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Text|Literature. The theme of "Nan Kong" is bold in the first drama work, the script breaks the theme from "Kong Zhu Makes Justice", and runs through the ideal pursuit of Confucianism of "seeking benevolence and obtaining benevolence", supplemented by two emotional narratives, and constructs a concise, compact and philosophical ** drama work.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee.
In 2013, the original national dance drama "Confucius" premiered by the China Opera and Dance Theater. Ten years later, in the golden autumn, Zhejiang Performing Arts Group's original ** drama "Southern Kong" went north to Jinjing. "Dazong Nandu", "Kong Zhu Rangjue", "Southeast Queli" ......A period of old things smoked with beacon fire and wolf smoke, riding the "south wind" of Quzhou water town, through Lang Lang's "Book of Songs", towering singing, squatting dance presented in front of the Beijing audience. At the curtain call, the Golden Hall of the **Opera House thundered with applause. After the performance, fans of the drama in front of the table signed by the main creator were shoulder to shoulder. Many viewers did not know that Quzhou, far away in Zhejiang, enjoyed the reputation of "Southeast Queli, Southern Confucian Holy Land" in front of ** "Southern Confucius", and did not know that the Confucian lineage was divided into north and south, and they did not know that those well-known and world-famous Confucian masters actually created the cultural scene of Jiangnan under the influence of Southern Confucius. "Nankong" borrows the young and energetic theater art form of ** opera, with the blessing of Xia Zhenkai, Fang Shujian, Ming Jiaqin, Zhang Xiaomin and other outstanding singers, and against the backdrop of elegant and chic and complacent choreography, it has infused the fragrance of apricot ink that is rarely known to people today but should not be forgotten.
The script is the anchor of the ** drama. Compared with other serious theater arts, the innate commercial and entertainment attributes of ** drama make its scripts mostly based on well-known literature, drama, film and television works or historical events, and use relaxed and witty scenes as the seasoning of the narrative, in order to let the audience get a relaxed and pleasant aesthetic enjoyment. From this point of view, the topic of "Nankong" is bold in the creation of ** drama. It overloads the commercial and entertainment tasks that the first script needs to undertake - let the Southern Confucian culture go out of Quzhou, and create a historical and cultural business card with leisurely artistic charm for Quzhou.
In the old days, Wang Xie Tang Qianyan, how did he fly into the people's homes? The screenwriting team of "Nankong" faced a severe test.
Liu Chun, Li Jingrong, and Wang Zhan formed the screenwriting team of the ** drama "Nankong", and they also undertook the creation of the drama poems. Ten years ago, Liu Chun wrote the script for the dance drama "Confucius", which has been staged at home and abroad for many years, fulfilling the cultural mission of "traveling around the world". Today, ten years later, Liu Chun and "Nankong" have traced back to the top, stepping in the footsteps of Kong Zhu, the eldest grandson of the 53rd generation of the Kong family, and telling the story of Nankong 800 years ago to thousands of audiences. "Nankong" is two ** dramas that pay equal attention to singing and dancing. The first half is composed of main passages such as "Jin Liu's First Meeting", "True Gold Apprenticeship", "Paper Mill Affection", "Kong Zhu's Question", "Leaving for the North" and other main paragraphs, telling the background of the story, explaining the identities of the characters, and outlining the main contradictions. The second half is composed of main passages such as "Visiting the Ancestral Temple", "First Arrival in Dadu", "Post Station Centrifugation", "Kong Zhu Letting Jue", "Real Gold Sending Off", "Turning Officials into the People", "Etiquette in the World" and other main paragraphs. The whole ** drama, the plot structure is concise, compact and philosophical, the main actors' singing skills are very good, and the expression of the choreography is high-spirited, so that the audience can enjoy a good night in this audio-visual feast.
The problem of "Nankong".
Let the old things of the Confucius Temple in Quzhou be talked about in the modern theater, and it seems that there is nothing more worthy of discussion than Kong Zhu Rangjue.
First of all, the Kong so Rang Jue incident itself carries an exciting ethical effect—loyalty to the homeland, indifference to fame and fortune, and adherence to ideals ......These are completely in line with today's audience's imagination of a Confucian descendant and Confucian sage. As far as the Quzhou Kong family is concerned, Kong Zhu's move to make his family decline and reputation can be said to be disgraced. He was not afraid of the magnates of the Yuan Dynasty, gave up the identity of the Yan Shenggong inherited from the Confucian clan, and exchanged the power of the Confucian clan in Quzhou for the name of the Southern Kong, turned the official into the people, and spread the cultural context into the southeast land. Secondly, the controversy over the historical appearance of Kong Zhu Rangjue in the academic community has given birth to a hotbed for "Nankong" to be extended by the audience. The choices made by the screenwriter in the midst of the controversy are the embodiment of his artistic creative thinking, and the audience's feedback on the work is a benchmark for whether the work has answered the examination papers that pay equal attention to cultural innovation, art communication and market entertainment.
