Mei Lanfang (1894- 196 1), whose real name is Lan, is also known as posthumous title Skirt, Qunzi, Zihuahua, Huanhua, owner of Yuxuan, stage name, and ancestral home in Taizhou, Jiangsu. On September 20th (1894 65438+1October 22nd), a pear garden family was born in Litieguai Street, Beijing. 196 1 passed away in Beijing on August 8th at the age of 68. He is an outstanding modern Peking Opera performer in China and a respected social activist. He devoted his whole life to the artistic career of the motherland, made outstanding contributions to the development of China traditional opera art and international cultural exchanges, and became a famous cultural celebrity at home and abroad.
(2) An industrious childhood
Liyuan Family: Mei Lanfang's grandfather, Mei Qiaoling, was a famous Peking Opera actor in the 19th century. He was also good at Hua Dan in Tsing Yi, and was listed as one of the "Thirteen Musts of Tongguang". My father Mei Zhufen was also a versatile Peking Opera actor, but unfortunately he died young. Uncle Mei Yutian is an excellent Peking Opera instrumentalist, known as "Six Scenes Transparent" (that is, all instruments on the scene can be picked up to accompany him), and he has been accompanying Tan Xinpei for a long time. The artistic edification from childhood laid the foundation for Mei Lanfang's exploration and development in Peking Opera.
Mei Lanfang's childhood life was quite hard. My parents died young and made a living by the income of my uncle's accompanying wine. He began to study fine arts at the age of 8 and performed at the age of1/kloc-0. During this period, he studied not only Tsing Yi Opera, but also Hua Dan Opera, Kung Fu and Kunqu Opera. At the same time, I also went to the theater to compare and ponder the artistic essence of previous artists.
Besides acting, his hobbies are very extensive, especially pigeons, flowers, calligraphy and painting, which have greatly promoted his performing arts. When Mei Lanfang was young, her eyes were slightly short-sighted, sometimes she cried in the wind, and her eyes were inflexible. So, at dusk, he let the pigeons soar in the air, let his eyes rotate with the pigeons and exercise his eyesight seriously. Over time, the eyes are flexible and vivid.
He believes that the costume color, makeup, facial makeup and stage installation of Beijing opera are closely related to art, and it is best to draw them yourself. From 19 13 to 19 14, I went to Shanghai to perform twice. He forged an unforgettable friendship with the old painter Wu Changshuo and started his painting career. Ask Wang to teach painting first. Later, Chen Shiceng and Mang Fu Yao painted Buddha statues, and Qi Baishi and Tang Dingzhi painted grasshoppers and pine plums.
Mei Lanfang's contribution to film art is also well-known. As early as 1920, the silent stage documentary "Spring Fragrance Disturbs School" and "My Daughter Scatters Flowers" was filmed.
(3) Learn from others and be unique.
When Mei Lanfang was 20 years old, she was already a well-known Peking Opera actor in Beijing and Shanghai.
1913165438+10 In October, Mei Lanfang and Wang Fengqing were invited to perform in Shanghai for the first time. One or two Rainbow Passes were staged, which set a precedent for a person to play two different occupations, different costumes and different acting skills in the same play. Shooting the King of Mu caused a sensation in Shanghai.
19 14 In autumn and winter, Mei Lanfang was invited to perform in Shanghai again, adding plays such as "Drunkenness of the Imperial Lady", which lasted for 45 days and was unprecedented. He was elected as the "king of entertainment circle" with more than 220,000 votes.
Performing in Shanghai twice is an important key to the development of Mei Lanfang's life drama. His position in the art world has obviously been consolidated.
After returning to Beijing, Mei Lanfang began to create a new fashion drama "A wisp of hemp", which opposed feudal arranged marriage and exposed the darkness of officialdom, which played a significant role in promoting the innovation and development of Beijing opera art.
Soon, he tried to rehearse new dramas with ancient costumes, such as Daiyu Burying Flowers, which portrayed the female image of pursuing freedom and happiness, created new female costumes and features, and enriched the stage costumes of Beijing Opera. These new dramas of ancient costumes adapted from literature are deeply loved by the audience.
From April of 19 15 to September of16, Mei Lanfang directed and performed 1 1 a new drama, and also directed and staged Cosmic Front, Mulan and Kao Hong. Farewell My Concubine, written in 192 1, depicts a kind, knowledgeable, affectionate and unyielding concubine. This play later became one of the outstanding plays of Mei School.
He combined the artistic achievements of Peking Opera with the performance characteristics of the blues of Tsing Yi, Hua Dan and Peking Opera, and created his own unique performance form and singing style-Mei School. Later, it was praised as one of the "four famous Dan" of Peking Opera.
(4) artistic emissary
Mei Lanfang was invited to visit more than 10 times in her life. He has visited Japan, the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, Germany, Italy, Egypt, India, North Korea and other countries. Exchange experiences with many art masters and form a profound friendship. He was a pioneer in introducing Peking Opera to foreign countries and made immortal contributions to promoting international cultural exchanges.
