took the lead in singing, while Jing retained its comedic and acrobatic features. ③ Yuan Opera developed the performance techniques of Jin Yiban, such as acrobatic stunts for martial roles and comedic performances for flower-faced characters, enhancing the quality of performances. ④ The facial makeup and costumes of Yuan Opera were almost identical to those of Jin Yiban, as proven by figurines found in Jin Dynasty tombs in Shanxi in recent years. Yuan Opera drew from numerous arts, including acrobatics, dance, northern folk songs, and especially the structural advantages of Zuguantiao and Changzuan. It integrated these elements while inheriting the performance experiences of Song Zaju and Jin Yiban, creating a comprehensive art form. Performance and Actors: Singing, dialogue, and stage directions formed the core of Yuan Opera performance. Singing involved either a single role performing the entire song or a change in the leading character while the role remained the same, known as "gabian" or "daobian," accounting for about one-third of performances. A single singer could focus on character development, making the main character more vivid. Dialogue, or "binbai," was secondary to singing, hence the name. It could be poetic, instructional, or rhyming, with simple language and a narrative focus. Stage directions included a wide range of elements: ① Acting, referred to as "shou'er" in Yuan Dynasty and "shenduan" later, such as "making sorrow" or "killing with an axe and flag." ② Martial arts, such as acrobatics, flips, and swordplay, often featured in battle scenes or chaotic fights. ③ Interludes of dance and song, like the dance scene in "Wutongyu" or the sorceress's performance in "Dancing for Wine," were included due to their performance actions. ④ Effects, such as "wild goose calls" or "wind effects," were also part of stage directions since the term "effect" did not exist at the time. ⑤ Stage management, or "jiance," was also categorized under stage directions. It is likely that Yuan Opera did not have dedicated stage managers, who were instead performed by minor roles, such as "setting tables" or "soldiers carrying props." However, the main focus remained on acting and martial arts. Like the "jieshu" in Nanxi, Yuan Opera's stage directions primarily used various physical actions to virtually depict life, combining reality with props to create a dynamic performance. At the same time, it possessed a certain level of formality, though not yet perfect, laying the foundation for the unique performance art of Chinese theater. Yuan Dynasty Theatrical Artists: Generally referred to as "luchi," meaning wandering from place to place, these artists lived a nomadic life, performing to make a living. They were also called "sanle," "xingyuan," or "yuren," but essentially referred to the same group. Most lived in poverty and faced humiliation, some even becoming entertainment items for feudal rulers, summoned to the palace and belonging to the Jiaofang, with their names recorded in musical registers. According to the "Qinglou Ji," a single troupe had over 100 female actors and more than 30 male actors, and with numerous troupes, the scale of actors was vast. They had fixed performance venues, either in "goulan" or "miaotai," with the exception of rural amateur firework performances. Professional actors also specialized in certain roles, some focusing on one or two roles, while others, like Hongzi Li Er and Hualianglang, were skilled both in acting and writing scripts. Plays like "Hei Xuanfeng," "Wusong Fights a Tiger," and "Xue Ren Gui" were created by these artists. Writers and Works: The history of Chinese theater saw the first plays with identifiable authors in Yuan Opera. Before the Yuan Dynasty, there were 280 Song official Zaju plays listed in "Wulin Ji Shi" and 689 Jin Yiban plays recorded in "Chuo Geng Lu," but none have survived. Yuan Opera, however, was different. According to incomplete statistics, in less than 100 years, there were approximately 200 Yuan Opera playwrights with known names, and about 730–740 plays with records. These numbers barely reflect the actual scale of Yuan Opera creation, as there are still many anonymous writers and lost plays. However, only 208 complete Yuan Opera scripts, along with 29 fragments, totaling 237 scripts, have been preserved. Decline and Influence: The direct cause of Yuan Opera's decline was the shift of the theatrical center to the south. Southern theater, which had been popular in the south, absorbed the strengths of Northern Zaju and broke its limitations of a single song per play, with one main singer. Using southern tunes, it gained popularity and made Northern Zaju unable to compete. The internal reason lay in the lack of anti-feudal spirit in Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty plays, and by the early Ming Dynasty, Zaju had gradually become confined to the narrow confines of the palace, becoming increasingly distant from the masses in both content and performance. The decline of Yuan Opera was an inevitable historical trend. The historical role of Yuan Opera did not disappear with its decline. Some of its excellent plays remained active on the stage for a long time, and its performance art and creative experience were passed down to later actors and writers. Together with Song-Yuan Nanxi, Yuan Opera laid the foundation for Chinese theater.