Peking Opera Celebrities

One, the gestation period

Hui Qin merged in the early Qing Dynasty, the Beijing opera stage prevalent Kunqu and Beijing cavity (Qingyang cavity). After the middle of the Qianlong period, Kunqu gradually declined, and the Beijing cavity flourished to replace Kunqu to dominate the Beijing stage. In 1780, Wei Changsheng, a Qin opera artist, came to Beijing from Sichuan. Wei's Shuangqing class performed Qin Opera's "Rolling Floor" and "Carrying a Baby to the Palace". Wei Changsheng, with his handsome costume, sweet voice, melodious singing and delicate workmanship, became a sensation in the capital with his performance of "Rolling Floor". Shuangqing Ban was also known as the "No. 1 in Kyoto". Since then, the Beijing opera began to decline, the six famous Beijing opera classes of Dacheng class, Wangfu class, Yuqing class, Yuqing class, Cuiqing class, Baohe class also no one cared about, and they have been hitched to the Qin opera class to make a living. Qianlong fifty years (1785), the Qing court to Wei Changsheng's table Beijing opera

Performance of indecent exposure, expressly prohibited the Qinqiang performances in the capital, Wei Changsheng will be expelled from the capital. Qianlong 55 years (1790), following the three Qing Huiban settled in the capital (class site is located in Hanjiadai Hutong), there are four happy, Kaixiu, Nicui, Chuntai, and spring, three and, Song Zhu, Jin Yu, the big King and other classes, also in the area of the Dazhalan settled performance. Among them to three Qing, four happy, and spring, spring stage four of the most prestigious, so there are "four Huiban" said. Chuntai class' time in Beijing, according to the Han tune master Mi Yingxian in the late Qianlong, in Beijing had served as 'Chuntai class' pillar when the beginning, proving that the class into the Beijing time earlier than the 'four happiness' and the 'and spring'. and spring'. The 'Chuntai Ban' is located in Baishun Hutong. The 'Four Happiness Class' came to Beijing at the beginning of the Jiaqing period. They performed both Anhui Opera and Kunqu Opera, especially Kunqu Opera, so there is a saying that "a new song of Peach Blossom Fan was rehearsed, and the Four Happiness Class was rumored everywhere". The class is located in Shaanxi Lane. The 'Wo Chun Class' was established in 1804 on Li Tiegua Xiejie Street in the eighth year of the Jiaqing period. The class specialized in martial arts. It was disbanded in the 13th year of Daoguang (1853). The repertoire and performance styles of the "Four Great Anhui Classes" were each characterized by their own strengths, so they were known as "the axes of the Three Celebrations, the curves of the Four Happinesses, the handles of the Chunsuns and the children of the Chuntai". In addition to singing the Hui tune, the "Four Great Hui Classes" also used the Kun cavity, the blowing cavity, the four flat tunes, and the Bang Bang cavity, so it can be said that all the cavities were played together. In terms of performing arts, they have absorbed the strengths of all kinds of dramas and fused them into the Hui Opera. With a full lineup of performers and a rich repertoire of plays, the opera was well received by the audience in the capital. Since Wei Changsheng was forced to leave the capital, the Qin opera was in decline, and the Qin artists, in order to make a living, joined the Hui troupe, forming a fusion of Hui and Qin. In the process of merging Hui and Qin, Hui Ban took the singing and performance essence of Qin opera and transplanted a large number of scripts, creating favorable conditions for the further development of the art of Hui opera. Hui and Han opera Han opera was popular in Hubei, the sound cavity of the Erhuang, Xipi and Hui opera has a blood relationship. Hui and Han operas had a wide range of artistic convergence before entering the capital. Following the end of the Qianlong period, the famous Han Opera master Mi Yingxian entered the capital, and at the beginning of the Daoguang period (1821), the famous Han Opera veteran Li Liu, Beijing Opera

Wang Honggui, Yu Sansheng, and the young Long Deyun entered the capital, and sang in the Huiban Chuntai, and Chunban, respectively. Mi Yingxian was famous for singing Guan Yu's opera, and Cheng Changgeng, the master of the Sanqing class, was taught by Mi Yingxian in his red clean opera. Li Liu is famous for "Drunkenly Writing Scared Book" and "Sweeping Snow"; Wang Honggui is famous for "Letting Chengdu" and "Cursing Cao with Drums"; Long Deyun, a young student, is good at "Shooting Halberds at the Regulator Gate" and "The Yellow Crane Tower", etc.; Yu Sansheng has a mellow noise and a beautiful singing voice, and he is famous for acting in the plays of "Dingjun Mountain", "Visiting the Mother of the Four Langs", "Selling a Horse when a Mace is Struck", "Touching a Tablet" and other plays of the old student. After the Han opera actors into the Huiban, the voice tunes, performance skills, performance repertoire dissolved in the Huizhou opera, so that the Huizhou opera singing plate style is increasingly rich and perfect, singing, recitation more Beijing region voice characteristics, and easy to accept the Beijing people. In the 25th year of the Daoguang period (1845), all the famous classes were led by old men. After the merger of Hui and Han, the exchange between the Xipi tune of Hubei and the Erlong tune of Anhui took place again. The merging of Anhui, Qin and Han laid the foundation for the birth of Peking Opera.

