The Synthesis of Chinese and Western European Musical Traditions in Xian Xinghai’s Opera “March of the Army and the People”

Lo Tszinya Postgraduate Student; School of Arts and Humanities; Far Eastern Federal University Room 10, Ajax St., Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, 690078, Russia. Campus F lo.tczi@dvfu.ru

Chernova Anna Viktorovna PhD in Art History Associate Professor; Department of Art and Design; Far Eastern Federal University 10 Ajax St., Primorsky Krai, 690078, Russia av-chernova@mail.ru

Introduction

Xian Xinghai (1905-1945), one of the most prominent Chinese composers of the 20th century, became one of the founders of a new trend - Chinese national academic music, which arose on the basis of the integration of the European academic tradition and Chinese folk music. Xian Xinghai did not limit himself to composing music, he was also a research scientist who searched for ways to develop Chinese music in the 20th century.

The opera "The March of the Army and the People" became his first opera, written in 1938 in Yan'an. Xian Xinghai's musical style was formed against the background of the revolutionary wars in China of the 20th century ^[1], this work reflected the composer's aesthetic views on what the new Chinese art should become. This is a two-act opera, its structure includes various forms of recitatives and vocal numbers, which generally corresponds to the characteristic features of traditional Western opera. The instrumental composition and orchestral style of the piece are distinguished by their originality, as Western instruments and national Chinese instruments were used, which led to an innovative and distinctive flavor. The libretto was created by a team of authors: Wang Zhen, An Bo, Tian Lan and Han Sai. The plot tells how ordinary villagers, faced with the threat of the enemy, joined forces with the Chinese army in the fight against the invaders. The simplicity of the plot and vivid musical themes convey the realities and spirit of the resistance era. In 1939, after its premiere in Yan'an, the opera immediately attracted the attention of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and after being staged in areas controlled by nationalists, it was widely recognized as a key milestone in the creation of the Chinese national opera in the 20th century, as it represents the first serious step towards creating a new type of opera.

Research on Xian Xinghai in China begins in 1941, when an article edited by the author's team "Transcript of the discussion of the production of the Yellow River" was published.^[2], and the literature related to the opera "The March of the Army and the People" includes 8 publications. Of these, two articles focus on its successful production and significance after it was presented in Guilin, and four more articles explore the origin, style, and influence of this opera through the lens of Xian Xinghai's personality. The last two works examine the creative philosophy of Xian Xinghai in the context of the Chinese style "Qi-pai", mentioning this opera.Unfortunately, this opera remains little known in Russia. In recent years, interest in Xian Xinghai's work has increased, and works dedicated to his aesthetic views ^[3], the cantata "The Yellow River" ^[4][5], have appeared. However, a study of the opera "The March of the Army and the People" in order to find out how Xian Xinghai created the "new opera" is still missing, and this work is intended to correct this shortcoming. Therefore, an attempt to fill this gap and research is to determine how Xian Xinghai achieves a combination of local and global flavor. This is the main purpose of this study. This analysis not only offers an approach to understanding the uniqueness of Chinese musical culture, but also provides important guidelines for Russian and other international researchers studying the intercultural practices of national music.

1. Cultural and historical significance of Xian Xinghai's opera "The March of the Army and the People"

1.1 Creation history and presentation

In 1938, when the war with Japan entered a decisive stage, the Chinese Communist Party put forward political slogans calling for continued struggle, strengthening unity and striving for progress. In February of the same year, under the leadership of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, seven comrades, including Lin Boqia and Zhou Yang, signed an initiative to establish the only art academy in China named after Lu Xin. At the same time, Mao Zedong, in his report "On the Position of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War," first coined the term "Chinese manner." This report was an abstract generalization of the specific characteristics of the application of Marxism in Chinese conditions. It was thanks to this report by Mao Zedong that the questions of what is modern national literature and art with the "Chinese manner", how to form folk art with the "Chinese manner", gradually became the central topics of discussion within the framework of the concept of "national form". Despite the fact that this idea of Mao Zedong was not exclusively aimed at art issues, it had an important influence on the direction of work of cultural figures and artificial collectives throughout the war period. And earlier, in January 1938, in the article "The Movement of Saving Songs and the future of new music," he put forward the idea of creating a "new opera" based on folk songs and a new form. This opera, in his opinion, was supposed to combine the experience of the war of resistance with the national spirit and style, avoiding the patterns of Beijing or Western opera ^{[6, p. 70]}.To a certain extent, this idea coincides with the concept of "Chinese style and Chinese manner" proposed by Mao Zedong, and even predates it, we can say that it has a certain perspective.

