What is a double act?

The founder of double reed

The founder of double reed is Huang Fuchen, a hard-scripted (self-playing and singing) artist in the late Qing Dynasty (who was a son of an octagonal drum fan). The year of his birth and death is unknown. There are also different opinions on changing from performing a hard book to a double act. One theory is that during the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns, the hard-book artist lost his voice in his later years, so the performance was changed to two people, one playing and singing, and the other imitating the performance. Another saying is that Huang was a storytelling artist during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi periods. He was good at imitating characters' language, the chirping of birds and animals, and local sounds and local sounds. He even learned and performed. Later, it was changed to one person speaking and another performing. Although both theories can be found in writing, their sources are unknown.

The common saying about the oboe is: after the death of Emperor Xianfeng, the Empress Dowager Cixi took full power. In addition to watching operas, she also loved listening to folk music and singing. It is said that once it was said that Huang Fuchen came to the palace to perform. At that time, Huang was already over 70 years old and could no longer sing. what to do? He thought of a way. His son could also play and sing, so he took his son to the palace and asked his son to squat under his robe to sing during the performance. He sat down to play the strings himself and only opened his mouth to imitate his son's mouth shape when singing. Cixi was very happy to see it and said, "You have gotten old, but your voice has healed. You are really like a child again!" Huang Fuchen thanked him and knelt down. Cixi found that his voice was hoarse, and also found his son. She became furious, and later Zhiyi was very happy when he sang and said: "You guys are Shuanghuang!" Shuanghuang originally means two surnames called Huang. Later, in order to distinguish it from the Erhuang in Peking Opera, the prefix "Zhu" was added to the character "Huang", and it became known as "Double Acts". Therefore, it is generally accepted that the name was given by the Empress Dowager Cixi. But in fact, Huang Fuchen could not bring his son into the palace without permission, and it was even more impossible to sing secretly in front of the Queen Mother. These can only show that double reeds are a form of folk art created by Huang Fuchen in the late Qing Dynasty.

There is no accurate birth and death record of Huang Fuchen. According to relevant written materials, his life spanned five reigns of the Qing Dynasty: Qianlong (1736-1795), Jiaqing (1796-1820), Daoguang (1821-1850), Xianfeng (1851-1861), and Tongzhi (1862-1874). . Assuming that he was born in the last year of Qianlong (1795 AD), he would be about 26 years old in the last year of Jiaqing, about 56 years old in the last year of Daoguang, about 68 years old in the last year of Xianfeng, and more than 70 years old in the last year of Tongzhi. After Tongzhi, the Empress Dowager Cixi listened behind the curtain and sent old artists to serve as servants. Huang Fuchen was too old to sing, so it was reasonable to create a new form in which acting and singing were separated but combined into one. Therefore, the emergence of the double reed music genre cannot occur before the Tongzhi Year of the Qing Dynasty.

The word "huang" for double reeds

Shuanghuang was changed to double reeds. Whether it is to distinguish it from Erhuang in Peking Opera or for some other reason, this word change is indeed a good one.

The word yellow means making a sound. The thin piece of vibrating sound in the musical instrument is called a "spring". There are many kinds of reeds made of bamboo, wood, and metal. There are one-piece, two-piece, and multiple-piece reeds for musical instruments. The one with one reed is called a single reed, such as a clarinet; the one with multiple reeds is called a free reed, such as the sheng, harmonica; and the two reeds are called a double reed, such as an oboe. However, the double reeds, single reeds, and free reeds in the musical instrument are all hidden inside the tube. Their sounds can only be heard, but their shapes cannot be seen.

The vocal cords in the human throat are also two thin plates that play a role in pronunciation, but they are not called double reeds. Sometimes the word huangzi is used only when expressing different languages. For example, when a person talks to others, making false accusations in the east and west, criticizing others, it is called "throwing the spring"; using flattering words to confuse people is called "talking the tongue"; two or more people have discussed and compiled a set of lies in advance to achieve a certain purpose. Singing and harmonizing is used to deceive someone, which is also called performing a "double act". This kind of double act is commonly known as "Niewowoer". This is an double act in life. It may be based on the folk art double act of pretending to be true, borrowing its name.

The double act of folk art consists of two actors, one performs with his body and the other sings with his voice. The two are combined into one, making the fake appear real. A rapper must have a good voice and a bright voice. The performer does not pronounce words, but only opens his mouth to imitate the mouth shape of rap. The mouth is opened so wide that people can even see the vocal reeds in the throat. There is a couplet that describes the double reed performance vividly: Hypothesis and true learning are like one, and there are two throats for singing before and after.

