Illustration:
ill. 1.2
Date:
09. 03.1976
Genre:
newspaper article
Material:
scan, paper, black-and-white; original source: print on paper, black-and-white
Source:
Guangming Ribao 9 March 1976: “Wenyi de chuntian yongyuan shuyu wuchanjieji” 文艺的春天永远属于无产阶级 (Spring in the arts will always belong to the proletarians).
Inscription:
几年来，在毛主席的革命文艺路线指引下， 在党中央的亲切关怀下， 革命的文艺工作者发扬 ”世上无难事，只要肯登攀 “ 的革命精神， 乘胜阳剖， 不断发版专 乘胜前进， 不断发展文艺革命的大好形势， 使革命样板戏发展到十八个， 即：革命现代京剧《智取威虎山》、《红灯记》、《沙家滨》， 革命现代舞剧《红色娘子军》，革命交响音乐《沙家滨》，钢琴协奏曲《黄河》 ，钢琴伴唱 林彪《红灯记》， 革命现代舞剧《白毛女》 ，革命现代京剧《海港》、《龙江颂》、《红色娘子军》、《奇袭自虎团》、《平原作战》、《杜鹊山》 ，革命交
Keywords:
yangbanxi, Cultural Revolution, model works, model opera, Huanghe, Hong Dengji, Baimaonü, Haiying, Longjiangsong, Jiang Qing, cultural production, film, Chunmiao, Juelie, staged performance art, newspaper, The White-haired Girl, The Red Lantern
Spring in literature and art will always belong to the proletariat (Wenyi de chuntian yongyuan shuyu wuchanjieji 文艺的春天永远属于无产阶级)
One of the most frequently cited phrases sustaining the idea of the Cultural Revolution as a period of cultural stagnation is the one claiming that throughout those 10 years nothing but “8 model operas” (this is the incorrect standard translation, which does not account for the fact, that not all of these model works were in fact operas, the translation terminology is confused because the Chinese term 戏 xi is ambiguous and can mean “opera” or any other staged performance art )—bage yangbanxi 八个样板戏 were performed on China’s stages. The Cultural Revolution had in stock, so it is said, “8 theatrical works for 800 Mio. people, and that was all” 8亿人民8台戏.
By 1966, 8 theatrical works had been declared “models” by Jiang Qing, but as the Cultural Revolution went on, a second set of models was created and by 1976, their number had increased to 18, only 10 of which were operas. Indeed, to Mao’s criticism in July 1975, that “there are too few model works,” Jiang Qing replied: “There are people who say that there are too few models works, that there are just eight, but it is not true! Already now there are 18” 有人说样板戏少只有八个不对！现在已有十八个了嘛.
On this illustration we see the complete list of 18 yangbanxi as published in Guangming Ribao, on 9 March, 1976, a few months before the official end of the Cultural Revolution. These 18 model works included operas, ballets and symphonic works.