論說戲曲雅俗之推移（上）──從明嘉靖至清乾隆

A Study on the Competition between Refined and Popular Plays

戲曲史上有所謂「花雅爭衡」的現象。其實「花雅」對舉，亦即「雅俗」之別，正是中國文化與文學互相推移向前所資藉的兩股力量。戲曲史中的雅俗推移，自南戲北劇成立以後，無論體製劇種或腔調劇種也莫不如此。本文即在爬梳文獻資料，詳細論說明清「戲曲雅俗之推移」的情況。明嘉靖間，北劇是雅，南戲是俗；萬曆間崑山腔繼海鹽為雅，弋陽腔包攬餘姚為俗。萬曆宮廷又有宮戲、外戲之分，宮戲演北劇為雅，外戲演崑、弋、打稻、過錦諸戲為俗。清康熙至嘉慶間宮廷內府演崑弋二腔，崑雅弋俗。乾隆間，花部繁興，統稱「亂彈」，京腔、陝西梆子、四川梆子皆與雅部崑腔有所爭衡，而有崑京、崑梆（陝西梆子）、京梆（四川梆子）、崑亂之相互推移。乾隆五十五年（790）後，徽班晉京，因有崑徽之推移。經嘉慶至道光二十年（840），徽班突出皮黃主腔而成「皮黃戲」，為崑劇、皮黃戲之推移。皮黃戲於同治六年（867）南下上海，被稱為京劇，於光緒後獨霸劇壇，致崑劇一息殘喘，而亂彈之京腔、山西梆子亦隨之消亡。可見戲曲雅俗之間相互爭衡推移的結果，往往合流而壯大，發展為新的劇種，無論體製劇種或腔調劇種均是如此。而戲曲史的演進歷程，亦可以說是一部雅俗推移的歷史。

When there are references to “the competition of hua and ya,” in the history of Chinese drama, these “flowery and refined” aspects mean distinctions between elegant and popular presentations. Their mutual interaction promoted the development of Chinese culture and literature, as did institutionalized drama and tune oriented drama since the establishment of the Southern opera and Northern play. Through an examination of classical literature, this paper intends to clarify the mutual relation between refined and popular plays as they rose and declined. During the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty the Northern play was regarded as elegant and Southern opera was popular. By the Wanli reign Yiyang music, recruiting Yuyao music, was considered popular; while Kunshan music, continuing the tradition of Haiyan music, appeared to be refined. Among the entertainment at Wanli’s court there were court plays and outside plays. The latter, such as Kunshan and Yiyang music, dadao and guojin plays, seemed to be vulgar if compared to the refined Northern court plays. From the Kangxi reign to the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty court entertainment included the refined Kunshan music and the popular Yiyang music. In the Qianlong reign, so-called flowery luantan (miscellaneous tunes) became popular in which Beijing music, Shaanxi bangzi, and Sichuan bangzi prevailed over refined Kunshan music. The arrival at Beijing of Anhui play troupes in 1790 brought vigorous rivals to Kunshan music, especially as Xipi music and Erhuang music dominated Anhui plays after 1840. When in 1867 pihuang plays were presented in Shanghai and were known as Beijing Opera, not only Kunshan music drew its last breath, but also Beijing music and Shanxi bangzi withered away in the meantime. Evidently, the competition between refined and popular plays always results in different genres incorporating each other and developing a brand new style. Both institutionalized drama and tune oriented drama underwent the same process. Maybe we can describe the development of Chinese history of drama in terms of a competition between refined and popular presentations.