Artistic reinvention of major revolutionary historical themes
——Commenting on the national opera "August 1st Uprising"
■Wang Shoude
The national opera "August 1st Uprising" performed by the Jiangxi Provincial Song and Dance Theater was grandly staged at the Central Opera House a few days ago.
The smoke of history has dissipated. The August 1 Nanchang Uprising nearly 100 years ago was of special significance to our people's army and to our new China. In the past artistic creation, various literary and artistic forms have reflected and expressed this theme, and many works with wide influence and classic value have been left behind. The relevant units in Jiangxi have made great efforts and made great efforts to carry out artistic reconstruction of this major revolutionary historical theme in the form of national opera, which is not only intended to further give play to the advantages of rich red resources and reflect the political intention of our party and our army not to forget their original aspirations and never forget the way they came, but also to strive to introduce fine works that are more in harmony with the aesthetics of the times through more modern and meticulous artistic creation.
Loading...
At that time, a gunshot rang out at the head of Nanchang City, like a lightning bolt piercing the dark night sky of the reactionary rule of the Kuomintang, and opened the great journey of our party to independently lead the Chinese revolution, create a people's army, and seize power by force. The great significance of the "August 1st Uprising" lies in the fact that, in the face of the enemy's brutal persecution and killing, the Chinese communists were not intimidated by the complicated and extremely dangerous situation of struggle, but resolutely chose the revolutionary road of "seizing power by armed force" by judging the hour and sizing up the situation and painstakingly exploring, and embarked on the journey of fighting to the death against the ferocious enemy with a fearless spirit of sacrifice until the final victory of the revolution. This point has profound and important implications not only for those times but also for today, and can inspire the Chinese nation to forge ahead, gain the strength to defy strong enemies and dare to struggle, and always walk on the road of unhesitation and invincibility.
The national opera "August 1st Uprising" is first of all worthy of recognition in terms of narrative strategy, showing the ability to control and innovate this major revolutionary historical theme. It adopts the creative technique of combining realism and fiction, narrative and lyricism, grandeur and subtlety, and constructs the whole play with a well-designed length of 14 acts, and clearly outlines the thrilling process of the Nanchang Uprising through the mouths of the characters and subtitle prompts, etc., so that all relevant important historical figures appear on the stage, showing the sense of urgency in a specific historical situation, reflecting their difficult choices on major issues, thus vividly portraying Zhou Enlai, He Long, Zhu De, Ye Ting, Li Lisan, Tan Pingshan, Peng Pai, Yun Daiying, Deng Zhongxia, Ye Jianying, Liu Bocheng and Zhang Guotao and other characters make the play produce a gripping dramatic tension. At the same time, the play organically integrates Mao Zedong and the Autumn Harvest Uprising led by him, and effectively enhances and enriches the historical dimension and ideological connotation of the play through the plot design of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai's three "high-five agreements". The play also uniquely integrates the scene of Chen Yannian and other Chinese Communists walking to the execution ground in handcuffs and shackles in another performance area of the stage, which is a visual interpretation of why the Chinese Communists held an armed uprising. It is also desirable that the play fictionalizes the sub-line of grassroots officers and soldiers such as Jing Yun and Mute, forming a three-dimensional and complete historical narrative in which high-level commanders and grassroots officers and soldiers complement each other, so that the "old theme" of the August 1 Nanchang Uprising can be expressed in a new way, which not only shows the superb strategy, awe-inspiring spirit, and resolute style of the early revolutionaries, but also reflects the fighting spirit of ordinary officers and men who are not afraid of sacrifice without regard for their own lives, giving people a refreshing feeling.
The 41 repertoire and singing sections set up in the whole play cover almost all forms of vocal singing, and with exquisite and flexible structure and discipline, it plays and embodies the functions and roles of narrative and lyricism. For example, the mixed chorus "Anger Burns in the Wind and Rain", the lead and chorus "What to Save the Suffering Compatriots", and the male quintet "Must Rise in Nanchang" are vivid and accurate descriptions of the historical atmosphere and the revolutionary will of the communists at that time, vividly expressing a clear understanding of the truth and the correct decision on major issues. In the plot that follows, the play reveals the dark social and political reality through the male trio "Little Fish Eats Big Fish", so as to form a stark contrast to the drama. The male solo "I Found My Family" and "My Volunteer to Join the Party" are the inner expression of He Long, an important leader of the uprising, and portray a character who is moving forward and changing with great layers and textures. The male solo "The Past Reappears" and "I'm Waiting for This Moment" are in-depth revelations of Zhou Enlai's inner world and rich emotions as the main leader of the uprising. "The First Time I Slapped the Table" and "Can't Be Obeyed" are in the form of male sextets, reflecting the intensity of the dispute between the people on the issue of the uprising, and showing the enthusiasm and courage of the revolutionaries. The male chorus "Charge and Charge", and the lead and chorus "The Banner of Life" and "Bright Future" reflect the far-reaching historical significance of the August 1 Nanchang Uprising.
The strong lyricism further highlights the ideological and artistic quality of the play. For example, the small chorus of the female members of the propaganda team "Singing on Gantang Lake Flying" is like a pleasing destination painting. The lead singer and mixed chorus "Song of the Front Branch" are in the style of "boiling water, sending fragrant tea, and filling the big water tank affectionately", showing the military and civilian fish and water conditions enthusiastically and unrestrainedly. In particular, the duet "Together for a Life" by Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao, which is repeatedly sung in the play, affectionately interprets the mutual understanding and loyal love of this revolutionary couple in a special era, adding a shocking emotional heat to the play. What is particularly artistic is that when the time of the uprising was determined to be held at two o'clock in the morning due to an emergency, the plot did not directly turn to how the battle started, but adopted the method of "tight and slow singing", handing over the drama to Zhou Enlai's psychological time and space, on the one hand, let him listen to the singing section of "Together for a Life" sounded again, "How many dreams in our hearts are waiting for us to move forward"; on the other hand, it shows the agreement between Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, "Smash the old world with a sickle and axe, and we will meet again at that time". This kind of theatrical space is intended to be intertwined with war, friendship and love, and is a clever externalization of the protagonist's inner expectations, forming a dramatic tension, revealing the great hope and motivation buried in the hearts of revolutionaries, so that the audience can fully appreciate the rich meaning of historical figures in the silence before the storm.
Stills from the national opera "August 1st Uprising". Photo by Cui Yuan
It can be said that the smooth and exciting plot setting reflects the sophistication and mastery of the screenwriter of this red-themed national opera; the timeless and profound dialogues and singing lyrics, such as "Rubbing my shoulder, you and the evening breeze, that is the heart and soul of the heart", "Every time we meet, it is a parting", "With the original heart, take the farthest road" "Chinese, 40,000, mostly farmers and fellow villagers. The integration of march-style music style and folk song elements is in harmony with the overall artistic pursuit of the play, the dance choreography is wonderful and full of charm, the use of lighting and costumes, and the reproduction of real historical data and footage have realized the rendering and creation of grand scenes of historical events and specific scenes. In particular, the moving performances of domestic first-class opera singers, whether they are arias or recitatives, whether they are careful observation or accurate shaping of the characters, all show their performance strength and singing standards.
In the above sense, the art of the national opera "August 1st Uprising" reproduces the great historical events, making this work, which embodies the efforts of the producer and many artists, pays tribute to the revolutionary history, contains the spiritual power of inspiring people to forge ahead, and becomes a rare audio-visual feast of opera art.