At the age of 33, Xian Xinghai faced obstacles in his work in the Third Department of Political Management, and after receiving an invitation from the Academy of Arts. According to Lu Xun, in October of the same year, he went to Yan'an to take up the position of head of the Department of Music. On December 19th, in the afternoon, Xian Xinghai received a notification from Liu Ji about an invitation to an opera music conference that was held in Yan'an, and was given the task of adapting the already existing script and lyrics of the song "March of the Army and the People" into an opera. From December 20 to December 30, he completed the creation of this opera for 12 days. On January 13, 1939, Xian Xinghai personally conducted the premiere performance, which was performed by students and teachers of the Academy of Arts. Lu Xun. However, due to the lack of professional skills of the actors and directors, as well as limitations in lighting, scenery and props, the quality of the performance did not satisfy Xian Xinghai. In addition, the main audience in Yan'an were workers, peasants, and soldiers who had only been familiar with local folk music since childhood and had no musical education, so from an aesthetic point of view, this European-style opera could not be quickly accepted. Nevertheless, after the production, the opera immediately attracted the attention of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. In March 1939, "The March of the Army and the People" was included in a collection of operas published by the Shanghai Chengguan Publishing House in order to ensure its distribution beyond the liberated areas and present it to theater groups in other regions.

After she left Yan'an and found herself in areas controlled by the nationalists and in the rear, she caused the phenomenon of "flowers in the city and fragrance on the outskirts." In 1940, the Central Propaganda Unit, organized to combat Japanese aggression, began rehearsing this opera. To improve the quality of the rehearsals, a directing staff was specially invited, consisting of experts from the artificial intelligentsia of Guilin, and the extras were assembled from professional actors. There was a significant improvement in terms of the composition of the participants. In October, the premiere took place in Guilin, which was a success and provoked heated responses in artificial circles, receiving high praise. From 1941 to 1942, the opera was staged in cities such as Lijiang, Guangdong, Fujian and others, and each time it evoked a lively perception. At the end of 1943, famous playwrights, who gathered cultural leaders and intellectuals, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, created a Committee for the preparation of the Southwest Theater Festival. From February 15 to May 19, 1944, the first theater festival of southwest China was held at the stadium in Guilin, which was attended by more than a thousand representatives of theatrical art and 33 theater groups from the provinces of Xiangxi, Guangdong, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei and others. The opera "The March of the Army and the People" was the only opera among the 126 repertoires that were staged, and from May 5 to May 8 it was performed in the hall of the Guangxi Artificial Museum, where 5 performances took place (two were held on May 6). All the screenings were completely filled. Due to the strong reaction from the audience, it was decided to hold three additional free performances on the square, attracting more than 30,000 spectators each, which set a new record for outdoor venues.^{[7, p. 53]} Despite the fact that currently stage productions of "The March of the Army and the People" are rare, this work, as a representative of the early Chinese new opera, laid the foundation for the development of modern national opera in China, has important historical and academic value.

