Zhou Chuanying

Zhou Chuanying

Zhou Chuanying got his stage name Chuanying when he was studying Kunju Opera. His ancestors lived in Suzhou. Zhou Chuanying was honored by the party and the people for his excellent performing arts and great contribution to the cause of Kun Opera, and became one of the outstanding representatives in the field of Kun Opera after the founding of the people's Republic of China.

Character experience

He was awarded as the advanced worker of Zhejiang Province and the national advanced worker in 1955. He joined the Communist Party of China in April 1956 and served successively as a member of the Standing Committee of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference, a member of the Chinese Federation of literary and art circles, and a standing member of Zhejiang Provincial Federation of literary and art circles. He was 77 years old. "Sixty years of Kunqu opera career" was published by Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House in July 1988. Birthday: 1912, Renzi year of the lunar calendar. Death: February 16, 1988, December 29, Dingmao year of the lunar calendar.

Introduction to drama

At the beginning of September 1921, when he was in the second grade of Shuangta primary school, he was influenced by his brother Zhou Gensheng (chuanzheng), who first entered the Kunqu opera school, and dropped out to study art. He began to learn Dan, but because of his bad throat, he changed to playing Xiaogong. The teacher of the school stipulates that those who learn gongs must follow the "step on the opera". Chuanying is also blessed with a lot of dramas. In addition, he is diligent and studious. While learning to play gongs, he learns to sing and read along with the teacher in the corner and learn body movements. In this way, he has learned a lot of dramas. More than a year later, a teacher once arranged huadang for senior brothers. Shen Binquan taught Zhang Fei and Shen Yuequan taught Zhou Yu. Chuanying, as usual, learns to play gongs while secretly learning Zhou Yu's singing and recitation. When Shen Yuequan looks back, she transfers Chuanying to her desk and formally changes to xiaoshengxing.

Artistic experience

family background

When he was five or six years old, he often went to the teahouse bookstore with his father. He was influenced by the art of storytelling and singing from childhood. He gradually developed the habit of listening to books. It has not changed for decades. Every time he returns to his hometown of Suzhou, he always finds time to go to the bookstore to listen to some books. He often said, "listening to books is very helpful for me to become a Kunqu Opera actor." At the end of August 1921, when he was in the second grade of Shuangta primary school in dinghuisi lane, he was influenced by his brother Zhou Gensheng, who first entered the Kunqu Opera School (later worked in white noodles, and his stage name was zhuanzheng), and he also dropped out of school to study Kunqu Opera. Located in Wumu garden, West dayingmen, Taohuawu, Suzhou, Kunqu Opera learning center is a new class initiated by Suzhou famous singers Zhang Zidong, Bei Jinmei and Xu Jingqing, and founded with private capital. In order to improve the cultural foundation of the students, we have hired many famous actors from the former Suzhou Quanfu class as teachers, and set up a Chinese language class to learn "Guwen Guanzhi", four tones, phonology, etc. It is stipulated that students will study for three years, perform for two years, and have a full teacher in five years. After entering the Institute, Chuanying began to learn Dan roles. She once studied panggu in merciful wish panggu, Han Xiangzi and LAN Caihe in Handan dream Xianyuan, maid in waiting in Huansha, and miss Niu in Pipa, yuelang and Huazhu. But he had a bad throat since childhood, and his voice was dry, and he still didn't improve after he arrived at the training center. At that time, according to the regulations of the school, those who failed to learn after six months of "trial study" were returned. According to reason, Chuanlian was also one of the dropouts. However, considering that he studied hard, could keep up with all his subjects, and was obedient, it was a pity to go back. Therefore, he decided to stay and learn to play Xiaogong. He had a good skill and could join kunban's "Scene" (today's band) in the future.

All rounder

In addition to flute and drum, Xiaogong is also an important instrument with high skill. Gong players must be familiar with the plot and the performance of the characters in each play, and then they can play different sounds and rhythms with the changes of the actors' body movements, so as to set off the plot and enhance the artistic effect. At the same time, according to the old Kunlun class practice, those who play small gongs also have to hold a half-time "audition". They should know when to remove the tables and chairs, when to match the sound (such as using musical instruments to simulate various sounds, or learning Rooster barking, cat barking, dog barking, etc.), and when to throw the mat (for actors to use when kneeling). Therefore, the teachers of the Chuan Xi Institute stipulated that those who learn to play gongs must follow the "Ta Xi" (according to the old jargon of kunban rehearsal). In this way, Chuanying has a unique advantage. He has a lot of contact with plays. In addition, he is diligent and studious. While learning to play gongs, he watches, and at the same time follows the teacher in the corner to learn singing, speaking and body movements. In this way, he has learned a lot of plays. After more than a year, once, the teacher arranged "huadang" for his brothers. Shen Binquan taught Zhang Fei and Shen Yuequan taught Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu belongs to the family of Lingzi in xiaoshengxing. After entering the stage, there is a group of difficult posture and movements, as well as the feathered skill. Chuanli, as usual, was learning to play gongs while secretly learning Zhou Yu's singing and recitation. However, teacher Shen Yuequan suddenly turned around and looked at him. Then he talked with his younger brother Shen Binquan for a few words, and transferred Chuanying to his desk (Note: the stage of "clapping music" in Kunqu teaching is called "desk") to study xiaoshengxing formally. Shen Yuequan, known as "a versatile student", was an important pillar in the later period of Gusu Quanfu class.

