(1) Features: Lu Opera is one of the most important local operas in Shandong Province. With her simple and vivid language, beautiful and melodious singing and colorful musical vocabulary, she is deeply loved by the broad masses of the people.
With the rapid development of Lu Opera art, it is increasingly loved by the broad masses of the people and has had an important influence throughout the country. Lu Opera Troupe has mushroomed all over Shandong, cities and counties. By 1960, there are 29 professional Lu Opera performance groups in the province. In other parts of China, such as Xinjiang, Dalian, Harbin, Jinzhou and other cities, Lu Opera Troupe has also been established one after another. Since 1983, Shandong Music Association has held many seminars on Lu Opera music, among which 1985 held a seminar on the fusion of Lu Opera music in Dongying, the hometown of Lu Opera, and 1986 held a special prize for young actors of Shandong Opera in Shandong Province. There are many talented people in the artistic career of Lu Opera, and there are successors. The flower of Lu opera art will be more colorful in the garden of China opera art.
(2) Historical introduction: Lu Opera originated in Shijia Village, Le 'an County (now Niuzhuang Town, Dongying District). Lu Opera has a history of nearly a hundred years since its formation. Throughout the whole historical evolution process of Lu Opera, it generally follows the evolution and development of "Shandong Qin Shu (rap dulcimer)-disguised Qin Shu (also known as disguised dulcimer)-named Lu Opera".
Shandong Shu Qin was originally called "Xiaoqu", but later he was called "Yangqin" by the masses because his accompaniment instrument was mainly Yangqin (called "Yangqin" in the early days). Qin Shu, Shandong Province, with its beautiful tunes and strong rural life, is deeply loved by working people. It was first popular in the southwest of Shandong Province and has a history of more than 2,000 years. Folk artists who rap about Qin Shu have been called "civilized Qin Shu" and "Qin Shu of Shandong Province" when they sing in big cities or other provinces. When Qin Shu was singing, they cooperated tacitly, focusing on singing and reading, supplemented by performance, and combining singing and reading closely; When singing, dulcimer and pendant are the main accompaniment instruments. The singer is also an accompanist, which typically embodies the artistic characteristics of Quyi form. This kind of folk quyi singing form, which integrates singing, speaking and acting, is the basic condition for the development of Shandong Qin Shu from rap art form to opera art
According to the Records of the Yellow River, before 1884, there were no dikes in the north of Guangrao (then Lean County) and east of Lijin in the Yellow River estuary. Every flood season, the Yellow River often overflows, and poor farmers in this area have to leave their homes and escape from the desert to make a living. As a result, the number of refugees begging by singing the popular "ditty" at that time gradually increased. Begging by "singing" has become the main means for some people to support their families, and the activity area has also been expanding.
Here, more and more artists in Niuzhuang and You Guo take singing folk music as their profession. Among many folk festivals, artists such as Shi Dianyuan (nicknamed Shi Yalan), Zhang Lantian and Zhang Zhitian from Dongzhai Village, You Guo Township, and Shang from Xishang Village, You Guo Township stand out and become what local people call "big speakers".
From 65438 to 0880, Qin Shu spread to the north of Le 'an, and it spread rapidly and widely. Especially in Niuzhuang and You Guo, countless people learn to sing Qin Shu. During the slack season, people who sing piano books on the spot can be seen everywhere. It can be said that "every village has a dulcimer, and all women and children can sing".
Shi Dianyuan, known locally as "Big Horn", is a native of Shijia Village, Niuzhuang Town, Dongying District (formerly Guangrao County), and is famous for singing Qin Shu and folk tunes. 1887 or so, Shi Dianyuan went to Henan to study performing arts for half a year. Soon after he came back from Henan, he began to teach and educate people, and often boarded the boat and sang everywhere. In his artistic practice, he found a new way, changed the Shandong Qin book into a "disguised dulcimer" and became the main artist who created the art of Lu Opera.
