Music and the Fictive Dream - The Butterfly Lovers
Music
and the Fictive Dream
The Butterfly
Lovers
Liang Shanbo & Zhu
Yingtai
Liang
Shanbo & Zhu Yingtai, also called Butterfly Lovers, is one of
the Four Great Folktales in China. It is a famous love story and regarded as
the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet. When working on this week’s
project, the theme music of Liang & Zhu kept on coming to my mind. It is my
interest and pride to explore and present it in this blog. There are many presentations
and versions of this story, varying from Chinese stage plays, operas, classic
films, modern movies to cartoon stories. I choose one of the classic films
produced in 1963, which is also translated as The Love Eterne to
introduce this enchanting musical. Before diving to this masterpiece, I would
like to give you an idea of this well-known romance in East Asia.
Image source https://asian-film.com/en/liang-shan-bo-yu-zhu-ying-tai/
Legend & Film Plot of Liang & Zhu
It happened over 1,600 years ago in
East China, and at that time women were supposed to be trained up as obedient
wives and not allowed to pursuit education like men. Zhu was the only
daughter in a wealthy family. As a young lady, Zhu convinced her father to
allow her to go to college while disguised or cross-dressed as a man. On her
way to a bigger city for further education, Zhu met a young man Liang
and became friends with him at school. They studied together for three years as
classmates, and Zhu fell in love with Liang in secret besides her female
identity. As a single-minded “bookworm”, Liang never noticed Zhu’s feminine
characteristics and only took her as a “brother” and his best “male” friend.
Later Zhu had to return home immediately
as demanded by her father, and Liang walked her 18 miles to see her off. During
the journey, Zhu gave hints to reveal her identity as a woman, but Liang could
not get it. Finally, Zhu made up a story to be a matchmaker for Liang and ask him
to come to her home and propose to her “sister” as soon as possible. When Liang
went to visit Zhu a few months later, he found out that Zhu was a lady. They
fell in deep love and made a vow to stay together until death. However, Zhu’s
parents had already engaged Zhu to a wealthy man and planned her wedding. Zhu
had no choice but to obey her parents. Liang was heartbroken and became very
sick, and soon he died. On her wedding day to the wealthy man, Zhu requested
the wedding procession to stop by Liang’s burial place. While Zhu was in deep
grief at Liang’s tomb, the dune split open from thunder and lightning. Zhu
jumped inside to join Liang. The storm died, and the spirits of this devoted couple
transformed into butterflies flying out together, free, and happy in eternity.
Biographical Information of The Love Eterne
The Love Eterne (Liang Shanbo & Zhu Yingtai)
is a 1963 Hong Kong musical movie filmed in Taiwan. It is Huangmei opera in Mandarin
language with running time of 122 minutes. The film won 6 awards at the 2nd
Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, including best film, best music, best director,
best actress, and special award for outstanding performance. Because the film
was only in Chinese language, I searched another short Erhu excerpt and a full
violin concerto to present this beautiful romance and masterpiece of
westernized Chinese music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzhwC5xKsbE
Liang & Zhu (Erhu)
Erhu performed by Zhang Ye (2011), music originally composed by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang (1958, China), designed by Oliver Doucen (France), recorded by CCTV, China, licensed to Antipodes Music Productions, and posted on YouTube on Oct. 15, 2011. Length: 1:59
The above performance by Zhang is a
short except from the original violin concerto Liang & Zhu composed by
Chinese musicians Zhanhao He and Gang Chen in 1958. However, it was banned by
the Chinese government during the Cultrual Revolution (1966-1976). Since the late
1970s, the theme melody of this piece has become the theme music of almost all
Liang & Zhu stage and movie performances. It was modified to Erhu (Chinese
violin) from western violin for some later performances. Erhu musician Zhang played
the main melody companied by piano, starting soft and stretchy to tell the
romance. Then the dynamic became loud and strong with piano bridge, followed by
brighter and more vibrant Erhu in the same melody, representing the power of
true love and new hope.
