Cantonese opera'Zhang Jiuling' premiere retells story of'cutting into the mountain'

On June21st and22nd,"Zhang Jiuling", a new historical Cantonese opera, premiered at Guangdong Cantonese Opera Art Center, presenting the touching story about Zhang Jiuling, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty, building the Meiling Ancient Road. A poetic and magnificent story was unfolded amid the romantic and artistic spectacle of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, showing Zhang Jiuling"s growth in mind, spirit and political ability.

The freehand and splash-ink technique was used to render the images on the stage, while the veils served as a simple tool to reflect the grand scenes and the whole vibe of the opera. The music, alternately sorrowful, melodious and grandiose, was flowing in the diffusing colors of the classical stage, embodying Zhang Jiuling"s demeanor and temperament - also the connotations of the opera - to the fullest.

Through the wonderful performance, actors have managed to portray different vivid characters. Zhang Jiuling, played by the first-class performer Wen Ruqing, appeared to be unswerving and daring. Making up his mind to stand for people"s interests, he was determined to"cut into the mountain" by himself with no fear nor regrets.

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"During the rehearsals, I gradually understood that Zhang Jiuling is not just a virtuous and tenacious character. In him, I also see a full state of humanity and Buddha nature. When he put himself in harm"s way and was dedicated to saving the people, the homeland, and the country, he was just like Prometheus who stole the fire for mankind, or Shakyamuni, who sought a way for people to escape the suffering of life. With such great compassion, great feelings and great responsibility, Zhang Jiuling was destined to bring light to the world."

Miss Tian, a fan from Hong Kong, has watched the opera two times in a row. She said,"The stage is gorgeous. The vast territory and abundant resources of Lingnan, as well as the great difficulties Zhang Jiuling has encountered when cutting into the mountain, can all be seen from the beginning. And the actor Wen Ruqing has put so many sincere feelings in his acting, which touched me a lot."

"The biggest difference between Chinese opera and other kinds of drama lies in aesthetics, which is also the key to reaching the audience"s hearts. And the greatest value that operas can offer is not only the stories and conflicts, but most importantly, the unique aesthetic experience." said Director Xu Chunlan,"The producers of our team have gone deep into the texts, the characters and the history. We also made a scouting trip to Shaoguan together and obtained a lot of ideas. It is through the joint creation of everyone can the unique aesthetics and connotations of the opera"Zhang Jiuling" be presented."

粤剧《张九龄》首演：演绎盛唐一代名相“开山”故事

6月21日、22日，新编历史题材粤剧《张九龄》在广东粤剧艺术中心首演，演绎盛唐一代名相张九龄开凿梅岭古道的感人故事。一段诗意盎然又恢宏博大的故事，在充满盛唐气象的浪漫与唯美中渐渐铺开，展现了张九龄思想、政治和精神上的成长。

舞台上，大写意的泼墨方式渲染了所有意象空间，一块一块的纱幕，以最简约的手法体现了该剧的宏大场景和整体气象；时而柔肠百转，时而清丽悠扬，时而磅礴大气的音乐，流淌在典雅的舞台空间、无形的光色表达中，将这部剧“文”与“质”的内涵——张九龄的外在风度和内在气质展现得淋漓尽致。

剧中，演员们通过精彩的演绎，刻画出一个个立体丰满的角色形象。一级演员文汝清在剧中饰演的张九龄，坚毅勇敢，为民请命。当他下定决心，即使“一人开山”，也无惧无畏、无怨无悔。

文汝清说：“在一次次的排演过程中，我慢慢体会到，张九龄不仅仅是一个德行高尚、坚韧不拔的角色，在他身上，有一种人性、佛性的饱满状态。在他为国家、为故土、为百姓只身赴难、倾尽心血中，他更像为人类盗取火种的普罗米修斯，为人类寻求解脱人生苦难道路的释迦摩尼。他有大悲悯、大情怀、大担当，必将带来光明。”

来自香港的戏迷田小姐连看两场。她认为：“这部剧的舞台非常漂亮，一开场就让我感受到了岭南的地大物博以及张九龄开山的艰难。文汝清感情真挚，饰演的张九龄让人深受感动。”

“审美是戏曲与其余戏剧种类最大的区别，也是其能打动观众的核心。戏曲给予观众最大的价值也不单单是演故事、演矛盾，而是其独有的审美空间。”导演徐春兰说，“我们剧组的主创们深入到文本、人物、历史里，一起去到韶关采风，得到了很多启发。在大家的合力创作下，使得粤剧《张九龄》在美感与内涵的共融中呈现出别致的审美品位。”(更多新闻资讯，请关注羊城派 pai.ycwb.com)

文｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 黄宙辉 通讯员 林楷虹图｜薛才焕翻译｜洪婷

来源 | 羊城晚报·羊城派责编 | 王楠