Yangzhou Pinghua Wang School Water Margin. Wu Song (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Wang Litang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: The Water Margin is one of the most renowned and distinctive traditional repertoire in Yangzhou Pinghua. It is adapted from the classic novel Water Margin, and the entire work consists of six major parts: Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen, Wusong, Song Jiang, Shi Xiu, Lu Junyi, and Post-Water Margin, all of which are long narratives. These parts can be connected in sequence or told independently. Except for Post-Water Margin, the other parts are largely based on the relevant ten chapters of the original work, hence they were also known as "Lin, Lu, Wu, Song, Shi, and Lu" in the early days. The Pinghua Water Margin has a long history, with its earliest origins traced back to the great storyteller Liu Jingting during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Later, in the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Deshan, Fan Songnian, and Xue Jiahong were among those who excelled in telling this story. The Yangzhou Pinghua Water Margin that has been passed down to this day originated in the Daoguang and Xianfeng periods of the Qing Dynasty, with the most famous being the Wang family's inherited tradition, later known as the "Wang School Water Margin." Through the continuous refinement by generations of storytellers, each part of the story has been expanded and developed, adding many characters and detailed descriptions, and revising numerous plots. The content has become richer, the characters more vivid, and the narrative style several to tens of times longer than the original. Storytellers of Water Margin regard the artistic achievements of the "Wang School Water Margin" as the highest. Wang Shaotang, the representative figure of the Wang School, combined the strengths of various schools, excelling in both spirit and expression. His storytelling was meticulous, refined, and highly acclaimed in the world of storytelling. The recorded transcripts of these four books, as narrated by him, are estimated to exceed five million words. His granddaughter, Wang Litang, inherited her grandfather's storytelling legacy, particularly building upon the artistic style of "sweet, sticky, sharp, and spicy" while also innovating. Her performance is more crisp and elegant, her language more refined, and it carries more humanistic and modern characteristics. Her pronunciation is clear, her diction rhythmic, her breath control flexible, and her use of round, square, and flexible tones is masterful, earning her the reputation of having "a graceful mouth" and "a string of pearls rolling like a drum anding a pot." Wusong, also known as Wu Ten Chapters, tells the story of Wusong searching for his brother, passing through Jingyang Ridge to fight a tiger, and becoming the county's military commander. His sister-in-law Pan Jinlian had an affair with Xi Menqing and poisoned her husband Wu Dalang. Wusong killed Pan and Xi Menqing before surrendering himself and being sent to Mengzhou. He encountered Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang at the Ten Crosses Inn, met Shifu at the Heaven King Temple, and made friends with Shi En. For standing up for justice, he drunkenly fought Jiang Mengshen in the Happy Forest, only to be framed by Zhang Dujian and sent to Mengzhou again. Jiang Mengshen instructed his fighters to ambush Wusong, who instead killed them and returned to Mengzhou at night to avenge his enemies. Later, with the help of Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang, he disguised himself as a monk and went to Erlong Mountain. Along the way, he defeated the villains Wu Qian and Li Er Dotor at the Centipede Ridge and mistakenly fought Kong Liang at Baihu Town, meeting Song Jiang. He later joined Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi, and others in successfully seizing Erlong Mountain and becoming outlaws. These ten chapters—Fighting the Tiger at Jingyang Ridge, Killing His Sister-in-Law and Avenging His Brother, Fighting Xi Menqing, Attacking the Ten Crosses Inn, Drunkenly Fighting Jiang Mengshen, Chaos at Feiyunpu, Killing the Supervisors at Night, Running Through the Centipede Ridge at Night, Beating Baihu Town, and Intelligently Seizing Erlong Mountain—are known as "Tiger Rises, Dragon Ends." Wusong has the most complete structure in Water Margin, with the main character Wusong running through the entire story, and the plot full of twists and turns. The famous writer Lao She once highly praised this book: "Wusong is a great work! Although the number of words is large, it is not difficult to read. It is captivating at every turn, and one cannot put it down. It is truly a great work! Without a name for it, I will call it a popular epic for now!" Some renowned sinologists abroad, such as Li Fuching (Russia) and Yu Rubai (France), have conducted in-depth research on Wusong and given it high praise in their presentations and critiques. The publication of this book can not only meet the reading needs of lovers of classical literature and opera but also serve as valuable reading material for professionals in the fields of opera and folklore.