Bai Fengming

Bai Fengming

Bai Fengming, 1909-1980, male, is an actor of Jingyun Dagu and one of the founders of Shaobai Jingyun Dagu. His father Bai Xiaoshan was a minor official in the Ministry of civil service in the Qing Dynasty. He used to be a fan of octagonal drum and single string music, and later changed to singing board drum. His elder brother Bai Fengyan, a stringer of Jingyun drum, has long accompanied Liu Baoquan, a famous Jingyun drum player. Bai Fengming began to learn singing from his father at the age of eight. Later, he learned how to use Qikou and Banlu from Han Yonglu, Liu Baoquan's stringer. At the age of 14, he formally worshipped Liu Baoquan as his teacher. Then, he learned rhyme and singing from his elder brother Bai Fengyan. The two brothers founded the popular Shaobai Jingyun drum.

Acting experience

Bai Fengming learned art from his father at the age of eight. At the age of twelve, he began to participate in the "baoquantang improved acrobatic club" and performed on the stage in Beijing's grand view building and Shuixin Pavilion, sometimes known as "child prodigy". When he was 14 years old, he was appreciated and accepted as a disciple by Mr. Liu Baoquan, the king of drum music. He walked a long way to Liu's home every day to learn singing. Liu Baoquan, a believer in Buddhism, focused on edification and gradual development. He occasionally instructed himself to practice and master "mouth" Kung Fu. Such as "tea does not think, rice does not want..." And so on a few sentences, he repeatedly practiced for several years before he realized the secret, so that he could understand. After studying hard for nearly five years, he can basically sing 23 pieces of music, such as "Changbanpo" and "single sword meeting", which Liu Baoquan is good at. By the age of 17, he had mastered the essence of Liu's drum singing. He knew that the teacher's attainments were not only based on the merits of his predecessors, such as song Wu, Hu Shi and Huo Mingliang, but also on his mastery and originality. Therefore, he is determined to draw lessons from his brother's music and sister's art. He loved Peking Opera very much and made friends with Wang Shaoqing, Chen Funian and Yang Baozhong. After discussing with these good teachers and friends, he boldly tried to hit the double key drumming technique with one key when singing "beating the drum and scolding Cao". In combination with the ancient song "deep night", he made the singing effect sound and beautiful, which was praised as a pioneering work and widely imitated.

Bai Fengming tried to understand the historical background of the works and the characters' Ideological and personality characteristics. For example, in his middle age, before singing Zidishu Fang Xiaoru scolding the temple, he started from textual research and experience, and tried to make sure that a singing tune, a look, a gesture and a figure can be expressed with emotion and connected with spirit. At that time, he was highly valued by the old actors Wang Yaoqing, Chen yanheng and Yan Jupeng. At the age of 30, he was known as "Shaobai school" in the field of Quyi for his unique art.

After liberation, he was received many times by Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, and improvised. In 1951, he led a quyi delegation to Korea to express his sympathy. After returning to China, he presided over the work of the rap group of the central broadcasting, cultural and industrial troupe, and joined the Communist Party of China in 1961. He once served as Beijing Municipal People's representative, member of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference, director of the Beijing Federation of literary and art circles and the National Music Association.

Main works

The main works of Shaobai Jingyun Dagu founded by him and his elder brother are beating the drum to scold Cao, Luo chengjiaoguan, Hongmei Pavilion, seven star lantern, sishuiguan, cimao for prince, qianjinquande (three books), jianwendi becoming a monk, etc.

Before liberation, Bai Fengming made records such as emperor Jianwen's becoming a monk, horse's failure and Fang Xiaoru's scolding temple. After liberation, Bai Fengming recorded records such as naojiangzhou, Baidi City, single sword club, Guan huangdudao, beating drum and scolding Cao, bowangpo, catching Sanlang alive, Ziqi Tingqin, Yimen Zhonglie, farewell to mother's random arrow, civet cat for prince, and a new revolutionary theme, big fight flying Hushan, etc.

Artistic inheritance

Due to various reasons, Shaobai Jingyun Dagu has basically disappeared on the stage after liberation. Bai Jialin, once the son of Bai Fengming, inherited part of his father's art. After Bai Jialin died in 2010, only Bai Fengming's five younger brothers, the famous accompanist and expert of Quyi, were left to sing Shaobai Jingyun Dagu (1920 -).

Sun Shuyun and Xin Lanyun, the actors of Liu's Jingyun Dagu, have absorbed Shaobai's Jingyun Dagu to a great extent. Other Liu's Jingyun drums, such as Xiao Lanyun, Xiao Yingxia and Hou Yueqiu, can also perform some of Shaobai's unique songs. Before liberation, Luo Yusheng had a higher level of improvement on the basis of absorbing Bai Fengming's art. "Seven Star lantern", "Hongmei Pavilion" and "beating drums to scold Cao" were all her repertoire, which laid a certain foundation for the later formation of Luo school.

Chinese PinYin : Bai Feng Ming