Daxian Opera

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Daxian Opera

Applicant: Puyang County, Henan Province

Item No.: 188

Project No.: Ⅳ - 44

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Henan Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Puyang County, Henan Province

Protection unit: Puyang Daxian opera art protection and inheritance Center

Introduction to Daxian Opera

Applicant: Puyang County, Henan Province

Daxian opera, formerly known as gongxingban, also known as Xianzi opera, is an old and rare multi tone opera. It is popular in the northeast of Henan Province, the south of Hebei Province and the southwest of Shandong Province, with Kaifeng and Puyang in Henan Province as the center. It is generally believed that Daxian opera has a certain origin with Liyuan opera in Tang Dynasty, and it inherits the tradition of song and Yuan zaju Beiqu in the process of evolution and development. There are more than 500 copies of Daxian drama, but there are about 100 copies now. The content of Daxian drama is mainly about the struggle between loyalty and treachery, the battle of killing and conquering the overlord and Anliang. The representative plays are anti Wuguan, HeiShiGuan, Yangfu xuanjiang, fighting Luoyang, Xianan Tang, sun Wuzi Xingbing, Huanghua temple, Xixiangji, Liangjiashan, etc.

The singing music of Daxian opera belongs to Qupai style, which is mainly composed of haihaihua, jiangtoujingui, shanshanpo sheep, bubujiao and other Sanqu. In addition, it also absorbs some music of Qingyang tune, Shipai tune, Xiansuo Gaoqiang, Luoluo tune and other folk music Xiaoling. There are more than 400 pieces of various kinds of Qupai, and more than 180 pieces have been excavated and sorted out. The accompaniment of Daxian opera can be divided into soft field and hard field. The main musical instruments of soft field include Sanxian, Xidi, Dadi, HengDi, Sheng, etc. The Xidi is the unique musical instrument of Daxian opera. The accompaniment of Xidi is called Xiqu, while the accompaniment of Dadi, didi and HengDi is called Daqu. In addition to the general percussion instruments, the hard field also uses four fans, trumpets and spiral horns to set off the tense and exciting atmosphere. In Daxian opera, the change of tunes is frequent, the degree of syllable jump is large, and the actors use real voice to spit, while the vocals use false voice.

The roles of Daxian opera can be divided into wusheng, Wudan and wuhuamian. HuaMian facial makeup is exquisite and full of personality. Up to now, Daxian opera has retained the traditional "Tiao Jiaguan" opera and the "farce", "Shuan Tiao Yan Duan" and "shirtless play" in the Zaju of song and Yuan Dynasties. Its performance is based on plum blossom boxing and Hongquan, which is rough, pungent and simple. Some of the stunts, such as "cutting willow rafters", "playing five colors", "hanging", "sleeping three hole bridge" and "smashing tile", made the audience marvel.

No matter in the repertoire, music or performance, Daxian opera has basically maintained its original ecological appearance, which makes people feel the lingering charm of the military drama of Tang Dynasty, the Daqu of Tang and Song Dynasties and the Zaju of song and Yuan Dynasties, which has high historical research value. Since the 1990s, due to the increasing variety of entertainment programs, the performance market of Daxian opera has been shrinking. At present, there are only two professional performing groups in Henan, Puyang Daxian opera company and Huaxian Daxian opera company. Due to the shortage of funds, the economic income of the actors has decreased year by year, the living and performing conditions have deteriorated rapidly, the talent of performers has been lost, and many plays, tunes and special effects have been lost. At present, there are nearly 100 tunes and more than 200 plays waiting to be excavated. Only one person has mastered the music of Tang and song Daqu and Daxian opera, and they are very young and in urgent need of protection.