Second, the formation period

Daoguang twenty years to Xianfeng ten years (1840-1860) between the merger of Hui opera, Qin, Han, and borrowed and absorbed the Kunqu, the Peking Opera was formed. One of the hallmarks of Peking Opera is the richness and completeness of its musical program, which surpasses that of any of the three operas of Anhui, Qin and Han. The singing style consists of a mixture of plate cadences and quqiqi. Vocal mainly to two reeds, Xipi Tongguang 13 best

bis, the line is generally complete; third, the formation of a number of Peking Opera repertoire; fourth, Cheng Changgeng, Yu Sansheng, Zhang Erkui for the formation of the early representatives of the Peking Opera, then known as the "three masters of the old man," "three Dingjia! "That is: "scholar" Zhang Erkui, "top" Cheng Changgeng, "flower" Yu Sansheng. They each had their own characteristics in their singing and performing styles, and made outstanding contributions to the creation of the main cadences of Peking Opera, Xipi, Erhuan, and the form of Peking Opera, as well as the speech and pronunciation of words with the characteristics of the Peking language. Among the first generation of Peking Opera actors, there were Lu Shengkui, Xue Yinxuan, Zhang Rulin, Wang Jiuling, etc.; Long Deyun, Xu Xiaoxiang; Hu Xilu, Luo Qiaofu, Mei Qiaoling, etc.: Yang Mingyu, Liu Cusan, etc.; Hao Lantian, Tan Zhidao, etc.; Zhu Nanazi, etc., and Ren Huafang, etc., who had unique creations in order to enrich the voice and performing art of each line. Mei Qiaoling, who later became the master of the 'Four Happiness Class', was brave enough to break through the old rules of strict division of labor between the blue coat and the flower girl, and opened up a new way for the singing art of the Dan character. Peking Opera

The Thirteen Masterpieces of Tongguang Famous Actors is a colorful portrait of famous actors in the history of Peking Opera, painted by Shen Rongpu, a folk artist in the late Qing Dynasty. He referred to the middle of the Qing dynasty painter He Shikui painted "Beijing cavity thirteen best" in the form of opera character paintings, selected the Qing dynasty Tongzhi, Guangxu years (l860 to 1890) on the stage of the Beijing opera famous thirteen actors (Cheng Changgeng, Lu Shengkui, Zhang Shengkui, Yang Yuelou, Tan Xinpei, Xu Xiaoxiang, Mei Qiaoling, Shi Xiaofu, Yu Ziyun, Zhu Lianfen, Hao Lantian, Liu Cusan, Yang Mingyu), with brushwork and heavy coloring of the characters they The characters in the play played by them are depicted in heavy colors, showing the author's profound skills. This painting in the thirty-second year of the Republic of China (1943), by the evolution of society Zhu Fuchang in the bookstore acquisition, after reducing the photocopying of the world, and with the compilation of the Tongguang famous actor thirteen absolute biography of a volume.

Three, maturity

1883 a 1918, Peking Opera from the formation of the maturity of the period, the representative characters for the then called "three masters of the Old Masters" Tan Xinpei, Wang Guifen, Sun Juxian. Among them, Tan Xinpei inherited the artistic strengths of Cheng Changgeng, Yu Sansheng, and Zhang Erkui, and through creative development, advanced the art of Peking Opera to a new level of maturity. In his artistic practice, Tan borrowed extensively from Kunqu opera, clappers, drums, and the various lines of Peking Opera's Qingyi, Huafang, and Laodan, blending them into his singing, creating the "Tan School" with its unique style of singing, and forming a situation in which "no one learns from Tan without an accent". After the 1920s, Yu Shuyan, Yan Jupeng, Gao Qingkui, and Ma Lianliang all developed their own styles on the basis of the Tan School. Wang Guifen (汪桂芬), an artist of Cheng Changgeng (程長庚), sang in a powerful and somber manner, with a mournful and impassioned voice and a simple and unadorned tone, which was characterized by the saying, "The tiger whistles and the dragon roars". Because of his "imitation of Cheng can mess up the real", he was known as "Changgeng re-incarnation". Sun Juxian, at the age of 18, was selected by the Wu Xiu Cai, good at singing Peking Opera, and often sang in the box office, and at the age of 36, he joined the master Cheng Changgeng. His voice was loud and clear, and he could sing with ease. The recitation is not confined to Hukuang and Zhongzhou rhymes, but mostly uses Beijing sounds and words, which is friendly and natural to listen to. Performances are generous Peking Opera

