苏州评弹是中国说唱艺术宝库中的一颗璀璨明珠，经历代艺人的磨炼，已积累了丰厚的艺术底蕴，形成了以“说、噱、弹、唱”为主要表现手段的艺术特色，而曼妙多姿、生动绚丽的“弹、唱”更能展示评弹音乐优雅的旋律。弹词开篇和长篇书目中的经典唱段(选曲)则是弹词音乐的载体，已被广大听众公认为可以独立演唱的样式，易被评弹爱好者、业余票友广泛传唱。本书从古典名著、传统题材中收录了部分有代表性的经典名段和当今书坛上较流行的开篇选曲。此外，为了便于大家对评弹音乐的了解、研究、学唱，本选集最后特刊载了两首注有简谱的开篇。

前言 Foreword 

开篇与选段 Ballads and Arias

 姑苏水巷 The Suzhou Water Alleys

 姑苏好风 光The Fair Landscapes of Suzhou

 我的家乡 在苏州Mv Homeland Is in Suzhou

 寿堂唱曲 Singing at the Birthday Celebration

 痛责方卿 Scolding Fang Qing

 黛玉葬花 Lin Daiyu Buries Fallen Flowers

 黛玉焚稿 Lin Daiyu Bums Her Manuscripts

 潇湘夜雨 Night Rain in the Xiaoxiang Court

 紫鹃夜叹 Zijuan’S Lamentation at Night

 莺莺拜月 Cui Yingying Prays to the Moon

 莺莺操琴 Cui Yingying Plays the Zither

 红娘问病 Inquiry about Health by Hongniang

 刀会 Lord Guan Yu Attends a Feast

 战长沙 The Battle in Changsha

 送兄 Seeing Off Liang Shanbo

 英台哭灵 Zhu Yingtai’S Mourning

 误责贞娘 A Wrong Accusation of Zhang Zhenniang 

 林冲踏雪 Lin Chong Trudges in the Snow

 庵堂认母 Meeting His Mother in the Buddhist Convent

 杜十娘 Du Shiniang

 寇宫人 Court Maid Kou

 人面桃花 A Beauty and Peach Blossoms

 岳云 Yue Yun

 情探 A Visit out of Affection

 赏中秋 Enjoying the Mid—Autumn Day

 欲诉衷肠未出声 It’S Hard to Vent My Heart

 初会秋香 Meeting Autumn Fragrance

 宫怨 Complaims from the Palace

 剑阁闻铃 Bell-Ringing in the Mountains

 拾画 Picking Up a Painting

 卓文君 Zhuo Wenjun

 六月雪 Snow in June 

 梅竹 The Plum and the Bamboo 

 秋思 Autumnal Grief

 金光锃亮罗汉钱 The Glittering Arhat Coin

 新木兰辞 The New Mulan Ballad

 枫桥夜泊 Maple Bridge Night Mooring

弹词开篇曲谱两首 Two Pieces ofMusic Scores

 杜十娘(蒋调) Du Shiniang(in the Style of Jiang Yuequan)

 宫怨(俞调) Complaints from the Palace(in the Style of Yu Xiushan)

后记 Postscript