1.2 "The March of the Army and the People" and its place in the genre of opera

After Mao Zedong proposed the concept of the "Chinese manner" in his report "On the Situation of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War", the Qi Pai school began to form. "Qi" (Chinese: 气 [qì]) in Chinese music is a unique aesthetic and philosophical concept that is the basis of the Qi-pai school. "Qi" simultaneously represents both a material and a spiritual essence; "Pai" (Chinese: 派 [pài]) means a style, direction, or school. The ideology of "Qi Pai" is mainly expressed in music, dance, painting or literary works, which reflect social reality and express concern for the people, as well as deep national spirit and patriotism. Many composers awakened national consciousness and the spirit of unity through music ^{[8, p. 26]}. The idea that the artists conveyed from the stage helped the audience perceive opera not only as a means of aesthetic enjoyment of art, but also as a kind of spiritual inspiration. ^{[9, p. 163]} Which was especially evident in the musical creativity of the period of the war against Japanese aggression. The view of opera at the Qi Pai school is primarily defined as "Chinese national opera." This musical genre, in its infancy and search in the 20th century, was also called the "Chinese new opera", that is, a work that is able to borrow advanced Western compositional techniques, but at the same time integrate the Chinese national style and is focused on localization, mass character and nationalism in the process of research and innovation. Chinese New Opera, as a national variety of the opera genre, originated in the 1920s with the children's song and dance drama by Li Jinhui. Although these works were not operas in the full sense of the word, nevertheless, elements of this genre were already present in them: arias, duets, ensembles, scenes with singing and dancing, dance scenes, prose monologues, etc. ^{[10, p. 278]}. It can be said that these performances, undoubtedly possessing some features characteristic of opera art, became the prototype of the Chinese national opera ^{[11, p. 154]}. But as an initial study of the Chinese opera style, although it shows a clear operatic mindset, its form, content, as well as drama and musicality remain immature and superficial. Its target audience is mainly children and teenagers, and it does not fall into the adult drama category. ^{[12, c. 22]}

In the 1930s, amid the growth of the leftist cultural movement in China, the National Music Opera entered a period of exploration. The national opera gradually became a powerful weapon of political struggle, and the composers attached great importance to strengthening the communicative function of drama. The musical material focused on historical changes in social and political culture, providing "artistic channels" for political struggle. Famous musicians Tian Han and Nye Er jointly created the opera "The Storm on the Yangtze River" in June 1934, which was another attempt to create an opera after a children's musical performance. In this work, it was possible to clearly and accurately spread new ideas about saving China from Japanese aggression. From a formal point of view, the combination of drama theater and song performance does not fully correspond to the principles of opera creation, but it is still a useful practice in the history of the development of Chinese opera.

After leader Mao Zedong proposed the concept of the "Chinese manner," composers such as Ni Er, Chen Tianhe, Xiang Yu, Ren Guang, and Huang Luoyu began exploring the creation of the national opera from different perspectives. After the opera conference on December 19th, Xian Xinghai's opera "The March of the Army and the People" also made a definite attempt at creating a national opera. Before the creation of the so-called first Chinese opera conforming to international standards, "The Gray-haired Girl" (Chinese: báimáonǚ) (1945), "The March of the Army and the People" was already considered as an opera with a Chinese flavor^{[13, p. 180]}. His search for ideological content and artificial form, his mature use of expressive musical language, cannot be compared with his previous works. The success of this opera also led to the flourishing of the Yan'an Yange Opera genre (a genre of Chinese folk opera based on the traditional Yange folk dance (Chinese: 秧歌, [yanggē] "Song of Rice Sprouts"), which was popular in the northern regions of China. Yangae Opera is characterized by vivid folk motifs, dynamic rhythms and the use of simple melodic lines). She gave birth to a landmark work in the history of Chinese opera, the great opera The Gray—Haired Girl. After the appearance of the opera "The Gray-Haired Girl" in Yan'an, "The March of the Army and the People" was often seen as a typical example of an opera based on Western opera forms. It can be said that Xian Xinghai's opera "The March of the Army and the People" played a key role in Chinese opera history, linking the past and the future, contributing to the development of Chinese opera. In the history of the development of Chinese opera, this work is an integral part. Thus, the opera "The March of the Army and the People" became a bold experiment by Xian Xinghai in creating a new opera after his arrival in Yan'an. In order to understand how the composer implements this innovative attempt, it is necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of the opera "The March of the Army and the People".

2. "CHINESE NEW OPERA" - XIAN XINGHAI "THE MARCH OF THE ARMY AND THE PEOPLE"

Xian Xinghai's entire life was devoted to creating music focused on "mass culture", "nationality" and "artificiality", while he always put "mass culture" in the first place. He aspired to create "real works of art that can reproduce the voice of the nation, replace the cry of the people, reflect reality."^{[14, p. 379]}The opera "The March of the Army and the People" was Xian Xinghai's first attempt to integrate the "Chinese school" into his operatic work after arriving in Yan'an, telling about the resistance of the Chinese people to the Japanese invaders in northern China. It was created based on the events of the war with Japan, and its theme is to call for the unity of the army and the people, for a joint struggle.