Recruiting students

In 1921, he was employed as a teacher of Kunqu opera school. He was responsible for recruiting students. After the class started, he began to shoot the first desk. He was a bishop and taught other professions. Because of his age, high seniority, wide play road, can play more, he was honored as "Mr. Big", respected by the teachers and students of the Institute. At that time, after Chuanying changed to primary school, Fu Ziheng, the culture teacher, was also very happy. Seeing that his voice was not good, he bought "Tiedi pill" (Note: this kind of pill was more expensive. At that time, it cost nine copper dollars a pill). He fried it on a small stove every day and gave it to him for a whole winter. Then his voice improved. Since November 26, 1925, the school organized all the students to go to Shanghai for the stage of "helping performance" (i.e. real habits public performance). Shen Yuequan and other teachers also went to Shanghai to spare no effort to teach the students. At first, the students were performing at the stage of laughter and Xu Yuan; then they went to the "new world" amusement park for public performance day and night. After intense performance, the students used the morning to learn from the teacher to enrich the repertoire and meet the needs of day and night performance. At this time, the teacher's teaching method has been changed from the original big class to face-to-face individual professor. At that time, Gu Chuan, the most outstanding student in his life, studied drama very hard. He often got up early in the morning and asked Shen Yuequan to teach drama. Because Zhou Chuanying was young and in poor health, she was often too tired to get up the next morning because of acting. Shen Yuequan also showed great love and care for the student who was accepted later. She always had to wake him up from his sleep before they could talk and teach drama together. At this time, they had a certain stage performance foundation, and some of them were very hard to sing, and Yuequan was also happy to teach them. Such as: Peony Pavilion, pick up painting, call painting, red pear story, Tinghui, sancuo, Changsheng hall, Yingxiang, Waixiang, cailou story, pick up firewood and pour porridge, Jinbuhuan, ShouSui, Shijiu, Jinghong story, reciting poetry and taking off boots, etc. they learned in this period. In addition, Chuanli also learned from Su and Shanghai famous composers Bei Jinmei and Xu Lingyun about tea narration, dressing up and throwing halberd, which greatly broadened his horizons and made him more artistic and popular with experts and audiences.

Regret

Chuanying became one of the main actors in the Kun class of "new Yuefu" after her graduation in December 1927. He has only read for two years since he was a child. With the careful teaching of the cultural teachers in the school, his cultural level has improved to a certain extent. However, in the face of many obscure new words, profound texts and allusions in the script of Kunqu Opera, he is still at a loss and can only rely on "rote memorization", which brings certain limitations to understand the meaning of the opera and perform the characters well. In 1930, when Chuanying was performing in the "big world" amusement park, he met Mr. Zhang Zongxiang, a famous scholar, and wrote to him, which was the key to further improve his cultural quality. Chuanlian and four other brothers walk about 40 minutes from shangxianfang dormitory on Malang road every morning. Before 8 o'clock, they arrive at Zhang Zongyang's apartment in PEDRI, Datong Road, Xinwen Road, where they have two hours' class. They choose an enlightening book "young learning qionglin" as their textbook, and invite Kunqu Opera fan Xu yuedan as a teaching assistant. They have been teaching for several months and have gained a lot. Later, Zhou chuanban had profound artistic attainments on the stage, and was good at speaking, editing, rehearsing, and writing manuscripts. He also benefited from his high cultural level and artistic accomplishment. At that time, with the growing reputation of the "Zhuan" generation of actors, there were too many differences between them in terms of silver package and performance treatment, which led to the intensification of internal contradictions in the troupe. Finally, after the last performance in Suzhou central Grand Theater on June 2, 1931, the "new Yuefu" was dissolved. Later, Chuanying and ten other martial brothers jointly initiated and self raised funds to purchase suitcases to form the Kun troupe of "xianni society", which premiered in Shanghai on October 1 of the same year. At this time, Gu Chuan, the most popular young student, had abandoned acting to study, so Chuanying took the lead. Except for some big Guansheng plays, which were limited by voice and body conditions and were played by Zhao Chuansi, who changed from the old student to Guansheng, xiaoguansheng, Jinsheng, zhangzisheng, shopisheng and so on were basically performed by him. In 1934, Chuanying lost a pair of "living feathers" when she was performing in the Grand Millennium playground in Shanghai. Zhou Chuanying always regretted the loss of the "living plumes". He never got such good plumes again, which became a great regret in his life.

contribution

In the second half of 1937, when Chuanying was performing in Shanghai Fu'an company's playground, the "August 13" war destroyed all the clothes of xianni society

Chinese PinYin : Zhou Chuan Ying