White Fur Coat (6 volumes in total)

Author: Qian Dechang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Compiled as a collection of popular opera plays under the name Zhuibaiqiu, it originated from the late Ming Dynasty when the Suzhou scholar Wanhua Zhuren had previously edited such a collection. After the Qing Dynasty, this trend flourished. However, these selected collections only included Kunqu opera plays from the Ming-Qing transition period, with excerpts from Yuan Dynasty zaju and Ming-Qing chuanqi, but did not include Huaibu luantan plays. In the 28th year of the Qianlong reign (1763), Qian Dechang, the owner of the Suzhou Baoren Tang bookstore, adopted the old name Zhuibaiqiu to compile new popular plays. The following year, he published Shixing Yada Zhuibaiqiu Xinji Chu Bian. Thereafter, one or two volumes were published annually, and by the 39th year of the Qianlong reign (1774), twelve volumes were completed and published together as the Baoren Tang edition. Due to its practical nature as a songbook and convenient use, it became extremely popular, with almost every theatergoer owning a copy, and it had a profound influence. In 1931, under the support and guidance of Mr. Hu Shi, Ms. Wang Xiru completed the collation and editing of Zhuibaiqiu based on the four classroom edition. In December 1940, the Zhonghua Book Company published it in lead type printing, with a preface written by Mr. Hu Shi. This is known as the Wang edition. Zhuibaiqiu (New Collection) is a selected collection of opera scripts printed during the Qing Dynasty, including excerpts of Kunqu and Huaibu luantan plays that were frequently performed on the stage. The title Zhuibaiqiu means "to gather the pelts of a hundred foxes to make a robe" (as quoted in Li Chen's preface). The entire collection consists of 12 volumes (collections) and 48 volumes (scrolls), compiled by Qian Dechang based on the old edition by Wanhua Zhuren, with additions, deletions, and revisions. It was compiled and published by him at Baoren Tang in Suzhou from the 28th to the 39th year of the Qianlong reign (1763–1774). In the late Ming Dynasty, there were already selected collections of opera plays titled Zhuibaiqiu. According to the preface of Zhuibaiqiu He Xuan, supplemented and edited by Yu Gangqiao and Ji Shanjin in the 27th year of the Kangxi reign (1688), it was originally compiled by "Xingzai." Later, multiple collections with the same name were published. After Qian Dechang published Zhuibaiqiu (New Collection), it was highly acclaimed by readers, and bookstores across the country repeatedly reprinted it, gradually replacing other Zhuibaiqiu editions, which became less popular. Qian Dechang, styled Peis, was also known as Jingxin Jushi, with his birth and death years unknown. He failed the imperial examinations but was a man of unrestrained character, often frequenting wine houses and entertainment venues. The nobility admired his talent and wanted to hire him as a counselor, but he refused them all. He claimed, "My livelihood is dire, and my poverty grows worse," and compiled Zhuibaiqiu as a means to earn a living (Qiu Zuobaiqiu Xi Qiyi, Baoren Tang edition of Zhuibaiqiu vol. 8). While editing the book, he often sang and recited poems, appearing drunk and. His passion and familiarity with opera made this collection resemble a performance script. As Zhu Lujian, the author of the preface to the 7th volume (collection), said: "The rhythm, pacing, and distribution of roles in these plays truly capture the essence of stage performance." Zhuibaiqiu primarily includes Kunqu opera plays, with over 400 excerpts from more than 80 works. The number of excerpts per play varies, with some having as many as 26 scenes, like Pipaji, while others have only one. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Suzhou was a hub of opera activities, and Zhuibaiqiu reveals the richness of Kunqu performances in the region. It focuses on excerpts, including works by Southern opera and Ming-Qing chuanqi playwrights. Some plays originally classified as "zhuqiang" (Yiyang, Qingyang, Taiping, Siqin, etc.) or "beiqiang" were also absorbed into Kunqu. Some complete plays that have since been lost are preserved here in fragments. Zhuibaiqiu also includes over 30 scripts titled collectively as "Bangziqiang," with more than 50 scenes, featuring a wide range of tunes such as [Bangziqiang], [Luanταν], [Xiqinqiang], [Chuiqiao], [Pizi], [Xidiao], [Qinqiang], [Jingqiang], and fashionable folk songs. At the time, these "bangziqiang" plays were often performed alongside "timed Kunqu," referred to as "wenwu shuangban" or "wenwu heban." In the early Qing Dynasty, Huaibu flourished, but few scripts were printed and circulated. Fortunately, Zhuibaiqiu preserved some of these, making its historical value invaluable. Zhuibaiqiu is a selected collection of Ming-Qing opera plays, originally compiled by Wanhua Zhuren, expanded by Qian Dechang (Peis) into twelve volumes, each divided into four sections, totaling 48 volumes, compiled in the mid-Qianlong reign. In the 20th year of the Republic of China, Wang Xiru re-edited and punctuated the text, which was published by the Zhonghua Book Company. Ming-Qing opera, especially chuanqi, often used lengthy formats, with one chuanqi consisting of four to fifty scenes, but the main plot and highlights were usually only five to six scenes. These were the most popular and performed scenes. Therefore, selected chuanqi collections appeared as early as the late Ming Dynasty, with each chuanqi selecting only one or two of the best scenes, at most four or five. For example, Lai Fenguan Jingxuan Gujin Chuanqi, also known as Youqing, and Zuiyi Qing selected more. Youqing, compiled in the fourth year of the Shunzhi reign (1647), included less than 40 works, setting a precedent for Zhuibaiqiu, though Zhuibaiqiu selected more. Zhao Wanli said, "The existence of Zhuibaiqiu in Ming-Qing opera is like the existence of Jin-Gu Qiguan in Ming Dynasty short stories—Jin-Gu Qiguan preserved the essence of San Yan Er Pai, and Zhuibaiqiu preserved the essence of Ming-Qing opera." The plays selected in Zhuibaiqiu were the standard scripts used on the stage at the time, revised by experts for performance and singing. The most significant revisions were in the dialogue and action descriptions. Zhuibaiqiu was compiled by Suzhou scholars, who were at the center of Kunqu opera. Therefore, the plays in it were the standard revised versions used by Suzhou opera troupes, with the dialogue adapted to Suzhou dialect. However, Zhuibaiqiu also preserved many folk songs, such as those in bangziqiang, Yiyangqiang, and luan, among other materials. (Laiqiao edition)