Luju Opera
01 · Historical Records
Lu opera was formerly called “sitting-tune yangqin” and “painted-face yangqin”; it evolved from Shandong qinshu by absorbing folk flower-drum, ditties and local tunes, and is popular in Shandong and parts of Jiangsu and Anhui.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
It is a rural art, performing farming matters and singing farming feelings, its roles mainly the “three small” of xiaosheng, xiaodan and xiaochou, its lyrics and speech mostly from folk usage, and its singing accompanied chiefly by the zhuihu, erhu and sanxian. Its singing music evolved from folk popular tunes and belongs to the typical banqiang structure, made up of such modes as “siping” and “erban” together with some qupai; the tunes are simple and plain, beautiful and pleasant, natural and easy to sing, brimming with rich life-breath and local character, praised in its areas as a “post for tethering wives”. Its repertory runs to nearly three hundred items, among which Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, Sisters Swap Marriages and Li Ersao Remarries are representative works. Its repertory is mostly drawn from folk life and rural ethics, its acting naturalistic, its recitation using Shandong pronunciation and its staging simple, suiting touring performance.
Wang Xiao Drives the Cart
One of the representative works among Lu opera's nearly three hundred plays.
Sisters Swap Marriages
One of the representative works among Lu opera's nearly three hundred plays.
Li Ersao Remarries
One of the representative works among Lu opera's nearly three hundred plays, taken to Beijing, filmed and spread nationwide.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Lu opera centres on Jinan city, Shandong, and is popular through most of Shandong and in parts of Jiangsu and Anhui; the Shandong provincial Lu opera troupe was founded in 1950, and after the 1953 east China opera showcase the name “Lu opera” was established and rapidly spread, making it Shandong's most representative local genre.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Luju Opera · Luju Opera · Luju Opera · Luju Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Lu opera performs farming matters and sings farming feelings, its lyrics and speech mostly from folk usage, its tunes simple and plain and easy to learn and sing, praised in its areas as a “post for tethering wives”; its repertory runs to nearly three hundred items, and such works as Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, Sisters Swap Marriages and Li Ersao Remarries are widely known. After the 1950s Li Ersao Remarries and other plays were filmed, extending Lu opera from Shandong into northern Jiangsu, northern Anhui and parts of the north-east, making it an important sample for studying Shandong folk language and rural society.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Lang Xianfen 03-1129
- Li Daijiang 03-1130
- Li Yu 03-1131
- Lin Jianhua 03-1132
- Wang Yongchang 04-1687
- Dong Yanping
- Luan Shengli
- Su Zhi
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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