Chapter 31 Part Three: One Chant, Three Sighs, "The Story of the Red Lantern", Three Transformations into a Golden Body, "The White-haired Girl"

Only national, is the world. Sixty years have passed since Chairman Mao Zedong published the "Speech at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art" on "May 23".Back then, there were many talented literary and artistic intellectuals who were greatly inspired by the spirit of Chairman Mao's "5.23" speech in Yan'an. They followed the principle of "life is the only source of creation", went deep into the masses, went deep into reality, and created many works. Among the various literary and artistic works with national characteristics, the opera "The White Haired Girl" written by He Jingzhi and Ding Yi and composed by Ma Ke, Zhang Lu and Qu Wei has the greatest influence and the longest artistic life.

The opera "The White-haired Girl" stands out In the early summer of 1942, He Jingzhi, who was only 16 years old when he came to Yan’an to apply for the Department of Literature of Lu Xun Academy of Arts two years ago, listened to Director He Qifang and Teacher Zhou Libo convey the spirit of Mao Zedong’s speech at the Yan’an Literature and Art Symposium to the students in class . Not long after, Chairman Mao Zedong came to the Lu Xun Academy of Arts in person again, and gave a cordial speech to everyone in front of the cave dwelling with the characteristics of northern Shaanxi. Chairman Mao did not have any "official airs" at all. He is very approachable, and he also took the initiative to shake hands with the students who rushed forward, and then he said casually when he started to give a lecture, and from time to time he couldn't help making his usual gestures, and said humorously and wittily: "You are now It is the small Lu art, and the people are the big Lu art. You have to go out of the small Lu art and go to the big Lu art to write good works!" A simple and profound speech not only points out who the literary and artistic creation is for It is the core issue of service and how to serve, and it also points out a brilliant and correct path for literary and artistic creation.

He Jingzhi, who was born in a poor peasant family in Zaozhuang, Shandong, made up his mind to create a literary work that is different from his own poetry creation.In the distant hometown of the Jinchaji revolutionary base, they have left their deep footprints everywhere.He Jingzhi and Ding Yi started writing the script based on a real tragic story that happened in Fengyi Township, Yibin County, Sichuan Province. The prototype of "White Haired Girl" is Luo Changxiu. In 1923, at the age of 16, Luo Changxiu was forced to kill his father and elder brother by the local bully landlord, and was forced to flee into the deep mountains and old forests. He spent 17 years of inhumanity. Life, when she was rescued down the mountain by the Eighth Route Army at the age of 33, Luo Changxiu returned to the world with gray hair all over her head.He Jingzhi and Ding Yi were deeply moved and shocked by this tragic true story. Based on the widely circulated folklore of "White-haired Fairy", they improved on the basis of "Yangko Opera" at that time, and worked together. The screenwriter created the new opera "The White-haired Girl", which is the most understandable and the most popular in the local area.Among them, He Jingzhi naturally integrated many tear-jerking stories he heard and witnessed during the writing process, enriching the content and forming a tortuous storyline.At the same time, combined with some of my own life experiences and encounters, I devoted myself wholeheartedly, and the writer's subjective desire was attached to the shaping of the artistic images of the characters in the literary and artistic works I created. Therefore, the person represented in "The White-haired Girl" Xi'er, Dachun, and Yang Bailao, the epitome of the exploited and persecuted toiling masses, represent the ruling class Huang Shiren and Mu Renzhi who were finally overthrown by the masses of the people. For a long time, they have become the most distinct and most incompatible images of the two classes. Prominent comment symbols.So, also accompanied by the most famous simple, beautiful and lyrical song in the opera, "The north wind blows, the snowflakes flutter, the snowflakes flutter, and the year comes..." This melodious singing full of strong folk characteristics, for us It tells a story with a prominent theme, vivid plot, and real and touching characters——

The story told by the opera took place in Yanggezhuang, a village in Hebei. The landlord Huang Shiren deliberately forced his tenant Yang Bailao to death, and took his daughter Xier away. The humiliated and persecuted Xier was forced to flee into the mountains. The wind, the sun and the rain turned the former youthful girl Xi'er into a "white-haired girl" who was prematurely aging.It was not until the Eighth Route Army liberated her hometown many years later and punished the bully landlord Huang Shiren that Xi'er, who had suffered so much in the past, regained her new life.

