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Liu Baoquan

Founder of the Liu school who turned rustic woodblock drum-song into jingyun dagu by adopting Beijing pronunciation and Peking opera technique; hailed as King of the Drum-Song Stage.

Also known as Also named Liu Shunquan · Courtesy name Yimin · King of the Drum-Song Stage

Liu Baoquan, also known as Liu Shunquan with the courtesy name Yimin, came from a family of Shenxian, Zhili, and was born in Beijing. He sang country drum-song with his father as a boy and at fifteen studied woodblock drum-song with Song Wu in Tianjin, later learning from Hu Shi and Huo Mingliang. Switching to Beijing pronunciation, absorbing Shiyun shu, Matou diao and Peking opera singing and stage movement, and adding sihu and pipa to the accompaniment, he transformed the rustic form into jingyun dagu, the Liu school. From 1908 he cut thirty-three discs for Pathé and other labels and was famous for Dandao Hui, Changban Po, Da Xixiang and Ningwu Guan, earning the title King of the Drum-Song Stage; his pupils included Bai Fengming and Tan Fengyuan. He died in 1942.

Life and times

  1. 1869 CEBornQingRepublican Era
  2. 1942 CEDied

Works

  1. Stage · Pieces1
    1. Changban SlopeEarly Republic to 1942 (arranged by Liu Baoquan, Bai Yunpeng and others)A Three Kingdoms piece of Jingyun dagu arranged by Liu Baoquan, Bai Yunpeng and others, and one of Liu's signature songs
  2. Stage · Songs1
    1. The Hour Before DawnKnown by the late Qing (Liu Baoquan learned it from Song Wu)A short scene-painting piece of Jingyun dagu, also called Three Spring Scenes, which Liu Baoquan learned from Song Wu

Connections

  1. Teachers and students2
    1. Bai FengmingDisciple · 1909 CE–1980 CE
    2. Tan FengyuanDisciple · 1895 CE–1966 CE