In the dramatic narrative of the ** drama "Southern Confucius", the story of Kong Zhu Rangjue unfolds as follows: After the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty was crowned by the Holy Prince, and the 53rd grandson of Confucius, Kong Zhu, was summoned by the Yuan Emperor Kublai Khan to meet and worship the Lu Temple. In order to protect the lives of the Confucian people in the south and realize the ideal of preaching in the north, Kong Zhu decided to go to Beijing to meet him. But on the way to Jinjing, he considered the situation countless times, asked himself his heart, foresaw that this trip may be able to seek "the benevolence of relatives", but in the end can not be "the benevolence of the world", so in the Yuan capital court, on the grounds of filial piety, refused to accept the Yuan Emperor's gift, let the lord Yu Lu, and turn the official into the people. After that, he bid farewell to the king, returned to Quzhou, begged for benevolence, and broadcast the cultural context in the southeast Queli.
Returning to the context of the literature, in the eighteenth year of the reign of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty (1505), Shen Jie, the prefect of Quzhou, wrote "Begging to Grant Quzhou Kong's Official Position and Disposal of the Worship of Tian Shu" to fully show the beginning and end of the incident of Kong Zhu's surrender: "....Song Zuo is both revolutionary and Jianyuan. In the nineteenth year of the Yuan Dynasty, Shizu summoned Kong Su, the grandson of Duanyou, to Que and ordered the knighthood. Because the ancestral tomb of this branch is in Qu, Kong Zhu is willing to let the lord and his brother Kong Zhi inherit the ancestor of Qufu County, Shandong. The ancestor sighed and said, 'It is better to violate the glory than to violate the Tao, and the true saint will follow.' 'Deeply rewarded, give Zhu to the national son sacrifice wine and mention the East Zhejiang School, return to the Jiangnan Temple, when the Song Dynasty gave the seal letter of the Holy Princess. This historical document outlines a historical sketch of the story of Kong Su Rangjue for later generations, and becomes a model for commenting on and interpreting the old affairs of Southern Confucius. However, some scholars believe that the story of Kong Zhu Rangjue seems to be suspected of some kind of "accumulation of layers", the reason is that the relevant accounts of Kong Zhu Rangjue and Shizu Zanyu are mostly unverified in the official history of the Yuan Dynasty, and the story of "Rangjue" that has been circulated in the world is actually a deliberate enrichment and development of the rumors of the previous life in later generations. Of course, some scholars have pointed out that the information omitted in the official history of the current dynasty can often be glimpsed in the poems and notes of the literati, and the account of the "Rangjue" incident in the "Title of the Confucian Family Collection of the Song Dynasty" written by Su Tianjue in the late Yuan Dynasty can be regarded as historical evidence of "Kong Zhu Rangjue".
The appearance of history can only be infinitely enriched in historical materials, but no one can draw its original appearance. Therefore, it seems necessary to reiterate the relevant questions related to the creation of art based on historical events: must the work of art be based on the record closest to the historical facts? Is it necessary to seek to restore history to its original state?
Throughout the ancient and modern times, the artistic creation with historical themes as the theme does not seem to have achieved the "camera-like" reproduction of the historical appearance, and some are based on the value orientation of the creative era to adapt and rewrite history, among which the art forms closely integrated with literature, such as **, drama, etc., are particularly exaggerated and rich in the interpretation of history. Choosing a version of a historical story is the first step in creating a historical artwork. In the process of creation, the main creative team should seek truth from historical stories but do not have to be obsessed with truth. Truth-seeking means that the artistic creation based on historical materials has a solid historical support, and its scripts have solid historical support, which is a tree with roots and a source of water, which can provide a steady stream of nourishment for the work. Not having to be obsessed with the truth means that the artist does not have to be too strict about whether the historical materials he obtains are completely in line with the historical truth, let alone whether the artistic creation reproduces the historical truth. The artist's mission is to extract the theme of art based on the materials he has mastered, and then independently select the content that can be used in the historical materials, realize creative artistic expression in new forms, and create works of art with aesthetic value.
Interpretation is the only way for historical works of art to appear on the stage, and the setting of the direction of interpretation shows the intention chosen by the playwright for the work. Liu Chun once said in an interview that Kong Zhu's concession is an important turning point in the fate of Kong's Southern Sect, and it can also become the key to making ** opera, an imported art, express Confucianism, express Kong's Southern Sect, and realize the connection with the audience. It can be seen that the story of Kong so Rang Jue undertakes its special mission. As a commissioned and funded artwork, "Nankong" is not only responsible to the audience and Zhejiang Performing Arts Group, but also to the Propaganda Department of the Quzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the development of Zhejiang culture and art. Therefore, in the choice of stories, Kong Zhu's Ming version of the narrative is obviously more conducive to the development of the story and the spread of Southern Confucius and Quzhou culture. At the same time, the theme of this edition is in line with the literati pursuit of Chinese civilization for thousands of years, and is conducive to the realization of the modern expression of China's excellent traditional culture.
Sincerity and trust are the lyrical undertones of Nankong.