Through the story of the Li Qiang family, which helps wounded soldiers and skillfully interacts with Japanese troops and puppet forces, the opera depicts the joint struggle of the people and the army for independence, which culminates in victory in the end. The composer saw the national basis of the plot as universal and close to the ideas of Western European operas, so the work logically combined the traditions of China and Western Europe. Xian Xinghai applied polyphonic techniques, used folk melodies, pentatonics and traditional instruments, creating a unique musical language combining eastern and Western elements ^{[15, p. 68]}. The musical traditions of Europe and China, which had been developing separately from each other for a long time ^{[16, p. 4]}, are combined in this work, such an original approach in the opera art of the 1930s was a rarity. The musical themes were based on folk melodies. Xian Xinghai sought to adapt the work to the cultural realities of the time, taking into account its social and political significance.

2.1. The plot of the opera

The first act, the first scene. Lee's wife is chasing chickens. Xiao Lan runs in with the news of the chaos at the front. Li Lao Be is worried about Li Qiang's family and son. Li Qiang is assigned to help the wounded, he wants to escape. Li Qiang returns and talks about the horrors of the war. Soldier Chen Biao, quarrel, Li Qiang runs away again. Captain Horse offers to take shelter, but Lee's family refuses.

First act, second scene. The night sky is ominous. A wounded soldier is crawling along the road, asking for help. The Japanese come to the house. The traitor threatens: "Food, men into the army, women into slavery." Li Lao Be asks Xiao Lan and his wife to run away, but they refuse. Li Qiang decides to leave to fight.

The second act. There are gunshots in the village, dogs barking. Xiao Lan is waiting for news, discussing the atrocities of the Japanese. Li Lao Bae is almost taken away by the Japanese. Others are trying to take Xiao Lan and Li's wife away. Li Qiang kills a Japanese man. The Lee family decides that unity is the way to victory.

The main characters in the opera are few in number, and the plot is uncomplicated. The author uses a simple storyline to create significant dramatic tension. As the story progresses from the “unfriendliness” between the army and the people to uniting to fight the enemy, conflict contradictions gradually increase, and the human side of the main characters is fully revealed. At the beginning, in the episode with the transfer of the wounded soldier, the strained relations between the people and the nationalist government are already reflected: under the pretext of fighting Japanese aggression, low-price products are seized from the peasants, men are forcibly taken to the front, and if someone tries to object, they are immediately called “traitors“ or ”enemies of the people." Li Lao Be replies to Chen Biao: "We are ordinary people, and you are Chinese soldiers. Why are you hurting your own people?" Ding Er Xiao's words sound even more direct: "You're doing this unfairly! We are poor, we have nothing, and you are taking our last bread, you have taken my husband, and I have not heard a word from him. That won't do, give me my bread, let my man go!" This enmity between the army and the people changes with the appearance of a wounded soldier, whom the Lee family shelters. Then there are traitors and Japanese who behave cruelly, rape and rob. In such a situation, the Lee family finally realizes the need to unite.

2.2 Stylistic features of national Chinese music in opera

Xian Xinghai's national lad Opera "The March of the Army and the People" vividly demonstrates the concept of creating an opera in the style of the "Qi Pai School" through the use of melodic structures. In this opera, the frets of national music occupy a central place: the pentatonic is mainly used, complemented by six-step frets, which gives the music a pronounced Chinese flavor and national character. The pentatonic (five—step fret) is a widely used fret system in traditional Chinese music, consisting of five elements. These five sounds, depending on their location relative to the main tone, are called as follows: the main tone is "Gong (Chinese: 宫 [gōng], Tonic)", the second stage is "Shan (Chinese: 商 [shāng], Second)", the third stage is "Jiao (Chinese: [jiǎo], the third)" , the fifth step is "Zhi (Chinese: 徵 [zhǐ], Fifth)", the sixth step is "Yu (Chinese: 羽 [Yǔ], Sexta)". There are no semitones in this system, and the sounds are combined mainly using whole tones and small thirds, which gives the melody smoothness and continuity, and also creates a unique national coloring. In various traditional Chinese pentatonic modes, the logic of the arrangement of the steps generally corresponds to international standards of relations between the steps. For example, in the Gong harmony with the main note G, G acts as the main step of "Hong" , and D acts as the fifth step of "Zhi". The movement of the steps in this fret is based on a pure fifth and a large tone (for example, there are fifth relations between G and D), which corresponds to the fifth relations in the Western major system. Therefore, the analysis can use interval concepts used in international music science, which guarantees the logical rigor of the study and promotes cultural understanding.

