Zhen Fei Sheet Music (Vol. 1 & 2)

Author: Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Since compiling and printing Suluqu Pushe in 1953, it has been twenty-eight years. This period is neither too long nor too short—on the one hand, it is not excessively long, but on the other, it is not short, as in the blink of an eye, I have reached my late eighties. Amidst my life's trials, with the assistance of several friends and colleagues engaged in Kunqu opera, I have now compiled Zhenfei Pushe, and naturally, I feel delighted. The manuscript is complete, and it is about to be printed. I wish to take this opportunity to express the thoughts that have long been lingering in my heart.
I have had a relationship with Kunqu opera for seventy-five years, almost as long as the rings of my life tree. I have spent my life singing and acting, as well as listening to and watching performances. It is needless to say that my feelings for it are extremely profound and deep. At the same time, as my understanding deepens, I have come to grasp the strengths and weaknesses of Kunqu opera and the joys and hardships of its performers. Examining the history of this genre, its script literature, such as the classical masterpieces Dan Dao Hui, Mudan Ting, Changsheng Dian, and Taohua Shan, has long achieved high acclaim in the world of literature. Its stage art has also formed an excellent tradition, exerting a beneficial influence on other opera genres. However, like all things in the world, "fortune and misfortune are intertwined," and the genes of success and failure are often present simultaneously.
Kunqu opera has gone through stages of emergence, development, and flourishing, producing many writers and works, including scripts, melodies, and performances. Among them, the quality varies, and achievements differ, which is a normal phenomenon. However, even among the best, it cannot be called absolutely perfect. Moreover, gains and losses, strengths and weaknesses, are always in a "you in me, I in you" relationship, though they may wax and wane, appearing and disappearing at times.
As Chinese opera evolved from Song zaju and Nanxi to Jin yuanben and Yuan zaju, gradually progressing and transforming until the Ming and Qing qingshu, the genre and form of Kunqu opera's script literature were declared complete. Yet at this very moment, its flaws became immediately apparent. First, the language was too literary and detached from life—how could one expect audiences to carry dictionaries and rhyming dictionaries to the theater to watch the plays? Second, the scripts were excessively long, unsuitable for stage performance. A play could have two, thirty, or even fifty scenes, or even as many as two hundred and forty, yet how could such lengthy works be widely disseminated among the people? (For now, let us set aside the content and focus solely on the formal issues.)
Because entire qingshu were difficult to perform, generations of artists devoted themselves to improving performance techniques, extracting certain scenes from the qingshu for meticulous refinement and practice, greatly developing and enriching the performance conventions. However, as scenes advanced, the entire qingshu were neglected. Today, there are thousands of qingshu, yet none can be performed in their entirety. As a result, Kunqu opera now only has a few hundred incomplete scenes, leaving people unable to understand the complete plot and causing it to increasingly drift away from the masses.
Today, Kunqu opera practitioners are engaged in the collation and adaptation of scripts. Regardless of whether the content is innovative or not, the task of eliminating redundancies and restoring a complete structure is already extremely challenging. In terms of performance, excessive emphasis on conventions has led to certain tedious and empty problems, becoming obstacles to the continued advancement of Kunqu opera. As for the gains and losses of Kunqu opera's vocal music, similar issues exist. According to historical records, from daju and zuan tan to guzi ci, changzuan, and zhuguantiao, then to Songci and Beicizi, and finally to the four major vocal styles of Haiyan, Yuyao, Kunshan, and Yiyang, the musical structure and system gradually improved, with the formation of cipai and liantao, the establishment of gongdi theory, and the systematicatization of singing techniques and vocal phonology. These must be recognized as significant progress in Chinese opera music, laying a solid foundation for the emergence of the Kunshan shuimo style.
Although a qingshu script personally compiled by Wei Liangfu has not been preserved, and there is no sufficient reliable evidence to determine whether the Huan Sha Ji script later performed is based on his original compilation, by studying earlier existing scripts such as Jiu Gong Cheng Nan Bei Ci Gong Pu, Yin Xiang Tang Qu Pu, and Na Shu Ying Qu Pu, in conjunction with the legendary contributions of Xu Lin (Ling Zhao) to the full script of Changsheng Dian and Ye Tang (Huaiting) to the full script of Mudan Ting, the development of Kunqu opera music from simplicity to complexity, from roughness to refinement, is clearly visible. This should be acknowledged as an undeniable achievement in the history of Chinese opera music.
However, certain formalistic flaws, such as disregarding the meaning and tone of the lyrics and overly dragging out the rhythm, became increasingly evident over time, an undeniable fact. In the art of singing, there are also both strengths and weaknesses. Chinese opera originated from a canto form, so throughout history, there have been those who specialized in studying singing techniques, known as "singing masters." In the late Ming Dynasty, the grand singing gatherings held annually on the Mid-Autumn Festival at Tiger Hill in Suzhou endured for a long time, becoming the precursor to the later quhui and qushè in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. From my childhood, I accompanied my father in many amateur singing organizations, meeting many qujia in Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Nanjing and hearing many songs. This singing is known as "lengban qu" or "qingqu" or "qinggong," distinct from the "jucu" or "xigong" performed on stage. In this field, my father can be considered a typical figure. Qujia emphasize theories and techniques such as pronunciation, breath control, and vocal delivery, and it cannot be denied that many of them possess great skill and have contributed to the advancement of singing art. However, qingqu is not without flaws—it lacks the close connection with stage performance of "jucu," creating a distance from the stage image, which does not meet the correct and strict requirements of singing art.
Based on this brief review of several aspects of Kunqu opera, I deeply feel the necessity of inheritance and innovation. To understand how to inherit and innovate, one must analyze the three main components of the genre—drama, song, and dance—objectively: what are the strengths in tradition that should be inherited and promoted, and what are the weaknesses that should be discarded and reformed. To fail to base inheritance on the former is a nihilistic attitude toward history; to fail to target the latter for innovation is a conservative mindset that clings to the old. Obviously, both are unacceptable.
Of course, the scope of the issue is very broad and complex, and cannot be fully described in a few words. But as long as one explores earnestly and handles with caution, a correct and effective path can certainly be found. At the same time, "willing to be spring mud to protect falling flowers," one must carefully distinguish between mud and rubble to maintain and enrich the nourishment for the "flowers," allowing them to bloom again, regain their beauty, and display a colorful landscape. Revitalizing an ancient opera genre and achieving its renewal and development is not something a few individuals can accomplish. It requires more dedicated individuals, guided by a correct direction, to work in collaboration, shoulder this historical mission, and strive to make it a reality in a timely manner.
Although I am in my twilight years, I am unwilling to give up. I always intend to do my best to participate in some work alongside everyone. This qupu is based on the teachings I received from my father in my early years, with some reforms inspired by my long-term performance experience. This is merely a humble contribution to the art of singing, for the appreciation of those who enjoy the music; as for my insights on Kunqu opera's performance issues, they will be elaborated in another article, to be published alongside this qupu as a report of my late-life work. I am deeply grateful to Mr. Ye Shengtao for inscribing the title and writing the preface for this qupu, and to Mr. Yu Pingbo for his kind preface. I hereby express my sincere thanks.
The seven gentlemen who assisted me in editing this qupu—Lu Jianzhi, Xin Qinghua, Gu Zhaoqi, Yue Meiti, Cai Zhengren, Gu Bingquan, and Lin Ruojun—have shared joys and sorrows, understanding both warmth and hardship. This has been a great source of happiness for me in recent years.
This is the preface.
Yu Zhenfei
May 1981