The screenwriting team of "Nankong" interspersed two love stories in the historical narrative - real gold and Kong Liu, Kong so and Xiuniang. The lyrical background softens the overly tough narrative characteristics of historical themes, making the work more likely to be loved by young female audiences, the main subject of ** dramas. The composer team gave the most beautiful melody and the most moving singing passage to Jin and Kong Liu, and their love story is the most touching passage in the play. Wang Zhan said in an interview, "As the only woman on the screenwriting team, I made a distinction between Xiuniang and Liu Er when I conceived the female characters in the story. Xiu Niang's color is a woman under the discipline of traditional Confucian culture, while Liu Er's body embodies the light of contemporary women. "Judging from the audience's voice on the public, everyone does prefer Kong Liu. As for Xiu Niang, some viewers believe that some of the values she embodies are a little outdated, and it is difficult for the audience to empathize with her. Whether it is Kong Liu or Xiuniang, the lyrical passages woven by them are wrapped in the purest and most beautiful fantasies of human beings about love and marriage, like the colorful bubbles in reality, crystal clear and flawless. These chapters add a touch of comfort to the various regrets in the play.
Kong Liu's feelings for real gold are the girl's love for the first time and she didn't know what to do, and she fell in love. In people's stereotypes, famous ladies will never fall in love with strangers at first sight, which is simply a big rebellion! But love is not controlled by logic. The advent of love is the collision of two souls at a certain moment, and it is an indescribable attraction. The ladies who are deeply immersed in Confucianism also have a mortal heart. On the day she first met, she consciously planted the most beautiful and selfless feelings in the world in Zhenjin. Therefore, when she saw real gold again in her father's study, the unbridled growth of love even overshadowed her judgment. She trusts Zhenjin with her most sincere self - allowing him to call her name, studying family history with him in the paper mill regardless of male and female, and can't help but show the rhythm of her body to Zhenjin among the soft love poems of the girls. Before saying goodbye to most of the capitals, Kong Liu had already settled his heart in Zhenjin. Sincerity is precious, but it is also fragile. When Kong Liu knew that her first encounter with Zhenjin stemmed from his lies, and that all kinds of things she got along with were more or less mixed with other purposes......In the end, in the face of family affection and morality, Kong Liu resolutely gave up his feelings for real gold. Be affectionate, stop being polite, let go of a true heart and receive a true heart. "Nankong" has far more than the female characters in many costume films and television today, and she shines with the light that dares to love and hate, and can afford to let go, which contemporary woman doesn't want to have?
Xiuniang's feelings for Kong Zhu are the responsibility of being the housewife of the Confucian Mansion and the support between comrades-in-arms. Marriage is not the same as love. In traditional Chinese marriage, the affection between husband and wife is more than love. In the era of the male protagonist and the female protagonist, Xiuniang had to support all the affairs of the Confucian Mansion and the inner house. In the play, she gave her husband all her trust and gave her full support. It is worth pondering that what Xiuniang did in "Nankong" was not all passive choice under the discipline of patriarchal society. Her duet with Kong Su allows us to hear the tacit understanding and consensus between the husband and wife when facing their ideals. For Xiuniang, Kong Zhu's ideal of going north or returning south is nothing more than to seek continuous cultural context and Confucianism. As a wife, she trusts her husband's choices. Whether it's the direction or the ending, I'm determined to chase casually in this life without regrets. As a husband, Kong so also trusts his wife completely. Whether he is knighted or resists, he will never have worries about entrusting his relatives to Xiuniang. The ability of husband and wife to have common ideals and unconditional trust is precious in both ancient and modern times. Such a precious feeling, wouldn't people today be envious?
Perhaps because women like Kong Liu and Xiuniang are too ideal, the audience will inevitably have a distorted illusion when appreciating it.
At the end of the day, people want to see that ideal figure on stage, but they also expect the characters in the work to be more mortal. As the old man in the play said, "What saints are there in this world!" "Xu is because of the length, the screenwriter's portrayal of Kong Liu and Xiuniang is indeed thin. I look forward to the two sparkling female characters in future tours that will exude even more charming brilliance in the continuous polishing of the team!
As a first-class drama that undertakes the dissemination of Quzhou's culture and creates Quzhou's cultural business card, the **Opera House version of "Nankong" in October 2023 has handed in an excellent answer sheet for the audience and **. As far as cultural communication is concerned, the past events such as the Southeast Queli, the origin of Nankong, the Miscellaneous Records of the East Family, and the political situation of the Yuan Dynasty are all familiar to the audience through the stage of "Nankong"; The Confucian classics and Song Dynasty words and phrases used in the poems are engraved in the hearts of the audience with the beautiful melody, so that the audience can't help but hum when they walk out of the theater. As far as the city's business card is concerned, "Nankong" has rejuvenated Quzhou, a little-known historical city. At the end of the show, the main creative team's ""Nankong" is polite, Quzhou is polite", why didn't it invite guests from all over the world to gather in Quzhou? At present, "South Kong" has been included in the 2024 peak climbing plan by the Propaganda Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, and the creative team will continue to polish and improve, so that it can truly become a classic ** drama that can represent Zhejiang.
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This article was published in the late January 2024 issue of Xiaokang.