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…”

 

 Link to music Sheets for Liang Zhu Piano & Violin Concerto (PDF file, 16 pages)

Please click here

 

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

Comments

  1. KellyJuly 22, 2021 at 9:34 PM

    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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