Nanchang Qingyin
01 · Historical Records
It originated during the Jiajing and Wanli reigns of the Ming dynasty, and by the Daoguang reign of the Qing dynasty it had begun to perform publicly as a registered troupe. It has a history of close to 400 years.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Nanchang qingyin is a form of quyi popular in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, and its surrounding areas. In its early period it circulated mainly among literati and scholars. The performance form of Nanchang qingyin takes the Nanchang accent of the Changdu section of the Gan dialect as its stage language. One person, or several people, hold simple clappers, a flat drum, erhu, jinghu, sanxian, pipa, yueqin and yangqin, and either stand, sit, or combine standing and sitting, giving solo, paired or ensemble singing, or singing by featured performers with a band, in which the singing and the instrumental answering support each other; traditional multi-person seated singing distinguishes role types and has them cooperate with one another. In its early period the vocal style was in tune-pattern form, either repeating a single tune or combining several tunes; later it absorbed wennianci and the xipi and erhuang of Peking opera, becoming a comprehensive miscellaneous-tune form mixing clapper tunes and tune patterns, but tune-pattern vocal styles are still usually the mainstay. There are many musical melodies, with small musical pieces of xiaoqu as the mainstay and wennianci as a supplement. Commonly used melodies include "Man Jiang Hong", "Yin Niu Si" and "Jian Dian Hua". Its subject matter is varied, its artistic expressiveness is strong, and its repertory keeps pace with the times; it is able to portray the legendary stories, social customs and street-life scenes of different historical periods, and is especially good at expressing every kind of emotion. Traditional representative programmes include pieces on historical stories and on the look of Nanchang, such as "Waving the Golden Fan" and "The Nun Descends the Mountain", as well as pieces adapted and absorbed from southern and northern ci and from Peking opera, such as "Xiangzi Turns Beggar" and "Song Jiang Kills Xi". In addition, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, new short pieces on revolutionary historical themes and reflecting real life were composed and staged, such as "Singing of Bayi City" and "A Skillful Crossing".
Common tunes
Stock melodies in a repertory dominated by short tunes with wen nan ci secondary, sung as repeats or in linked suites.
Traditional items
Traditional items on historical themes and Nanchang life, alongside pieces adapted from southern and northern ci and Peking opera.
Modern pieces
Post-1949 pieces on revolutionary history and contemporary life.
Absorbing other musics
It later absorbed wen nan ci and Peking opera's xipi and erhuang, becoming a mixed metre-and-tune form while keeping tune-based singing primary.
Seven generations
Mainly taught master to pupil, its documented line runs seven generations since its Ming origins nearly four centuries ago.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Its area of circulation today is centred on Donghu District of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province; parts of the surrounding towns and villages, and the wide rural areas of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu, also have it. With its plain and fresh aesthetic style and its down-to-earth local flavour close to life, Nanchang qingyin has injected rich content into the leisure and spiritual life of the local people.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Nanchang qingyin is transmitted mainly by master-disciple succession, and its documented line of transmission now runs through seven generations. It preserves the lingering tunes of late Qing folk xiaoqu, which is highly significant for the study of folk music in the Jiangnan region; its melodies suit both the refined and the popular taste, absorbing nourishment from Jiangnan folk xiaoqu, and it has a high artistic value; the moral instruction and the warding off of disaster and welcoming of good fortune found in its repertory provide material for the study of folk-custom activities in successive dynasties. It is an important mainstay for soothing the human heart, voicing the feelings of life, and carrying the local sounds and homesickness of one's native place, and it has rich historical and cultural value.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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