19 19 In April and May, Mei Lanfang was invited to perform in Japan. This is the first time that a Chinese Peking Opera actor appeared on a foreign stage and was warmly welcomed. Japanese theatre critics spoke highly of his artistic attainments.
From 1924 to 10, he led the country to perform in Japan for the second time and achieved greater success. He also made movies of the "gunfight" in Lian Jinfeng and Rainbow Gate. Since then, fame has spread widely in many countries in the world.
In the same year, I met Tagore, a great Indian poet, and performed Luoshen for him at the Ming Kai Theatre. The scenery of the "Chuanshang Conference" which is still in use today was designed according to Tai Weng's opinion.
1926 10, the Swedish Crown Prince and his wife (later Gustav VI) visited China and asked to see the Mei Opera. Mei Lanfang performed the sword dance in Qin Diao and Farewell My Concubine for them at home, from which the two sides forged a profound friendship. /kloc-in the summer of 0/957, the International Dance Association awarded Mei Lanfang the Medal of Honor in recognition of his profound artistic attainments.
192965438+In February, Mei Lanfang led a delegation of 24 people to perform in the United States, which lasted for half a year. Wherever he went, he was warmly welcomed and received by the local government, people from all walks of life and special literary and art circles. American academic circles also attached great importance to this visit performance, and the University of Southern California and Pomona College awarded him an honorary doctorate in literature. At one time, Peking Opera was all the rage in America. The American film industry thinks that his performing arts are of valuable reference value to movies, and made his movie StingTiger into a sound news film, which is the first sound film of China opera.
1935 In February, the Soviet government sent the "North" to Shanghai to welcome the Mei Troupe to visit the Soviet Union. He gave eight performances in Moscow and Leningrad, which lasted for one and a half months. During this period, Mei Lanfang had the honor to meet a number of world-famous writers and dramatists, such as Gorky, Tolstoy Jr. and stanislavski. And British writer Bernard Shaw, German dramatists Brecht and Piscator in the Soviet Union.
After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), Mei Lanfang continued to devote herself to maintaining world peace and promoting cultural exchanges.
195212In February, he attended the World People's Peace Conference held in Vienna. On his way home, he made a short visit and performed in Moscow, the Soviet Union.
1spring of 952 and1spring of 953,165438+1October led a delegation to the Korean battlefield for two condolence performances.
From 65438 to 0956, he led China Peking Opera Troupe to visit and perform in Japan.
1957 participated in the working people's delegation of China and went to the Soviet Union to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution.
(5) Patriots
193 1 year, the "September 18th Incident" broke out, and Japanese militarism plotted to establish a puppet Manchukuo in northeast China. Mei Lanfang was invited to perform many times as a "celebration", but she was rejected every time.
From 65438 to 0932, Mei Lanfang's family moved to Shanghai. In order to arouse the people's anti-Japanese fighting spirit, Mei Lanfang and Ye Gongchuo jointly created and staged Anti-Golden Warrior. He also adapted Xie Yiji into a Life and Death Hate.
After the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Mei Lanfang lived in the occupied areas and did not yield under the threats and inducements of the enemy and puppet troops. She resolutely kept a clear head and never performed on stage for eight years. Due to the long-term suspension of the performance, the Meijia family was in trouble and had to sell their house in Beijing. Later, I made a living by selling paintings and even selling quality. During this time, he once made a "Dharma Wall Map" with a pun: "The hole is on the wall, not afraid of shadows; The wall broke and flew away, and a reed crossed the river. "
1938, Mei Lanfang lived in Hong Kong. 194 1 February, the Pacific War broke out and Hong Kong soon fell. Mei Lanfang didn't leave then. One day, Sakai, commander of the Japanese invaders, sent someone to forcibly take May away. Mei Lanfang had grown a beard for a long time at that time. Sakai asked him in surprise why he had a beard. He replied, "I am a singer, and my looks and voice are not as good as before." I should quit the stage. " Sakai was helpless and finally made no request. On another occasion, at a tea party held in Sakai, many journalists wanted to capture the scene of Mei Lanfang shaking hands with Sakai for publicity. May tactfully avoided it. Later, the Japanese army asked Mei Lanfang to sing a Peking Opera several times, but he refused on the grounds of toothache.
1In the autumn of 942, the great traitor Chu Minyi made a surprise visit and asked Mei Lanfang to perform again to celebrate the first anniversary of the so-called Great East Asian Jihad. Mei Lifang immediately refused. Seeing that the Japanese and puppet troops were not soft, they threatened and ordered Mei Lanfang to take part in the performance, otherwise they would engage in military law. Later, at the suggestion of my friend, I asked the doctor to give me an injection to prevent typhoid fever, and my temperature suddenly rose to over 40 degrees. The Japanese military doctor was really "seriously ill" after the examination, so I gave up.
1On August 8, 945, as soon as the news of the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea came out, Mei Lanfang shaved off his moustache with joy that day. In less than two months, he returned to the stage of Shanghai Meiqi Grand Theatre. At that time, he was 52 years old.