Luojuan Opera
01 · Historical Records
Luo opera came to Runan in the early Qing, its music made up of singing music, wind music and percussion. Juan opera originated in the late Ming at Yantingdian, Chupu and Daitang village in Runan county, evolved from the temple music “juan diao”. After the Republican period the people around Runan habitually called it “luojuanxi” or “juanluoxi”.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Luojuanxi, popularly called “horn opera”, was formed by the fusion of the two genres “luo opera” and “juan opera”. Its singing music is a composite system in which the qupai and banqiang forms coexist; its wind music is led by the great suona popularly called the “big flute”, and its percussion, besides the small five pieces common to opera bands—great gong, second gong, hand cymbals, bangzi and drum-clapper—also disposes two pairs of great nao and two pairs of great cymbals, popularly the “four great fans”. Luo opera's singing is rough and bold, vehement and ringing, suiting mythological plays, court plays and martial plays of war, and its music is made up of singing, wind and percussion music led by the small suona popularly called the “small flute”, mostly performing folk legend, rustic custom and love subjects. Juan opera excels in civil-scene plays and luo opera in martial-scene plays; to attract audiences and achieve completeness in both civil and martial and mutual complement, the two genres often performed together and gradually fused into one.
Li Cunxiao Crosses the River
One of the representative plays of luojuanxi and a representative work of the inheritor.
Rescuing the Emperor at the Muddy River
One of the representative plays of luojuanxi and a representative work of the inheritor.
Civil and Martial Division (Luo Opera in Martial Scenes, Juan Opera in Civil Scenes)
Luo opera excels in martial-scene plays and juan opera in civil-scene plays; the two performed on one stage and divided roles according to plot, gradually fusing into one.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Fan county luojuanxi centres on Fan county, Henan, and is popular in Fan county and Taiqian and the north-eastern Henan-western Shandong border area; because it lies in the Yellow River floodplain, its troupes mostly perform at temple fairs and festivals and are transmitted through family and master-disciple lines.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Luojuan Opera · Luojuan Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The inheritor has deep technical grounding and rich stage experience, with a loud, broad and thick voice, lifelike performance and a rough and bold style, strong in projection and accurate in enunciation, much loved by audiences and praised as “living Zhang Fei” and “king of painted faces”, being the leader of contemporary luojuanxi. His representative works include Li Cunxiao Crosses the River and Rescuing the Emperor at the Muddy River, and over several decades he has actively formed troupes and trained successors, excavating and collating a great many qupai, scripts and facial designs on the verge of extinction.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Sun Sanmin 05-2454
- Liuzhangke 05-2455
- Wang Ronghuan
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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