Presenter: Henan Yu Opera Troupe III
Lead Cast: Xu Junxia, Yang Hongxia, Wang Xiangyun, Sheng Honglin, Li Yun, Liu Haigong, Lu Lanxiang, Pan Xiuyun, etc.
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts – Theatre
Dates: August 11-13, 2009 19:30
Price: VIP 280 180 120 80 50 RMB
Programme Introduction
In 1958 when the great number of educated youth began to go to the countryside and work there, it took Henan opera performers only seven days to rehearse Chaoyang Ravine. They later performed at Huairentang of Zhongnanhai and the audience included Party and state leaders such as Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and Peng Zhen. When receiving the performers after the show, Chairman Mao said appreciatively “This is a wonderful opera!”
In the 1960s, the Henan Yu Opera Troupe III created Chaoyang Ravine, and soon after its public performance, the operatic work became popular throughout the country for its wonderful songs. It has been performed ever since its debut in March of 1958, and thanks to the hard work of three generations of performers, it has been regarded as the most representative piece in the repertoire of the Troupe as well as the opera community at large. It is therefore dubbed as “an evergreen tree” of modern Chinese opera. Mr. Xu Xin, one of the directors of Chaoyang Ravine and the former head of the Troupe said that the opera was born during the period of Great Leap Forward, but it still enjoys popularity today because it presents a heart-warming picture of true affections between people.
In 1963 the opera was made into a film by Changchun Film Studio which became the best seller that year. Yin Huan, a young girl with a pair of long braid and Shuan Bao, a handsome young man became the princess and prince charming for the educated youth. They were able to keep their romantic notions when most of them had to go to the countryside as their job opportunities in cities were denied by constant “class struggles” and weak national economy.
Chaoyang Ravine effectively depicts modern life using traditional opera expressions. Besides heroine Yin Huan, it portrays kind and honest farmers such as Shuan Bao and his parents, Auntie, and Old Party Branch Secretary. They all brim with new notions and feelings, and show the mental outlook of the farmers at the time of socialism. The language of this work is uniquely colloquial and local; its libretto is vivid and humorous and music is lively rhymed.
For over 50 years, Chaoyang Ravine has been shown on stage thousands of times throughout China. It was adapted to many other opera genres such as Peking opera, Pingju opera, Lv opera, Meihu opera and farce. More than 20 versions of Chaoyang Ravine were published and disc records were made by People’s Literature Publishing House, Beijing Publishing House, Music Press, Henan People’s Publishing House and other famous publishing house in China.
During the troupe’s 2001 rehearsal of the opera, Mr. Xu Xin, at the age of 78, led the performers to visit Jiaxian County, Henan Province for experiencing life. They invited over 20 representatives of educated youth to talk about their experience in the countryside to allow the performers to better understand the inner worlds of the characters. Mr. Xu added some ballet movements to improve the visual effects. Also the love story between the main characters is rendered more romantic (for example, flowers are used as a silent go-between and the girl and the boy hold hands to show their affections for each other).
At the time of the opera’s first performance, its props took only RMB 19.5. Some of the old props including Yin Huan’s shoulder pole, buckets and schoolbag, and the tobacco pouch of the Old Party Branch Secretary were used again for the new production of the opera. These old props have been treasured and carefully preserved by Mr. Liu Qingsheng, the Troupe’s props manager over the years.
Chaoyang Ravine is acknowledged as a milestone in the history of of Yu Opera and even the Chinese drama. Mr. Liao Ben, a famous drama critic once said:”Playwright Yang Lanchun, father of Chaoyang Ravine, has helped ripen modern Yu Opera”.
Synopsis
Shuan Bao and Yin Huan have been schoolmates for three years, and they love each other. Responding to the call of the Party, Shuan Bao decides to return to his birthplace, Chaoyang Ravine village to engage in farming. Yin Huan who was brought up in the city is thus caught in a dilemma. She wants to go with her boyfriend yet is afraid of the unknown life in the countryside. Her mother’s objection makes her even more hesitant. Later, persuaded by Shuan Bao and other classmates, Yin Huan decides to move to countryside with Shuan Bao and devote her youth to agricultural development.
Henan Yu Opera Troupe III
The Henan Yu Opera Troupe III was founded in October 1952, formerly known as Henan Provincial Opera Troupe. For more than 50 years, the Troupe, guided by the cultural policies set by the Party, has been keeping up with the times and making unremitting efforts in taking the responsibility of manifesting contemporary life. Owing to tireless efforts of several generations of writers and artists, they have achieved fruitful results in improving the old opera form of “Henan Bangzi”. After comprehensive reform and innovation, this time-honored folk art has been turned into a new genre of opera art. The troupe made a landmark contribution to the development of Yu Opera. In the past 50 years, it has rehearsed and performed over 200 opera works reflecting new era and new people, including Xiao Erhei’s Marriage, Liu Hulan, Chaoyang Ravine, Stubborn Father-in-Law and Stubborn Daughter-in-Law, A father Cannot Control an Adult Son, Red Haw, Son-in-Law of Mafeng Village, The Fragrant Girl and Village Official Li Tiancheng. The troupe was once received by Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and other older generation of revolutionists as well as contemporary central government leaders like Zeng Qinghong and Li Changchun. They have won New Repertoire Prize of Splendor Award as well as the Best Works Award organized by the CPC Central Publicity Department. In recent years, Xianghun Woman won a grand award of the Sixth China Art Festival, while Village Official Li Tiancheng has been listed into the Selected Repertoires of National Stage Art in the initial selection.
(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)
