Partner

高玉琮Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaMay 2023

Rating 3.7
Word count
104K words
Chapters
29
ISBN
9787530674994

Tags

Essays and Miscellany Artistic CharmPortrait GalleryMasters DescendantsPartnershipLife of Folk ArtistsComedy DuoPrivate PhotosHistorical Value

Summary

This book brings together twenty-three of the most renowned and well-regarded crosstalk duos since the birth of the art form. From multiple perspectives—the performers themselves, crosstalk researchers, and the descendants of famous artists—it recounts and examines the relationships behind these successful partnerships. The book also includes a wealth of private photographs provided by the performers themselves or their families, offering exceptional value for historical research and collecting, as well as strong readability. It fully showcases the artistic charm and social significance of crosstalk. Editor-in-chief Gao Yucong is a veteran quyi theorist, critic, and writer. The many contributors to this book are quyi editors, writers, and researchers who have had deep interactions with older generations of crosstalk performers. The stories they tell are not only lively and entertaining but also invaluable historical material. Several performers also write for the book themselves, recounting the ups and downs they experienced with their partners throughout their careers and sharing the valuable experience of successful long-term collaboration. The writing is witty and humorous, candid and moving.

Editor's review

Co-authored by celebrated xiangsheng performer Jiang Kun and veteran quyi writer Gao Yucong, The Partner is a memoir-style work centered on the "partner" relationship at the heart of xiangsheng art. It recounts little-known backstage stories, creative struggles and deep bonds from Jiang Kun's collaborations with partners such as Li Wenhua and Tang Jiezhong, and uses this thread to reflect the development, industry ecology and era imprints of Chinese xiangsheng over nearly half a century. In the author's plain, first-hand voice, tales of mentorship, workshopping material and stage triumphs and setbacks unfold with reverence for the art and sincerity toward colleagues.

As an editor, I see the book's distinctive value in its "dual perspective." Jiang Kun, a shining performer on stage, supplies vivid details of frontline experience and audience feedback; Gao Yucong, a seasoned creator and observer behind the scenes, lends the text more systematic reflection and a broader art-historical vision. This combination lifts the book beyond ordinary personal memoir into a valuable text for studying contemporary Chinese quyi, especially the aesthetics and creative methodology of xiangsheng partnership. The disclosures about the making of classics such as Tiger's Mouth Reverie and Elevator Encounter are highly illuminating for understanding xiangsheng's textual construction and performative re-creation.

Reading this book, one deeply feels how the默契 philosophy of xiangsheng—"three parts teasing, seven parts supporting"—extends into life and career. It is not merely about quyi but a universal parable of trust, adjustment, dedication and fulfillment. For readers seeking insight into the core of traditional Chinese comedy or interested in collaboration and creative interpersonal relationships, this book offers rich nourishment and a unique window.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Pair the reading with audio and video recordings of the classic xiangsheng works mentioned, and note the differences and unity between the written description and the stage presentation
  2. While reading, pay attention to the subtle differences in the two authors' narrative styles and savor the fusion of creator and performer mindsets
  3. The chapters are relatively self-contained; begin with the performers or works you know best and then extend to the whole book

About the publisher

Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1958

Founded in August 1958 and restructured into Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. in 2009, Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House is known for publishing essays and fiction, and it hosts the journals Fiction Monthly and Essays. Its 757 titles in the library span classic works, culture, folk literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, foreign literature, and general biography. They include Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Zhu Ziqing's selected essays and Classic Essays, Fu Lei's Twenty Lectures on Masterpieces of World Art, and a Chinese translation of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's Rashōmon, as well as cultural and performing-arts titles such as the illustrated Biography of Liang Qichao and A Dictionary of Crosstalk. Its authors include Lao She, Zhu Ziqing, Wu Qichang, Fu Lei, Xue Baokun, Gao Yucong, Wei Zhiqiang, and Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 序言 搭档的风采
  3. 马三立 王凤山 为扶红花甘当绿叶 改说单口怀念知音
  4. 侯宝林 郭启儒 他们的江湖和江山
  5. 郭荣起 朱相臣 先“请”后“辞”名搭档
  6. 孙少林 李寿增 晨光茶社相声大会最佳师徒搭档
  7. 阎笑儒 尹寿山 麻子傻子好搭档
  8. 常宝堃 赵佩如 相声史上的一对绝佳搭档
  9. 常宝霆 白全福 相声搭档的代名词
  10. 张永熙 关立明 黄金搭档 江南合璧
  11. 杨振华 金炳昶 忆往昔故人不在 念去去此情犹真
  12. 田立禾 张文霞 我和我的老伙伴儿张文霞
  13. 黄铁良 尹笑声 阳光男孩逗老叟
  14. 苏文茂 朱相臣 这对搭档有点“冷”
  15. 姜昆 李文华 李文华，您太爱相声了
  16. 姜昆 李文华 最具反差萌的名牌搭档
  17. 高英培 范振钰 相声界的一座丰碑
  18. 李伯祥 杜国芝 “李杜”相声美名传
  19. 赵振铎 赵世忠 “二赵”的“八扇儿”
  20. 魏文亮 孟祥光 童趣相声话魏、孟
  21. 马季 唐杰忠 马、唐搭档 誉满天下
  22. 常贵田 王佩元 部队搭档贵在“新”
  23. 侯耀文 石富宽 旷日积晷 世家风范
  24. 王谦祥 李增瑞 把段子过成日子
  25. 佟有为 马树春 树春是我难得的搭档
  26. 佟有为 马树春 他是唯一一个说我“笨”的人
  27. 苗阜 王声 聊聊王声
  28. 苗阜 王声 说说苗阜
  29. 后记

FAQ

Is this book Jiang Kun's autobiography? Not exactly. Its core theme is the "partnership relationship." Although it follows Jiang Kun's collaborative experience and contains much personal recollection, it focuses more on his artistic interaction and life intersections with various partners, aiming to explore the philosophy of partnership in xiangsheng and beyond rather than offer a comprehensive personal life account.
Does the book include unpublished xiangsheng routines or creative secrets? It contains many behind-the-scenes stories about the creation of classic works—sources of inspiration, script revisions, stage adjustments and other details—which can be regarded as valuable sharing of creative experience. But it is not a xiangsheng writing textbook; its main value lies in revealing the people and events in the creative process, not in providing specific routines or technical formulas.
Is the book easy to understand for readers unfamiliar with xiangsheng? The authors' language is plain and vivid, and the storytelling is strong. Even readers with little knowledge of xiangsheng can grasp the emotional core and collaborative wisdom through concrete character stories and period background. The themes of trust, rapport and overcoming difficulties together are universal and widely resonant.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

高玉琮 Author

Gao Yucong is an author about whom limited public information is available. Two works can currently be confirmed: Xiangsheng Da Cidian (A Grand Dictionary of Crosstalk) and Dapeng (Partners). Their common categories involve folk literature and miscellaneous prose. The dictionary is a reference work devoted to crosstalk, a traditional Chinese folk performing art, organizing entries on terminology, figures, and works, while Dapeng leans toward miscellaneous prose and concerns the relationship between crosstalk partners. These two works suggest that Gao Yucong's interests center on folk literature, especially the documentation and discussion of crosstalk, combining the systematic and informative nature of a reference book with the readability of essay writing. Because details such as birth and death dates, place of origin, and professional career are not clearly recorded, no further biographical information can be provided; readers may come to know his work in folk literature and quyi-related subjects mainly through the above titles.