1900 or so, initiated by Shi Dianyuan, and responded by Cui Xinyue, Cui Xinqing, Tan Minglun, etc., they began to make creative innovations on the sitting dulcimer. On the basis of many years' practical experience in piano book singing, they absorbed the artistic performances of Beijing Opera, Wuyin Opera, Donglu Bangzi and other operas, and directly used the folk dance art form of "running donkeys" to change the piano book "Wang Xiao Gan Jiao" from sitting singing to costume performance. During the performance, they tied bamboo sticks, paper, cloth and other materials into the shape of donkeys and painted them with colors to make them lifelike; Cui Xinyue plays two girls in Yinggong, Tsing Yi, carrying a bag, tying their bodies into the shape of a donkey and riding a donkey; At that time, Dian Yuan dressed as a porter, Wang Xiao, wearing a felt hat and an apron around his waist, and driving the donkey away with a whip; Qin Chuntian and others accompanied him. With the singing and dancing of the two musicians, the characters are lively, the songs are beautiful and pleasant, and the language is humorous and simple, which makes the audience present feel refreshed and interested, sometimes laughing and sometimes listening. The whole performance was excellent in sound, emotion, performance and singing, and the audience was full of praise. The initial attempt was very successful. Thus, a new local drama with a unique artistic style-Lu Opera came into being.
After the piano book "Wang Xiao Gan Xiao" was changed from sitting singing to costume performance and won favorable comments, Shi Dianyuan and others made efforts to improve and perfect it in artistic practice. Based on their first performance experience, they successively changed the few-word bibliographies in piano books such as Painting with Water by Lan Ruilian and Borrowing the Year by Wang into cosmetic performances. Then, the titles with more roles and more complicated plots, such as "Double Change of Parents" and "Legend of the White Snake", were changed into dulcimer performances in disguise. The appearance of dulcimer in disguised form is the beginning of the formation of Lu opera art, which laid the foundation for the rise and development of modern Lu opera.
There are different opinions about the origin of the name "Lu Opera". The main argument is that the paper donkey was used as a prop to sing the first performance of the dulcimer drama Wang Xiaogan's Corner, so it was called "donkey singing" by people at that time, or "donkey play" for short, and the word "donkey" was unsightly. Because of the homonym of "donkey" and "Lu", it evolved into "Lu Opera". Although there are many opinions about the origin of the name "Lu Opera", the name "Lu Opera" was never formally determined before liberation. Artists generally call their singing "disguised dulcimer play", and most people also call it "disguised dulcimer play" or "dulcimer play"
After 1952, on the basis of a series of reforms on the disguised dulcimer opera, Shandong Lu Opera Troupe was formally established on the basis of the original Lu Opera Troupe, and Jinan Lushengqin Opera Troupe was officially named Jinan Lu Opera Troupe. At this point, the name of Lu Opera was officially confirmed.
The establishment of New China has greatly improved the material living conditions of the people in the birthplace of Lu Opera. Lu opera is no longer the way and means for folk artists to survive and beg, but as a real stage performance art, it is valued by the party and government and loved by the masses. With Shijia Village, the hometown of Shi Dianyuan, the founder of Lu Opera, as the center, amateur Lu Opera Troupe was established in Tan Jia, Niuzhuang, Chenguan, Douke, Daxie Song and other towns and villages. After the Spring Festival and the bumper harvest, these amateur Luban celebrated by singing Lu Opera, a custom that continues to this day. 1956, the first professional luban in guangrao county was established. From 1959 to 12, Guangrao Lu Troupe was established. Since its establishment, the troupe has performed in Zibo, Jinan, Hebei and other provinces and cities for many times, contributing to the development of Lu Opera. 1979, on the basis of the original Kenli County Literature and Art Propaganda Team, the Kenli County Lu Opera Troupe was formally established. 1986 Xiao Lu drama "Kao Zhang Ren" was once made into an art film by Shandong TV station and broadcast in the whole province, and won the third prize of the National TV Art Film Award. 1988, according to the requirements of the masses, Lijin County Peking Opera Troupe was also changed to Lijin County Lu Opera Troupe.
From 65438 to 0953, The Remarriage of Li Er's Wife, adapted by Shandong Lu Opera Troupe, was a great success, which made Shandong Lu Opera famous all over the country and was a milestone in the history of its development. A number of new outstanding plays, such as Sisters Marry Easily, Wang Borrow Soldiers and Guangming Avenue, won the Screenplay Award, Actor Award and Music Award respectively. "Li Er's wife remarried" and other plays have been reported to Beijing many times, and the troupe has been received by the party and state leaders. Around 1957, Li Er's wife remarried, two ridges, sisters easy to marry, Wang's borrowing years, forced marriage and other plays were successively made into film art films, which were shown all over the country and abroad. During this period, a large number of famous Lu opera actors such as Lin Jianhua, Lang Xianfen,, etc. were well known and loved by the audience.
(3) Travel Guide: When a large tour group comes to Dongying, it can organize a special performance of Lu Opera, and each performance is usually around 500 yuan.