"The soundtrack of Henan opera + electronic music, combined with the scene of the protagonists 'running away' in the narrow and deep alley of the Shenzhai compound, is too domineering and over the top!" The box office champion of the Spring Festival and the soundtrack of the film "Manjianghong" directed by Zhang Yimou appeared on Weibo's hot search .
Some young viewers commented "I fell in love with Henan opera because of the soundtrack of the film", and some people analyzed the matching points between the soundtrack and the picture frame by frame. Many viewers were immersed in the BGM and could not extricate themselves. In the feedback from netizens, it is not difficult to find that the "mix and match" of traditional opera and electronic music has sparked a spark of "feeling".
It is said that music is the soul of a movie, and a successful movie is inseparable from music that "sounds" and touches people's hearts. Why is the soundtrack of "Manjianghong" so "feeling", and why did Henan Opera be chosen?
Director Zhang Yimou once said in an interview with CCTV that because most of the Yue family army is from Henan, the first thing that comes to mind is Henan opera.
The famous singer Han Hong who gave the soundtrack to "Manjianghong" is the first time to be the composer of the film soundtrack. She invited Li Hongchao, the chief banhu player of Henan Luoyang Yu Theater, and the well-known Luoyang band Zebra Forest to co-produce.
According to the main creator, there are many scenes of the actors running fast in the film to promote the progress of the plot. The style of Henan Opera is playful and chatty, mixed with a vivid and earthy atmosphere.
The "ordinary" heroes in "Manjianghong" are mostly small people from the market but insist on righteousness in their hearts. The use of Henan opera matches the state of the characters in the film.
The Henan opera aria with intense rhythm and high-pitched voice in the movie is sung by Zhang Xiaoying, a famous Henan opera artist and the number one "ugly woman" in the Central Plains.
Zhang Xiaoying was born in a family in Liyuan. She is good at Henan Opera, Quju Opera, Yue Diao, and sketches.
"Bao Gong's Resignation", "Bao Longtu Sitting in Prison", "Exploring the Yin Mountain", "Daluan Driving", "The Fifth Generation Asking for a Ying", "Mu Guiying in Command", "The Case of Beauty"... Netizens who love opera have counted the soundtrack of "Manjianghong" The source of the classic arias of Henan opera that appeared.
Compared with the traditional singing, the Henan opera singing in the film has removed the original dragging tune, and has a stronger sense of rhythm and more sonorous force. It changes with the mood of the characters, creating a tense and chilling atmosphere.
With the popularity of the film soundtrack of "Manjianghong", it has also refreshed the perception of Henan opera among young people.
If it is said that the help of famous opera masters has brought Henan Henan Opera to more audiences, then the meticulous polishing of the soundtrack team has made the behind-the-scenes creation of film music arouse the curiosity of more netizens.
"Different from some conservative 'party A', director Zhang Yimou and composer Han Hong gave me a lot of space, allowing me to break free and try music that I didn't dare to play before." Shanghai musician who participated in the soundtrack of "Manjianghong" Tian Mi told reporters that under the encouragement of director Zhang Yimou who is "sensual and unconventional", the main creative team collided with elements of opera and contemporary music to create a refreshing film soundtrack.
It is the interweaving and dialogue of Chinese and foreign musical instruments, which endows the soundtrack of "Manjianghong" with a rich sense of hierarchy.
The singing of Henan opera is surging, and the non-stop boring gongs and banggu beat people's hearts, as well as the "most dazzling national style" brought by Jinghu, Banhu, and Gaohu; the cool tone made by distorted guitars, matched with the The cramped alleys, the gloomy expressions of the actors...the mix and match form wave after wave of audio-visual impact.
The difficulty of the soundtrack work is to sample all the seemingly "unsuitable" musical elements, and then trim and reorganize them into a balanced whole.
After all, the combination of Henan opera and electronic music cannot be a simple collage. If it is more, it may be too trendy, and if it is less, it will lose the charm of opera.
"The music follows the picture once, and you will know if it is in harmony." Tian Mi said, in order to make the rhythm of the music accurately fit the movie and render the atmosphere of the story, "the soundtrack team even checks the picture and music meticulously to every frame. ".
The enthusiasm caused by the soundtrack of "Man Jianghong" has made more people in the industry think deeply about how music should better serve movies.
Many musicians tend to pay more attention to the music itself in the early days of their careers, and when it is combined with the movie screen, it seems to overwhelm the host.
"Film soundtrack is the result of the 'joint force' of all sounds plus pictures, lines, and sound effects. No matter whether the music style used is traditional or avant-garde, it cannot be separated from the movie itself." Tian, who has many years of experience in film soundtrack work Mi said that musicians should "raise their heads" from pure music creation when composing movies, "know when music is the protagonist and when it is a supporting role, so that we can create better movie music."
(Our reporter Jiang Fang)
(Source: Wen Wei Po, 5th Edition, January 31, 2023)