1. The variety of fret structures, In the first scene of the first act of the opera, three-quarters of the vocal parts are based on the pentatonic, including the frets "徵zhi)" and "羽Yu)", which create smooth melodic lines. Additionally, there are six-step frets with auxiliary steps, such as the "Jiao" fretwith additional stage "清角 (chin. 清角 [qīngjiǎo], Qing Jiao, consistent with the note E)" harmony "商Шан)" with additional stage "变宫 (chin. 变宫 [biàngōng], bian Gong, corresponds to the F note)". This variety enhances the expressiveness of the music.

2. Melodic structure, The melody is based on a pentatonic scale with intervals of "big second" (from the first step to the second) and "small third" (from the second step to the third). These intervals alternate in sequences such as "big second — small third" and "small third — big second". They emphasize the traditional features of the Chinese musical system, enhancing the smoothness of the melody.

3. The connection of the fret with the plot, the frets of the vocal parts are closely related to the development of the plot: Li Laobo's arias are based on the fret "徵Zhi)", which gives solemnity, and his wife's arias mainly use the fret "羽Yu)" or the fret with the added step "清角Qing Jiao", which emphasizes the sophistication of her emotions. This combination highlights the connection of the music with the characteristics of the characters.

4. The general structure of the frets, the first scene of the first act introduces the plot and demonstrates the order of the fret structure. In addition to the overture in the key of G-dur, the vocal parts are based on national scale systems. The fret ratios between the parts are often in quarter-fifth relations, which creates logical musical transitions reflecting the peculiarities of Chinese musical aesthetics.

2.3 Features of melodic development

In this work, one of the typical features of melodic development is the frequent use of techniques characteristic of Chinese folk music, such as "承递法" (chain principle of development), "句句双" (double repetition of phrases).They not only reflect the specifics of the melodic structure of traditional Chinese music, but also form a musical expression closely related to the cultural context of China, manifested as follows:

1. The chain principle of development–In Figure 1, in the scene where Lee's wife hears the news of the defeat, starting with the word "焦" ("alarming") in the phrase "这可叫人多心心" ("it makes people worry"), the melody connects to the end of the previous sentence, creating a close connection between the two musical phrases. The chain-based development method gives the melody a sense of continuous flow, emphasizing the character's continuous reflections in a state of anxiety.With the transition to the phrase "拉去当伕子" ("they will really take you to work as a slave"), the rhythm and melody become simpler, but the continuity of the melodic line remains, which gives emotions a tinge of helplessness against the background of anxiety.

Fig 1. Act One, scene one bars 36-45

2. The technique of double repetition of phrases is used in the second scene of the first act (see Fig. 2), where the wounded soldiers and the people find themselves together, the fragment of singing in which they comfort people and work out plans (bars 680-688 and 689-698) retains a similar parallel relationship and enhanced complementarity due to the double repetition of the same melody and text. Repeating the melodic pattern through repeating intervals highlights the confidence expressed in the lyrics.The phrase "何况鬼子人人"" ("Especially since there are few enemies") in bars 689-691 enhances the sense of rhythm and a slightly tense tone of consolation in the words. Then the phrase "只要暗中定出个计策" ("You just need to secretly work out a plan") in bars 692-694 begins with a slight lowering of the melody, which gradually descends to the tonic (F), forming a continuation of the previous melody. This descending melodic line corresponds to the content of words about consolation and strategy, demonstrating the unity of music and emotional expression. In the phrase "Victory is certain" in bars 695-698, the melody gradually rises to the median (A), expressing confidence in victory and hope.

In conclusion, returning to the tonic (F), the final movement is set out in longer durations, which further enhances the musical expression of the wounded' faith in receiving help.

