Lin
Chia-yi. “On the Song Cycles of
Martial Arts Plays and the Succession of Kunqu
Performance.” Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 184 (2014.6):
229-78.
Abstract
崑劇與京劇雖分屬兩個劇種，主要聲腔也各自有別，但其間仍有少數戲碼重疊，除了京劇中保留之崑曲戲碼外，主要乃是武戲；這批武戲在崑、京之間的流傳：既有清中晚期以降，京劇採崑曲劇目等發展而成者，亦有近當代崑劇演員習自京劇再加以精進者。故本文乃從「套曲應用」切入，談京劇、崑劇武戲之傳承關係，分為兩部分：第一部分為「京劇武戲之套曲應用」，考察京劇武戲之劇目來源、套曲之套式應用、套曲之結構配置；第二部分為「京劇武戲之崑班承演」，分析崑劇演員從京劇習得武戲之後，在拓展劇目、表演創發等方面的實際作法。最後就本文討論京、崑武戲之表演，提出兩點觀察作結：其一為「劇種及劇目之間的流播」，以〈扈家莊〉為例，具現「崑班武戲→京劇武戲→崑劇武戲」的流傳發展；再以〈擋馬〉為例，見「崑劇武戲→京劇武戲」的新路徑。其二為「崑劇武戲之當代意義」，由武旦行當成立、武戲仍重唱功及人物，既見崑劇行當及劇目的新猷，又見崑劇武戲相較於京劇武戲，不僅講究技巧，更關注唱曲聲情及人物塑造的藝術表現。
The Kunqu and Peking Opera are two separate
opera genres, with different musical tunes and singing styles. However, parts
of their repertoires do overlap. There are some Kunqu plays that are kept in the Peking Opera repertoires, mainly
martial arts plays. The subject of this study highlights “song cycles” instead
of Kunqu, because martial arts plays
of Peking Opera feature both original Kunqu
plays and new plays composed by Peking opera
troupes. The term “song cycles” stresses the musical characteristics of the
martial arts plays and explains why Kunqu
performers, schooled by Peking Opera masters, were able to stage these plays
and push ahead the eventual independence of martial arts roles sheng and dan.
Although martial arts plays are not the most
representative type of either Peking Opera or Kunqu, their history of performance and variety illustrate their
vitality. I focus on the song cycles of martial arts plays to show their
employment in Peking Opera and Kunqu,
to shed lights on the development of cross-genre opera dissemination, and the
significance of Kunqu martial arts
plays. The discussions are in two parts. In the first part, I discuss the
employment of song cycles, the origin, formula and structural layout of martial
arts plays in Peking Opera. In the second part, I explain the succession of
martial arts plays in Kunqu, their
development and transformation from Peking Opera to Kunqu, to demonstrate that martial arts plays in contemporary Kunqu neither confine themselves to the Kunqu tradition nor follow precisely the
Peking Opera model, but exhibits a specific sophistication and innovation.