Liang Chenyu and "Washing the Silk Gauze"

It is true that Wei Liangfu made a tremendous achievement in innovating the Kunshan tune and normalizing the singing techniques of “Shui Mo Diao”. But for this new vocal style to gain further development, it was important for a large number of celebrated musicians to participate in its practice and research and to spread its influence. This would demand the efforts of generations who endeavored to put it onto stage. At the same time when Wei Liangfu was innovating the Kunshan tune, Liang Chenyu, a Kunshan native, and his friends also studied Wei Liangfu’s singing techniques and theories of music. They made some slight changes to Wei’s singing techniques and generated another new tune. During this period, the contribution of Liang Chenyu was second only to Wei Liangfu.

Liang Chenyu (1519-1591) (梁辰鱼) is known for his talent in poetry and calligraphy. He was extremely fond of singing arias. Learning from Wei Liangfu’s singing technique, he produced many Sanqu in the Southern Music and personally taught others to sing them. These arias became know to the masses, which was extremely beneficial to the spread of Kunqiang. In accordance with the musical theory of Kunqiang, Liang Chenyu brought his talent in literature into full play and created the legend (传奇, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Kunqu Opera was called “Chuan Qi”) “Washing the Silk Gauze” (浣纱记), and for the first time, transformed Kunqiang into stage drama. This marked a critical turning point for the Kunqu advancement. “Washing the Silk Gauze” draws its materials from warfares between the Wu state and the Yue state in the 6th century and sings high parise for the resolution of the Yue state to wipe out a national humiliation. With his sorrowful tone set, the writer developed the plot by telling the sorrows and joys between Xi Shi, a legendary beauty in the Yue State, and Fan Li, a senior official in the same state. The love between the two runs through this drama as a unifying thread. This play suited will the taste of audiences and was well received as soon as it came out. Even today, about seven or eight scenes out of the play are occasionally staged.

source: Chinese Kunqu Opera,published by Long River Press