Make-up of the oboe

Performing the oboe must have a table and chairs. In addition to the wake wood, handkerchief and folding fan used for cross talk, there is also a special headgear for performing the oboe. : A small braid that is put on the head, usually with a small round support tied with a rope loop, and a single braid with a towering pestle attached to it. There are also other styles. When Zhao Airu performs the double act, she puts two braids of lamb's horns made of green silk strips on her head and two braids on her ears. This may be designed for different face shapes.

When double act actor A (performer) puts on makeup, he first sits on a chair behind the table. Actor B (rapper) tucks in the collar of his coat, exposing his neck, and then he uses a large white block to cover his eyes. Apply three large pieces of white on the mouth and mouth to clearly see the head movements, facial expressions and mouth shapes. A said while putting on makeup. When he was in the collar, A thought B was a barber and said: "Only one person? I shave my face!" When he started to put on his hair, he said: "A person is a clothes, a horse is a saddle; the view of the West Lake, with foreign clothes It doesn’t look good if you don’t dress it up, but look at it after you dress it up—”B: “It looks good!”

There are different ways to apply makeup. For example, when Zhao Airu performs double act makeup, she presses Dabai into powder and rubs it on her face with her hands. This may be because he has a thin face and deep eye sockets, so some areas cannot be applied with a flat white patch.

A few years ago, the double act of Mo Qi and Wang Fengchao was played on TV. Mo Qi doesn't use Dabai for makeup, but setting powder. Take the setting powder puff and put three white round cakes on your eyes and mouth. Along with the performance, white powder flew from the face in all directions. Before the double act was finished, the three white round cakes basically fell away, revealing the true face of Lushan. Using face powder instead of Dabai, although the stage effect is not ideal, it will never burn the skin or ruin the appearance.

Performance of Double Acts

Double Acts in folk art are mostly performed by crosstalk actors. Performed by A and B. A puts makeup on the front, simulating the movement and mouth shape, which is called "front face". B later rapped and called him "back". In traditional cross talk, A is wise and B is foolish, but in oboe, the opposite is true, and A is the one who suffers most. When the double act comes on stage, they first use cross talk to set the scene. A is looking for trouble, and B is flattering. Sometimes Huang Fuchen, the founder of Double Act, is introduced, saying that his father is performing in the front and his son is rapping in the back, so that he can take advantage of B. When the oboe performance begins, the front face sits on a chair behind the table. He first grins at the audience and laughs silently, eyes closed, then quickly suppresses his smile, looks serious, taps the wood to wake him up to give a signal, raps from the back, and the front face imitates his movements. type, the term is called "consignment image". Play a short part again, deliberately showing flaws to find jokes and catch the blame. A stands up and leaves the table to reveal B. The two said a few words to each other, and then learned the oboe.

Sun Baocai (Big Bear) and Wang Wenlu are in the first stage, specializing in oboe. Wang Wenlu performed the back part, squatting behind the chair and covering his mouth with a fan to sing. Because he was far away from the front desk, he had to sing with a strong and bright voice. This is the basic form of cross talk double act. Playing the back part requires a lot of effort. Without solid basic skills and a good voice, you can't perform it. It’s easier now. Put a microphone behind the chair, and any actor with a good or bad voice can play the back part.

Octagonal drummers Gu Rongfu and Yin Fulai also performed double recitals. The octagonal drum performers also perform pai opera. The two perform a funny and cute performance while singing single-string pai tunes to each other, while telling silly stories related to the story for fun. The difference between the double reed they perform and the cross talk double reed is that there are two chairs behind the table. When Yin Fulai played the back part, he also sat on the chair without covering his face, and he also played the three-stringed string instrument and sang to himself. Gu Rongfu played the front part, using a big drum stand folded up to simulate playing the three-stringed instrument. His techniques of tuning, strumming, pressing, and changing handles were consistent with the sound of the three-stringed instrument on the back. His ability to open his mouth and lip-sync during singing was even deeper.

The double acts performed by Lotus Fall actors Qu Guotian and Wei Meiying also adopt the above form. Wei Meiying performed the back part, while sitting on a chair and singing the song, Qu Guotian performed the front part.

The double reeds are attached to the cross talk, and whether the back is squatting or sitting, it is a cross talk double reed. Crosstalk comes from the octagonal drum. In the past, octagonal drummers used to play and sing by themselves. You have to sit down to play the strings, and you can't play while squatting. Therefore, two chairs with a double spring sitting on the back should be the original form of the double spring. Later, the forms and types of music became independent, and most people could no longer play the strings with their backs, so they squatted and covered their faces.

