Dual Pathways of Revolutionary Narrative: A Comparative Study of the Wartime Jiaodong Dagu Pieces “The Battle of Shangying" and “Child Hero Li Dapeng"

Abstract

Drawing on sung texts, musical scores, and related literature, this paper examines two pathways of revolutionary narrative in the Liang-school "revolutionary dagu," focusing on two Jiaodong dagu (drum ballad) pieces composed during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945): "The Battle of Shangying" and "Child Hero Li Dapeng." Although both belong to the Liang-style dagu system, their compositional emphases differ. "The Battle of Shangying" centers on a local combat event: through geographic exposition, the depiction of everyday social order, and a transition to the enemy threat, it explains the concrete reasons that armed resistance became necessary in the region. "Child Hero Li Dapeng" centers on a child-hero figure: through the character's introduction, the advancement of his actions, and colloquial language, it constructs a relatable and emulable image of a young hero. Musically and performatively, the former emphasizes environmental setting and the rendering of crisis, whereas the latter foregrounds plot progression, role-switching, and the depiction of action. The differences between the two works reflect Liang Qianguang's responses to distinct propaganda tasks and audience psychologies, while their commonality lies in a compositional logic that, grounded in the Jiaodong dagu tradition, integrates new lyrics, dialect, vocal-melodic metrical patterns (banshi), and performance mechanisms. Through the comparison of these pieces from the same lineage, this paper reveals the specific means by which Jiaodong dagu was transformed from folk narrative singing into an art of revolutionary propaganda.