Below is a full violin concerto of
original “Liang & Zhu” composed by He and Chen in 1958. It was performed by
China Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014 movie version. The violin soloist is famous
Chinese violinist Wei Wen. Although it is a bit long (25min.), it is amazingly
performed and presented by professionals and worth watching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebf3h-o4xiw
The Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto
– 2014 Movie
Version
Composed by He Zhanhao & Yu Gang
(1958, China), performed by China Philharmonic Orchestra, violin solo by Wen
Wei, conducted by Yu Long, and produced by China News and Documentary Filming Productions.
Posted to YouTube on Sep 18, 2020. Length 25:24
Musical Elements of The Butterfly
Lovers’ Violin Concerto
The Butterfly Lovers’ concerto is one of the
most famous works of Chinese music. As mentioned earlier, it is an orchestral adaptation of
an ancient legend. It was written for the western style orchestra, but the violin
solo features some Chinese techniques. The concerto is written in pentatonic
scale by using many Chinese melodies, chord structures, and patterns.
The concerto is a single-movement
sonata, and it can be divided into three sections with the progress of the love
story: Romance, Defiance and Transformation. The overall concerto is in ternary
ABA form. It is also broken into seven subsections, and each tells a different
part of the story of the Butterfly Lovers. The solo violin is representing
the story’s protagonist Zhu, and the cello is symbolic of her lover Liang.
The tempo of the concerto starts with
Adagio (slow) in Section I with a simple melody to introduce the love story.
Section II is Allegro (fast and happy), symbolizing Liang and Zhu’s busy and
joyful school years. Section III is Adagio (slow) again, expressing the sad
feeling of departure at the end of their schooling. Zhu invites Liang to visit
and marry “his sister” which is herself, but Liang waits before doing so.
Section IV is Presto (very fast), suggesting the conflicts and struggle of Zhu protesting
the arranged marriage by her father. Section V is Adagio (slow) and Lagrimoso
(tearful) when Zhu realizes Liang is a woman and falls in love. The violin and
cello solo play a beautiful duet, the theme of the whole story. Then in Section
VI, which is Presto (very fast) again, representing anger and sadness of Liang
when learning that Zhu has been betrothed to another man. Liang becomes sick
and dies. The section ends with the suicide of Zhu when the violin ends with an
abrupt high note. The last section is Adagio (slow) and the concerto ends with
the lovers’ transformation into new lives (butterflies) and their eternal
togetherness.
Social Commentary and My Opinion
The Butterfly Lovers’ concerto, especially its main melody has been
used as the theme of the story in many ways presented since the late 1970s. It
sets the tone for the entire show and symbolizes the bitter sweetness of romantic
love. The melody portrays that true love is worthy even more than life. The
concerto promotes the popularity of this folktale across the world, which is
called the Chinese Romeo and Juliet by westerners. I watched various
versions of the Butterfly Lovers in China since my childhood. The melody of
Liang & Zhu is deeply embedded in my heart. Somehow, I never get tired of
listening to it. Its beauty and power are rooted in its sadness and reality. Just
as portrayed in a Chinese poem, “Life is precious, love is worth more. But for
the sake of freedom, both could be given up…”
Sources:
“Butterfly Lovers.” Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Feb. 2021. Web. 29 Mar. 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_Lovers
“Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto.”
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Jan. 2021. Web. 30 Mar. 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_Lovers%27_Violin_Concerto
“The Butterfly Lovers’ Violin
Concerto by Zhanhao He and Gang Chen.” Chien, Shan-Ken, University of
Kansas, 31 May. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2021. https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/14877
“The
Love Eterne.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Aug. 2020. Web. 30
Mar. 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Love_Eterne
This is a great analysis. I really enjoyed the full background of the story. I wonder if this legend or other similar legends are what sparked the creation of Mulan. It has a somewhat similar plot, but luckily in Mulan no one dies. The only thing I saw missing from this was proper in-text citation.
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