China News Service, Urumqi, November 1, telegram: Intangible Cultural Heritage Xinjiang Opera: A century-old old tune and new singing show new charm at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains
Author Qi Yaping and Yang Aixia
"For Quzi Opera, inheritance is the most important event." Today, Liu Shuzhen has taken over the baton of Yang Peicai, the teacher who passed away in March this year, and has become the inheritor of Xinjiang Quzi Opera.
Liu Shuzhen is a retired employee of the Red Flag Farm of the Sixth Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and a member of the "Xinjiang Opera Hongqi Farm Self-Music Class".
He listened to his uncle, his second uncle and his father sing tunes since he was a child, and fell in love with tunes. He also accumulated dance skills in the farm propaganda team, and then learned tunes from Yang Peicai, a farm worker.
Liu Shuzhen puts on makeup for quzi opera lovers.
Photo by Yang Aixia
"Some tunes are very difficult. We don't want to sing and say that we can't learn them. He (Yang Peicai) even said no. If you don't sing the tunes, you'll lose them. After you learn them slowly, you won't find it difficult." Liu Shuzhen said that the average age of a troupe is Over 70 years old, everyone is busy during the day, and at night everyone comes to the opera room for rehearsal, especially before each event, basically every night.
Xinjiang Quzi Opera, commonly known as Xinjiang Xiaoquzi, is based on Shaanxi Meihu, Lanzhou Guzi, Qinghai Pingxian and other operas, and has gradually formed and perfected a unique style of opera by integrating the music and art of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang.
It has been sung for a hundred years in Changji Prefecture, Xinjiang and Wujiaqu City, the Sixth Division of the Xinjiang Corps.
The form of performance is very flexible. There are two kinds of singing and stage performances, and often one person plays multiple roles.
Liu Shuzhen dresses up for opera lovers.
Photo by Yang Aixia
Rich tunes are a major feature of Xinjiang Quzi Opera. Thirty-six majors and seventy-two minors have been developed today. The diverse tunes can express the rich daily life of the people.
In 1959, the first professional troupe of Xinjiang Quzi Opera "Xinjiang Quzi Opera Troupe" was established in Changji Prefecture.
Since then, Quzi Opera has become a unique local opera genre in Xinjiang, and it has also become a national protected opera genre.
In 2008, the Xinjiang Quzi Opera declared by the Xinjiang Corps was selected as the second batch of representative projects of national intangible cultural heritage, and the Sixth Division Wujiaqu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism became the protection unit of Xinjiang Quzi Opera.
Speaking of Xinjiang Quzi Opera, we have to mention Yang Peicai, the fourth-generation descendant who devoted himself to the protection and inheritance of Xinjiang Quzi Opera during his lifetime.
In order to allow this intangible cultural heritage art to be perpetually circulated in the form of text and musical scores, from 1995 to 1997, Yang Peicai collected, sorted out and excavated 32 excerpts and paragraphs in the Yuediao category and 38 Pingdiao categories in this opera, and compiled "Xinjiang". Song Collection".
While collecting and arranging carefully, Yang Peicai also established the "Xinjiang Opera Hongqi Farm Self-Music Class" together with farm worker Xin Kewen. He often led members to perform in various companies, and also helped the neighborhood's wedding celebrations, constantly expanding the influence of the opera.
Liu Shuzhen gave a demonstration for opera lovers.
Photo by Yang Aixia
The representative songs such as "Zhang Liang Selling Cloth" and "Li Yangui Selling Water" performed by them are the most popular and favorite because of their euphemistic and pleasant tunes and vivid performances.
Yang Peicai once said that although he did not have earth-shattering achievements in his life, he must protect and pass on Xinjiang Quzi Opera well in his lifetime, and it has a long history from generation to generation.
Nowadays, Xinjiang Quzi Opera Groups composed of Quzi Opera fans are widely distributed in the troupe of the Sixth Division. This kind of opera close to life has become a part of the cultural life of the local people.
By absorbing and cultivating quzi opera lovers, the self-music group has continuously expanded its influence and has become an important force in the dissemination and development of Xinjiang quzi opera.
In order to attract more people to watch and join the quzi opera troupe, Liu Shuzhen usually unites with the community to let everyone know about the quzi opera through the form of volunteers performing in the community. She also actively participates in various exhibitions and performances so that more people can see the quzi opera.
Liu Shuzhen said that now they want to cultivate young people, so they set up a quzi opera volunteer service team, and they will perform many times in the community, company, school, and kindergarten. It is hoped that more young people will integrate into the quzi opera and pass it on together.
"As far as we are concerned, we have been working hard to innovate, committed to old tunes and new songs, keeping up with current events, and constantly creating new works." Liu Shuzhen said, everyone twisted into a rope, made their hearts in one place, and took every performance seriously. Once I create, I hope not to throw away the things left by my ancestors.
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