Wang Yaming.
The national opera "Yanling Team" created by Hebei Provincial Art Center is a literary and artistic work with revolutionary historical themes that reflects the battle legend of the Yanling team during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and depicts the deep love between the father, the old and the villagers and the children. In the work, the battle scenes of the Baiyangdian people and the folk paintings of the central Hebei region reflect each other, and the anti-Japanese enthusiasm of the water guerrillas and the call for national salvation echo each other. In the performance, the emotionally charged lyrical singing, the highly condensed narrative plot, and the beautiful stage design artistically reproduce the scenes of water guerrilla warfare and express the affectionate aria of revolutionary history.
In the autumn of 1939, the Japanese invading army occupied Xin'an City, brutally inflicted ** on the people of Baiyangdian, and forcibly requisitioned the materials of the people in the water area and hunters**. In order to resist the tyrannical acts of the Japanese invaders and expose the enemy's conspiracy and tricks, the three district committees of Anxin County of the Communist Party of China rushed to Dazhangzhuang Village, mobilized the masses, organized anti-Japanese armed forces, and set up a water guerrilla force in Baiyangdian -- the "Yanling Brigade." The work chooses the best theatrical narrative mode, integrates modern stage technology, takes Zhang Diansheng's return to his hometown to organize anti-Japanese resistance as the main line, and takes the conflict of faith between Yinglian and her brother Liu Jincai, and the revolutionary emotional narrative between Yinglian and her lover Zhang Diansheng, Xiaoling and Zhang Damiang as the secondary line, praising the patriotic spirit of the Yanling team to join the anti-Japanese revolutionary torrent, bravely and tenaciously, and not afraid of sacrifice.
In the work, the singing segment "Let's Swim Away" is the background color of artistic emotions in the national opera "Yanling Team". "Swim away, fish, our ship is going to fight. Fly away, our guns are going to kill ...... enemyThe overture sounded, and the sun shone brightly on Baiyangdian Lake. Zhang Diansheng, a soldier of the Eighth Route Army, carried the "spark" of the revolution, looked firm and high-spirited, and slowly sailed out of the reeds in a wooden boat. The stage restores the unique cultural and geographical space of Baiyangdian Lake, and introduces the audience's thoughts into the beautiful waters of Jizhong during the Anti-Japanese War. The melody of the singing section "Let's Swim Away, Fish, Fish" runs through the whole play. The play is painted with lyrical folk imagery, fish and boats, geese and guns, and simple imagery weaving, embedding folk situations into the revolutionary historical picture. In the work, the narrative plots such as the emergence of contradictions between friends and enemies, the informant of internal traitors, the collective wisdom to save Xiaoling, and the final victory in the battle are presented in turn, and finally sublimated into a praise of the patriotic national spirit.
In the national opera "Yanling Team", the skillful use of folk customs, folklore and local customs is the key to highlighting its cultural characteristics. Yinglian, Xiaoling and the vendors took turns singing "Bazaar Selling", which not only has the distinctive characteristics of Hebei folk songs, but also mixes the "shouting" of Hebei dialect. In the play, the magic of the folk art allegro "Rent Reduction and Interest Reduction" lies in the artistic treatment of the language of folk life, narrating the changes in the lives of the people through the implementation of democratic policies, and strengthening the people's determination to win the war. Zhang Damiang sang "Every Household Respects Heroes", pouring out the people's strong affection for the folk customs of Baiyangdian, and then expressing the awe-inspiring spirit of the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army represented by "Diansheng" who fought bravely and firmly defended the native waters. In line with the first-class theatrical performance, the stage design focuses on the folk images, images and scenes of Baiyangdian during the Anti-Japanese War, highlighting the original relaxation and tranquility of folk life, the tension and chaos after the Japanese invasion, and the unstoppable fighting passion of the people of the water town.
In terms of specific character creation, the two aesthetic forms of grace and magnificence are intertwined, enriching the emotional tension of the characters and strengthening the depth of history and the temperature of the narrative. Zhang Diansheng actively mobilized Yinglian to join the Yanling team, and sang the affectionate segment "Can't Forget", singing his love for Yinglian's childhood sweetheart into the sublimation of revolutionary emotions. "Since you were a child, you have a good water nature, and I can't forget the days at that time, I can't forget picking lotus roots, I can't forget rowing a boat to pick water chestnuts, I can't forget that you swim with fish, I can't forget that I shook the oars and raised the lotus arrows, just like the guards are on guard. "The beautiful dynamic imagery outlines a picture of local customs. The lyrics refer to the lotus arrow as a gun, which not only recalls the good life of the past, but also connects with the cruel reality of the battle situation. At the climax of the work, Yinglian moves from the water's edge to the long song of ascending, a metaphor for her transformation from a simple and capable working woman to a brave and capable hero. In the aria "We See You Again", the Hebei Bangzi singing voice, sonorous and powerful short vocal range, reveals the soldiers' reluctance to give up on Baiyangdian Water Town, and at the same time shows the determination to fight bravely and not be afraid of sacrifice. The chorus songs "Big Pole Lifting" and "Blow, the Wind of Baiyangdian" and so on use a direct way to sing the praises of the people's deep affection for the Baiyangdian countryside. In the expression of the scene, the work creates the image of a heroic group of Yanling team to defend the country and fight bravely.
The geese stuck in the shotgun fire door, the clusters of reeds swaying in the water, and the haunting boats on the lake ......In the picturesque Baiyangdian Lake, a historical picture of blood and fire is born. For more than 80 years, the story of the Yanling team has spread far-reachingly. The opera "Yanling Team" uses a variety of singing methods such as solo, duet, and round singing, integrates the best performance elements with national and local characteristics, and unifies it with the visual beauty presented by the stage performance, vividly tells the legendary story of the Yanling team, spreads out the artistic picture rich in Yanzhao style, and interprets a hymn to the national spirit.
*: People's Liberation Army Daily (This article was published in the 12th edition of the People's Liberation Army Daily on December 21, 2023).
Editor in charge: Ji Chunyan.
Reviewer: Gao Han.