Fig. 2 Act one, scene two, bars 680-698

3. Variant repetition - In the aria, each beginning of the phrase conveys the current state or feeling, gradually forming contrasts in the process of development, which gives the melody openness. The text contains three phrases, and each of them retains the structure and rhythmic features of the first phrase "夜漫漫,黑漆的的" ("The night is long, the sky is pitch black"), which emphasizes the unified and integral style of the melody (see Fig. 4). The development of the melody in the second phrase in the part "满身血斑斑" ("The whole body is covered with bloodstains") It is accompanied by a change in meter from 4/4 to 3/4, which serves to expand the musical structure. The end of this phrase stops at the dominant (fifth step), emphasizing the tension and anxiety of the emotional state. In the third phrase, the meter returns to 4/4, which creates a parallel with the first phrase, restoring the stability of the melodic structure and deepening the expression of hopelessness and pain in the character's soul.

Fig. 3 Act one, scene two, bars 1-8

2.4 Using Chinese national instruments

In the conditions of that time, which were quite difficult in Yan'an, Xian Xinghai used only 14 instruments to create the opera "The March of the Army and the People", including the violin, organ, "dizi(Chinese: 笛子子[dízi], Dizi/flauto)", "erhu(Chinese: 二胡[ehú], Erhu,)", "sanxian(Chinese: 三[sānxián], Sanxian,)", "big drum (Chinese: 大鼓[dà gǔ], Tanggu)", "tang gong" (Chinese: 堂锣[tángluó], Tangluo, gong)" and others. "Tang gong" is a rather rare national instrument. Despite the restrictions imposed by the conditions, Xian Xinghai skillfully used the capabilities of Chinese national musical instruments, especially standing out in the use of plucked instruments like "sanxian" and percussion. He achieved this through solos, ensembles, and the combined sound of Chinese and Western instruments, which allowed him to create a unique musical atmosphere with a Chinese flavor, which is especially noticeable in the musical design of the transitions between scenes and the characteristics of the characters.

Chinese national percussion instruments - Xian Xinghai noted: "Chinese folk percussion instruments are distinctive," "We only need to strike, and no one will remain unaware that this is a Chinese instrument"^{[15, p.68]}. In the overture to the first act of the opera "The March of the Army and the People," Xian Xinghai uses a combination of Chinese and Western instruments to recreate the wartime atmosphere. The vibrations of "dizi" and the harsh passages of the violin create a background with limited melody, enhanced by dissonances, which gives the music a sense of chaos and anxiety. Percussion instruments, such as the "Chinese snare drum (chin. 中国小鼓 [zhōngguó xiǎogǔ], Piccolo tamburo chinese)", "bamboo Board (whale. 竹板 [zhú bǎn], Zhuban)", "wooden fish (Chinese. 木鱼 [mù yú], Discover)" and "flat Gong (chin. 平面锣[píngmiànluó], LuoPiatto)", alternately come into the low register, which increases the tension of the scene and creates the effect of inevitability and military chaos (see Рис4).

Fig. 4. Act one, overturatactes 1-11

In the first four bars of the overture, the tremolo of the small and large drums plays the main role, and the flute performs a battle signal resembling the sound of a horn, symbolizing the beginning of the battle and attracting the attention of the audience. By the 88th measure, the entire percussion section of the orchestra enters simultaneously, depicting the rumble of carts and the neighing of horses, immersing the audience in the atmosphere of a fierce battle.

In the introduction to the second scene of the first act, using a mixed form of orchestration with Chinese and Western instruments, Xian Xinghai chose only a flat gong from the percussion instruments. Starting with the weakest part, he uses its low, long-lasting and steady sound to portray a quiet village (see Fig. 6).

Fig. 5. Act Two, Scene One, bars 17-25

Here, Xian Xinghai, based on the content of the scene, makes the following orchestration: the orchestra performs a 3/4 Largo, and the melodies of the first violin and the erhu are similar to the melodies of the introduction to the first act, where the same sounds are repeated, followed by a second movement up and down. This creates a strong contrast with the previous parts.

