Chongqing- On July 11, the 5th Chuanju Festival Percussion Special was held at Chongqing Sichuan Opera Art Center. Sichuan opera percussionists from Chongqing and Sichuan played special percussion instruments for the performance. Through sound, they concocted a world for the audience.
The lights in the center of the stage slowly came on that evening as the three bells rang out in preparation for the performance. The musicians who normally sit at the bottom or sides of the stage became the stage protagonists. Yu Houyun, a renowned drummer and hereditary inheritor of Sichuan opera percussion, kicked off the concert with a lively prelude performance of Tuo. The performance featured traditional musical instruments, such as the Tanggu (drum), different kinds of gongs, Bos (instruments), and bells. Tuo, the prelude to Sichuan Opera, is a form of gongs and drums. In most cases, it's used to attract audiences before the main show starts or as a stage performance, which is extremely difficult and skillful.
The special percussion performance (Photo provided to iChongqing)
The gongs and drums of the Sichuan opera are indispensable elements in its music. The Sichuan opera gongs and drums have developed their unique style by continuously blending elements of Sichuan's local folk music genres such as Taoist, wedding, and Yangge (a form of Chinese folk dance developed in the Song dynasty as Village Music). Not only can Sichuan opera gongs and drums accompany the actors' performance, but they can also convey the emotions of the performance. In performances, gongs and drums can be played with qupai, a fixed melody used in traditional Chinese music, and can also be used for ambiance tracks such as wind, thunder, lightning, and water flow.
"It was different from any folk music concert I've heard before. Every piece of music tonight was exceptional and suggestive, and they each came with images that transported me to the appropriate situation," said Xu Qing, an audience member.
The special percussion performance (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Liu Yonghong, a national first-class performer on drums, performed Army on the Battlefield, transporting audiences back to ancient battlefields. The audience witnessed the emperor's dignity and majesty when he ascended to the throne through the performance. At the same time, through the performance, the soldiers and horses could also be seen on the desolate battlefield, and they could also feel the joyous carnival among common people.
In addition to that, percussion art performed by Xiang Yongnian, a provincial intangible cultural heritage holder of the Ziyang River faction of Sichuan Opera in Neijiang city, was unique. This piece was well-paced and controlled audiences' hearts by bringing the classic play Jinshan Temple to life through Song Tao's drumming. A Letter, by Yu Houyun, ended the performance, giving the audience a deep impression of books.
The special percussion performance (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Shen Tiemei, President of Chongqing Sichuan Opera Art Center and recipient of the Plum Performance Award, said it was a wonderful and successful performance. The concert highlighted the development and achievements of the older generation of Sichuan opera percussionists. "Let's cheer for the future of Sichuan opera and the development of Sichuan opera," said Shen Tiemei.
(Liu Jingjing, as an intern, has contributed to the report)