Liu Lanfang, with her sonorous voice and vigor, gives the audience an impression of capability and boldness, making her well suited for telling heroic stories. Her performances always give audiences a wonderful feeling, as if they were listening to music. All this makes Liu an innovative and uniquePingshuperformer. The 100-chapterPingshuscriptThe Story of Yue Feiwas published by the Chunfeng Literature Publishing House in September 1981.
Li Niang's Bitterness
Li Niang Gui Yuan(Li Niang's Bitterness) was adapted from the novelYu Li Hun(The Soul of Yuli)written during the early Republic of China (1912-1949) and it tells a story about Li Niang, who and her husband love each other deeply. Unfortunately, her husband dies when he's still young and leaves a little child and his old father with her. Li Niang's life is miserable but she tries to overcome all difficulties. While choosing a tutor for her child, she gets to know a man named He Mengxia. He loves her very much but she dare not accept his love due to restrictions of feudal ethics. Finally, He Mengxia leaves her for other places and joins a revolution. After he returns, he finds that Li Niang has already passed away. He is so sad that he rejoins the revolution and dies in the end.
Li Niang Gui Yuanwas written by famous writer Jin Mengping and it depicts Li Niang's inner world in face of her family, her husband, her child and He Mengxia in detail. The description is of particularity and profundity with elegant words and expressions. With the outstanding performance of notedYuequartist Yan Shufang,Li Niang Gui Yuanbecomes a piece of the favoriteYuequwork for many people. In addition,Li Niang Gui Yuanis rare in terms of selecting subject matter of the kind.
Embroidery of Golden Phoenix
Miao Jin Feng(Embroidery of Golden Phoenix) is a feature-length traditional piece of SuzhouTanci. According to playbooks handed down from early days, the piece was perhaps created before the Guangxu reign (1875-1909) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
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| A scene from Embroidery of Golden Phoenix |
Miao Jin Fengtells about the love story of Xu Huilan, an intellectual in Suzhou of Zhejiang Province. The dramatics personae Xu Huilan and Qian Yucui love each other deeply and Miao Jin Feng (embroidery of golden phoenix) is a love-promise gift sent by Qian Cuilan to Xu Huilan. Xu Huilan is falsely incriminated of killing on his way to Kaifeng (in present-day Henan Province) and is about to be executed. Fortunately, he meets Jin Jichun, a man once helped out of danger by him, and Jin sacrifices himself and replaces Xu so as to get Xu out of the prison. Just before execution, a forest outlaw Dong Wuchang rescues Jin Jichun. Later, Qian Huilan's father Qian Dudu writes a memorial to the throne and Xu Huilan's injustice finally gets exonerated.
The major scenarios ofMiao Jin FengincludeQian Yucui Sends Love-Promise Gift, Jin Jichun Rescues Xu Huilan, Qian Dudu Asks for Rainand so on.
In the 1960s, staffs of Shanghai People's Pingtan Troupe re-arranged the playbook ofMiao Jin Fengand the theme and artistic elements of the works became more outstanding.Miao Jin Feng, written in a vivid language and with compact plots, is one of the representative books on SuzhouTanci.
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