In the first scene of the first act, when the Lee family learns of the defeat and the approach of Japanese soldiers, an anxious mood sets in among the opera's characters. The question of whether to flee the village or stay is causing a disagreement between Li Xiaolan and his wife, putting old man Li in a difficult position. In the musical passage preceding old man Li's vocal part, the combined use of "wooden fish", "Chinese snare drum" and "rattan gong" with the rhythm of the battle gong and the rhythmic figure of the eighth-sixteenth (see Fig. 6) depicts the inner turmoil and indecision of old man Li Laobo. In this fragment, Xian Xinghai used an ensemble of national percussion instruments, demonstrating through a combination of sounds and rhythm the musical features of the Chinese style.

Fig. 6 Act one, Scene one, bars 400-402

The use of folk percussion instruments in the vocal episodes of the opera - In the first scene of the first act, where Chen Biao argues with the Li family over Li Qiang, and Sister Ding comes to the rescue, Xian Xinghai uses a mixed orchestration combining Western and Chinese instruments. The violin, "erhu" and "yongxian" provide the accompaniment of the melodic line, while "堂锣tang gong" and "木鱼 wooden fish" emphasize the accents of the vocal part with a certain rhythmic regularity (see Fig. 7). This significantly increases the emotional tension of the scene.

Fig. 7 Act one, Scene one, bars 544-550

It follows from the analysis that Xian Xinghai uniquely used Chinese national instruments, especially in the use of folk percussion to create a dramatic atmosphere of the opera "The March of the Army and the People." Inspired by the traditional methods of ensemble playing in Chinese opera, he creatively adapted these techniques. Despite the limitations in Yan'an, where there was a shortage of instruments, Xian Xinghai realized the concept of the Qi-pai school opera, skillfully using the timbre characteristics of folk percussion instruments to reveal the harmonic and rhythmic features of this school.

2.5 Study of the inclusion of Chinese national melodies in the polyphonic technique

Since the introduction of Western opera to China, because it was very different in everything, from form to content, from the thinking, life, traditions and aesthetic habits of the Chinese people of that time, it was not accepted by the people. In order to make opera more attractive to the Chinese, Xian Xinghai believed that it was worth paying attention to the most advanced Western musical forms in order to improve the form and technique of Chinese national music. He repeatedly pointed out that using counterpoint would avoid the complete monotony of folk songs. In addition to arias, there should be choirs, duets, and canons ^{[17, p. 125]}. This new approach to folk song should break the prevailing monody and monotony of traditional Chinese music. He also applied this polyphonic technique in the creation of the opera "The March of the Army and the People."

Free imitation polyphony - Xian Xinghai conducted significant research and experiments in his composition technique, for example, in the prelude of the second act he used the technique of free imitation polyphony. The dizi flute (Chinese: 笛子 [dízi], Dizi, flauto) performs the main melody first, followed by the erhu (Chinese: 二胡 [ehú], Erhu, violin cinese), strictly imitating this melody. The violin, the erhu, and the organ step in consecutively. Following Erhu, the violin and organ demonstrate various types of free imitation, such as a varied theme, a theme in magnification and compression (see Figure 8). Xian Xinghai applied this technique in several voices. The melody is based on pentatonics, the use of this fret system gives the music a pronounced Chinese national style.

Fig. 8 Scene two, introduction, bars 7-14

It is worth noting that in the above-mentioned melodies, due to the mutual horizontal movement of the voices, not only a vivid contrast is achieved between the timbres of different instruments, creating a counterpoint effect of timbre imitation, but also various additional seconds and quarts appear in harmonic terms. Through free imitation, Xian Xinghai achieves the effect of endless melody in both the horizontal and vertical planes, which can be called an innovative understanding in the nationalization of polyphony. In contrast to rhythmic figures, for example, in the instrumental interlude before the exit of the scouts in the second act, the dizi and harmonica imitate the sound of a military horn in the melodic part, the big drum and the Chinese snare drum accompany, creating a rhythmic part. The snare drum accompaniment rhythmically duplicates the melodic part, which enhances the overall effect (see Fig. 9).