The development of double reeds

Cross talk double reeds are the standard form of double reeds. In the vast ocean of literature and art in our country, there are many different forms of double reeds. Some are called double reeds but not double reeds, and some are not called double reeds but are actually double reeds. Here are several types. For the convenience of description, I will give each one a name for the time being, which may not necessarily be appropriate.

1. Masked double act

In the early 1960s, most of the folk art performances were new programs that coordinated with politics, publicized current affairs, praised contemporary heroes and models, and emphasized that literature and art serve politics, and artistry , Fun comes second. Wang Qianxiang and Li Zengrui performed some new double acts. Wang Qianxiang plays the front face, without whitening or braiding. He squats behind the table while putting on makeup, wearing a burqa and a mask to play the role. The mask covers the top of the hair and does not completely cover the face, exposing the mouth and chin to match the shape of the mouth. Play a short part, change the mask and robe once, and change the character in the play. Behind Li Zengrui, the lines are based on current international affairs, with some jokes added to promote the situation. This very interesting double act is very similar to a live newspaper drama.

2. Drama double act

In the opera "The Laughing Marriage", Tong Dafang plays Shen Sanxian and Wei Xikui plays Shen Fengxi. During a busking performance, Wei Xikui played the drums and sang plum blossom tunes, while Tong Dafang simulated the accompaniment with a three-stringed prop without strings, and was dubbed by the band. Tong Dafang's performance skills such as tuning, changing handles, and string fingering are so coordinated with the dubbing that there are almost no flaws. This is a short double act in the play. Double acts like this are common in many dramas, including foreign dramas.

3. Film and television double act

The dubbing in the translated film is the double act in the TV series or movie. This kind of double act does not use mouth shape to match the voice, but the dubbing actor uses the voice of the line language to match the mouth shape of the actor in the play. The dubbing actors never show up, and can only type their names on the subtitles. They truly become the backers of the double act. It can be said that "I hear their voices, but I don't see their people." Being a voice actor is very difficult. Because there are a lot of words spoken in a foreign language and only a few words can be translated into Chinese, the dubbing artist must not only change the translated lines, but also must have a tone that is consistent with the plot, and must match the identity of the characters in the play, and must also use Chinese pronunciation for the foreign language. . These, I'm afraid, are the disadvantages of Double Act - foreign actors don't have to think about it, but the translation and dubbing work is quite laborious.

When voice actors can save their time, they dub Chinese films and TV shows. Make money in the same way, but effortlessly. Chinese films and TV shows also use Chinese dubbing. It may be because the performers have not learned the compulsory courses for film and television actors such as reading and reciting.

4. Song double repertoire

At current concerts, there are often so-called famous artists and famous singers who are very popular, painted with makeup and gorgeous clothes, and slowly appear from the backstage. With the accompaniment of the band, they sang loudly and loudly. Sometimes the sound system breaks down, and the true identity is revealed: it turns out that the singing is recorded backstage, and the singer only opens his mouth to lip-sync and perform a little bit. Looking at this kind of double act, it is not ridiculous, but infuriating. The audience paid expensive tickets and precious time to see such a live performance.

5. Mime Double Act

The subtitles on the TV show "Double Act", and the performers are two drama actors. There are no tables or chairs on the stage, and the actors do not wear makeup and dress casually on stage. When one person carries another person on his back, the former is counted as the front, and the person being carried is counted as the back. The two hands are behind the front face, and the legs and head are not visible from the back, only two arms are stretched forward. The head, chest, legs on the front face and the two arms and hands on the back are combined into one person, and they cooperate with each other to perform some daily activities, such as smoking a cigarette, taking out a handkerchief to wipe sweat, etc. The movements are coordinated, without saying a word, and looking at Ridiculously humorous. This kind of life is similar to an acrobatic performance, with only pairs and no springs. The limbs of the two are one, and a slight oversight in their movements can reveal flaws. The acting requirements are very high.

6. Sketch and double act

In the "China Travel Cup" Comedian Competition, there is a sketch that is actually a double act. The performer's profession is unknown, but his acting skills are somewhere between cross talk and drama. Cross talk in the front, double act in the back. The form of the double act is that the face is in front and the back is behind, and the hands on the back are extended forward, just like a pantomime double act. The difference is that there are lines, but the lines are said from the front, which is different from cross talk double act.

One year at the Spring Festival gala, the host announced: "The Horror of the Han Palace", a famous drama of the Ge style.

However, some acting skills are too difficult, and some costumes, makeup, scenery, props, etc. are too expensive to perform or record, and the effect is not necessarily ideal. With the advancement of the times, the audience's perspective of appreciation changes. In the future, through the multi-faceted efforts of professional actors, more artistic, more interesting, newer and better double acts will be created.