This opera-style popular literary work acceptable to ordinary people was performed publicly after the rehearsal in Yan'an Luyi Auditorium in April 1945. The theme of the story close to the people, the twists and turns and the legendary story The plot, coupled with the distinct theme of "the old society turns people into ghosts, and the new society turns ghosts into people", immediately aroused strong repercussions among the broad masses of the people.In every performance, there are local peasants, the old and the young, and they watch it over and over again, crying loudly again and again, and sometimes even the crying from the audience suppresses the dialogue on the stage. From time to time it happened that the performance had to be interrupted for a moment.

Therefore, in 1945, the year when this opera was created and performed, and at the closing time of the Seventh Congress of the Communist Party of China, the crew of "The White Haired Girl" once again made a devotion full of class affection to the leaders and representatives of the Party Congress. Performed the play which had already caused a sensation.At that time, He Jingzhi was busy on the stage, having a great time.When he volunteered to pull the curtain during the performance, through the gap between the curtains, he saw with his own eyes that Chairman Mao, who was sitting in the front row, was subconsciously using his arms and sleeves when he heard the actors sing "Avenge the Injustice Under the Sun". Wipe away the hot tears streaming from the eyes.The leader was emotional, and the crowd was emotional. The performance was a success again, and amid applause that shook heaven and earth, Mao Zedong and other central leaders cordially received him.After Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai and other central leaders watched the scene, when they held a subsequent meeting to study other matters, they specifically related to "The White Haired Girl", collectively put forward three opinions and sent people to convey them to the crew in time: "First , this play is very suitable for the time; second, Huang Shiren should be shot; third, it is artistically successful."

The two generals Chen Geng and Chen Xilian who couldn't help applauding "The White-haired Girl" from the bottom of their hearts when watching the play insisted that the crew go to the front line to perform. show.Among them, the bully landlord Huang Shiren, played by the famous actor Chen Qiang, almost became an angry soldier because of his realistic performance. "The White-haired Girl" quickly swept the entire liberated area, and at the same time inspired thousands of suffering people to take up guns resolutely.Many liberated areas also executed Huang Shiren according to the end of the plot, and made policies and regulations, showing no mercy to the local landlords who were overthrown.

The successful creation of the opera "The White-haired Girl" is the best artistic expression of Mao Zedong's "speech spirit", and it is also the artistic effect that Mao Zedong himself needs.It is not only a perfect embodiment and practice of Mao Zedong's literature and art thought, but also fully proves that the road of revolutionary literature and art serving the proletariat, workers, peasants and soldiers is completely correct.Afterwards, in the Liberated Area, while implementing the "5.23 Speech Spirit" and the sensational effect of the opera "The White-haired Girl", "Blood and Tears", "Red Leaf River", "Liu Hulan", "Xiaoerhei Marriage" and so on came out one after another. A batch of excellent new operas, Chinese operas began with "The White-haired Girl", and there was an unprecedented climax for the first time.Among them, many opera arias in "Nine Cold and Heavy Snow", "Clear Water Comes to the Blue Sky" and "The White-haired Girl" have been sung for a long time.It is the pioneering work of the opera "The White-haired Girl". Its huge and lasting vitality has been affecting the whole country since the seizure of power in October 1949. Another batch of famous red new operas, such as "Hongxia", "Red Eagle ", "Keshan Red Sun", "Five Red Clouds", "Red Coral", "Spring Thunder", "Honghu Red Guards", "Jiangjie" and so on, until the prototype of "Revolutionary History Song Table Singing", the large-scale The splendor of the musical epic "The East Is Red" and the lingering sounds of "The Rising Sun" and "Wind Miles of the East", China's red new opera with national characteristics has been continuing and developing, thus forming a magnificent landscape in the field of art .

After so many years of rapid changes, the only thing that remains unchanged is that "The White-haired Girl" co-created by He Jingzhi, who was only 21 years old at the time, has become an enduring model of Chinese opera premiere.Because He Jingzhi has unswervingly believed in and practiced his life motto unswervingly throughout his life-"Heart beats in step with the times, and poetry speaks out for the people".Similarly, the success of the opera "The White-haired Girl" made many people remember that the famous opera singer Wang Kun who grew up in the cradle of revolution was the first person to play Xi'er.At the same time as Wang Kun, there was another actress Lin Bai who played the role of Xi'er, but because of her physical condition, this Xi'er was little known.