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17 Sep 2010
by Admin
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Sacrifice to the
Sea
Shanghai
Opera (沪剧): Sea Battle 1894
(甲午海战)祭海
Captain Deng
Shichang (邓世昌)
played by Zhang Qing (张清)
(Shanghai Opera
Troupe 上海沪剧团)
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茫茫大海波涛涌，心潮滔天上九重。
去天津递呈万民折，落了个居心不良罪孽重。
投辕请战成泡影, 破敌条陈也落空。
李中堂只盼洋人来调停, 太后治政太昏庸。
我纵有报国成仁志, 也难以上阵杀敌立丰功。
到如今, 我是枪杆不拿拿钓竿, 竟作悠闲钓鱼翁。
见乡亲哀哀祭忠魂，我两颊发烧泪水涌。
欲上前劝慰节哀痛，我愧对父老与弟兄。
百姓怨声重, 声声摧裂我心胸。
我邓世昌空有利剑在手中, 难刺敌寇胸。
身为水师应尽责, 怎能够任敌宰割不交锋。
为民难解痛, 为国难尽忠,
称什么水师将勇, 算什么护国效忠,
枉为是食禄受俸, 真叫人扪心自愧无地自容。!
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tudou.com/programs/view/AfEDemRv7_s/
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There
are many popular opera styles in Shanghai, but only Shanghai Opera
is authentically grown from this land;
and only one play in Shanghai Opera, and
in fact in all Chinese operas, that
nearly brought the entire city to stand
still in the late 70s. It was the time
when The Sea Battle 1894 (甲午海战) was screened on TV.
By then there was no
colour televisions yet, not in Shanghai,
and very few households even possessed a
black & white TV set. On the night
when the Sea Battle 1894 was shown, those
who did have a small set (normally 12
inch) would place it outside for all
their neighbours and passersby to watch.
If you lucky enough you could watch the
opera from the start to the finish on
your way home after work, with just few
episodes missing.
It was indeed a unique era
when Chinese people sincerely revered
their national heroes and were keen to
make their own contribution in a united
effort to build a better country.
Shanghai Opera is closely
related to more ancient opera forms -
Wuxi Opera (锡滩) and Suzhou tone (苏滩) - and has absorbed wide
range of local folk music. Its singing
and performing fashion is not as
masculine as that of Beijing Opera which is traditionally
played by all-male-actors, nor is it as
soft as Yue Opera that is conventionally
played by all-female-actress. In Shanghai
Opera actors and actress seldom cross
dresses.
Like Beijing and Yue
Opera, Shanghai Opera also accommodates a
variety of schools, with Ding Style (Ding
Shie 丁是娥),
Shi Style (Shi Xiaoying 石筱英) and Yang Style (Yang
Feifei杨飞飞) being the most cherished
female ones, while Jie Style (Jie
Hongyuan 解洪元, Ding's husband), Wang
Style (Wang Pansheng 王盘声) and Shao Style (Shao
Binsheng 邵滨生) the most popular male
approaches.
In the Sea Battle 1894,
the leading role was played by Zhang Qing
(张清, 1933
-) in Wang Style （王派）. Zhang’s performance is
utterly superb, as always, and his
portrayal of the national icon is totally
unique - no one did better than him
before with Wang Style which is
specialised in depicting romantic young
scholars, and none after, as he manages
to interpret the captain in such a
soulful and tuneful manner yet remains to
be straightforward and blokey (糯而无脂粉气, as a Shanghai Opera
lover commented online).
Indeed, today's China
needs fewer sweethearts but more fighters, and
fewer cheap entertainers but more real
artists, like Zhang Qing, so as to help
strengthening the noble spirits in order
to prepare the nation for tough new challenges looming so closely ahead.
Prev:
September
7, 2010
Next: September
18, 1931
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