Fig. 9 Scene two, bars 400-443

Contrasting polyphony - Xian Xinghai's principles in the field of using national Chinese melodies in the context of polyphony are also based on the principles of contrasting polyphony. In the opera "The March of the Army and the People", it is especially noticeable in the duet of the second act, where two voices form independent melodies. Between the 446th and 449th bars, these parts alternate in rhythm, density, and complexity. Harmonic intervals of thirds and sexts, as well as fifths, are used. The second part starts two bars later than the first, adding an imitation element to the contrasting structure. (see Fig. 10)

Fig. 10 Scene two, bars 444-449

In addition, the opera uses a combination of eastern and Western musical instruments. Despite the fact that there are not many instruments, a successful combination of solos, choirs and ensembles makes the perception of the work more accessible to the audience and contributes to a better expression of the main idea that resonates with the audience. At the end of each scene, the main motif sounds, expressing the need for the unity of the army and the people, their solidarity in the struggle. In the final scene, the opera ends with a large chorus, which emphasizes the main idea: “For the final victory, it is necessary that the army and the people be united, the only way we can defeat Japanese imperialism, liberate our entire land.”

The researchers note that “the script does not meet the classical requirements of opera, and the sound and instrumental accompaniment lags behind Italian opera standards.” ^{[18, p.4]} The lyrics of the opera largely use colloquial expressions, while the melody includes elements of the Chinese traditional style, and the accompaniment consists of a combination of Chinese and Western instruments. The main goal was to ensure that the viewers could feel the unity of the army and the people, their joint struggle. Opera, while preserving the traditions of Chinese music, not only paved new paths in art, but also played an important role in political propaganda and in inspiring the people to unite against the invaders. The musical language of this opera is characterized by simplicity and clarity, which makes it easy for the work to spread among the people. The melody is solemn and sublime, the phrases are harmonious, the rhythm is mostly 2/4. Through rhythm control, the opera perfectly conveys the tense atmosphere of war and the attitude of soldiers who are not afraid of a strong enemy. The use of repetitive monosyllabic phrases and symmetrical pauses allows you to express emotions vividly and without restraint in music. The main purpose of the text is to evoke in the audience a sense of the spirit of courage and determination in the fight against the enemy, which promotes inspiration and empathy. As Xian Xinghai's first work in the genre of national opera, the March of the Army and the People has certain artificial features that can be discussed and improved. Xian Xinghai himself emphasized that he would like to hear the opinions of various experts before making adjustments to the work. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the cultural significance of opera in the context of dramatic art during the war.

conclusion

Xian Xinghai's opera "The March of the Army and the People", created in Yan'an, is an important example of the manifestation of the opera concept of the Chinese style. In this work, Xian Xinghai uses unique methods of melodic development, such as the "chain principle of development", the "technique of double repetition of phrases" and the "variable principle", which are characteristic of Chinese music. The author actively uses the timbre features of Chinese national instruments in solo and ensemble fragments of the opera, combining them with Western instruments to enhance the dramatic atmosphere. This not only highlights the musical features of the "Chinese style", but also serves as an example of cross-cultural synthesis, where elements of two musical traditions harmoniously interact. Instead of simply borrowing Western techniques, he creates a unique sound in which Chinese musical identity is organically integrated into more complex harmonic structures, reflecting the importance of innovative interaction between Eastern and Western musical systems. He also consciously introduced elements of polyphonic writing into the opera, using methods of free imitation and contrast. This created an interaction between the voices and emphasized the pentatonic melodies, which was an innovative solution for the opera genre of the time. The adaptation of Western composing techniques was an important stage in the development of Chinese vocal art, which contributed to the development of harmony and formality in Chinese opera. In "The March of the Army and the People," Xian Xinghai uses the basic techniques of Western opera, such as overtures, interludes, final pieces, as well as recitatives and ariosos, and a variety of vocal forms, from solos to choirs. This reflects the classical features of Western opera, integrated into the Chinese context.

The opera's lyrics are mostly prose, spoken language is used, the melody is based on Chinese tradition, and the instrumentation combines Eastern and Western instruments. Opera, while preserving the traditions of Chinese music, not only paved new paths in art, but also played an important role in political propaganda and in inspiring the people to unite against the invaders. Xian Xinghai always emphasized the "novelty" of opera as an important feature, and the "March of the Army and the People" became a step towards overcoming boundaries in art. This approach is based on the traditions of both cultures, which was an important achievement in the 1930s. Xian Xinghai became an innovator in the opera genre, developing new approaches and actually creating a European-type opera based entirely on national material.