realistic and close to life. "After the three masters" masters have their own focus, different artistic styles, from a comprehensive weighing, Tan Xinpei Wenwu Kun chaotic not block, artistic attainments and the development of Beijing opera, far more than Wang, Sun. During the Guangxu period, Tan Xinpei was known as the "King of the Eloquent World", and his status in the theater world was like that of Cheng Changgeng. Xianfeng ten years (1861) Peking Opera began to perform in the court. From the sixth day of May to the end of the month, it was performed by the three Qing classes, the four happy classes, the two Kui classes and the foreign classes (Peking Opera classes). Guangxu nine years (1883), Cixi fifty birthday, selected Zhang Qilin, Yang Longshou, Bao Fushan, Cai Fulu, Yan Fuxi and other 18 people into the palace as a businessman, not only singing, and when the Peking Opera instructor, to the eunuchs to teach the skills. Since then, the Qing Palace in charge of the performance affairs of the agency "ascension of the Department", every year to choose famous artists into the Palace as a businessman, the end of the Xuantong three years (1911), counted Tan Xinpei, Yang Yuelou, Sun Juxian, Chen Delin, Wang Lengxian, Yang Xiaolou, Yu Yuqin, Zhu Wenying, Wang Yaoqing, Gong Yunfu, Mu Fengshan, Qian Jinfu, such as the student, dan, Jingsheng and clowns. More than 150 famous artists were in the palace. Due to Cixi addiction to Peking Opera, coupled with the Peking Opera masters frequently in the Palace, the sound of the day strong. During the same period, located in the Dajie area of Guangde building, three Qingyuan, Qingleyuan, Zhongheyuan, Civilization Garden and other theaters, day after day Peking Opera performances, the formation of Peking Opera a unified situation. During the mature period of Peking Opera, in addition to the "three masters", there were Xu Yintang and Jia Honglin in the line of Sheng; Yu Jusheng and Yang Longshou in the line of Wu Sheng; He Jiashan, Huang Runfu, Jin Xiushan, Qiu Guixian and Liu Yongchun in the line of Jing; Wang Lengxian, Dejunru and Lu Huayun in the line of Xiao Sheng; Chen Delin, Tian Guifeng, Wang Yaohuqing and Zhu Wenying in the line of Dan; and Wang Changlin, Zhang Hei and Luo Baisi in the line of Ushou, Xiao Changhua and Guo Chunshan. During this period, the rise of the Dan role formed the trend of the Dan role and the Sheng role going hand in hand. Yu Jusheng, a martial arts actor, was the first one who started his own school and was called "the originator of the martial arts actor" by the later generations. The above famous artists, in the inheritance of innovation and development, singing skills are becoming more mature, the Peking Opera to a new height.

Fourth, the heyday

Since 1917, the Beijing Opera, a large number of outstanding actors and actresses, showing a variety of schools of flourishing situation, from the maturity of the development of the heyday, the representative figures of this period for Yang Xiaolou, Mei Lanfang, Yu Shuyan. As the elegant cultural tradition revered by the literati met its demise in the 20th century, Peking Opera reached its heyday. The Four Famous Dancers of Peking Opera

In 1927, Beijing's Shun Tian Inch Newspaper held a contest to select the most famous Peking Opera dancers. The results of the readers' voting were: Mei Lanfang was honored with the title of "Four Famous Dancers" for his performance in "Tai Zhen Gaidian", Shang Xiaoyun for his performance in "Modenjia Nu", Cheng Yanqiu for his performance in "Legend of the Red Whiskers", and Xun Huisheng for his performance in "Dan Qing Quotient". The "Four Famous Dancers" stood out as an important symbol of the heyday of Peking Opera. They created their own distinctive artistic styles, forming the "Four Great Schools" with Mei Lanfang's solemnity and elegance, Shang Xiaoyun's playfulness, Cheng Yanqiu's deepness, and Xun Huisheng's delicacy and softness, creating a pattern of Peking Opera that was dominated by the Dan. After Yu Jusheng and Yang Yuelou, Yang Xiaolou developed the art of Peking Opera's Wusheng performance to a new height, and was regarded as the "Patriarch of the National Opera" and the "Titan of Wusheng". Yu Shuyan, Gao Qingkui, Yan Jupeng and Ma Lianliang were known as the "Four Great Shengs" in the 1920s. During the same period, Shi Hui Bao, Wang Feng Qing, and Guan Dayuan were also outstanding talents in the line, and at the end of the 1930s, Yu, Yan, and Gao retired from the stage, and Ma Lianliang, along with Tan Fuying, Xi Xiaobo, and Yang Baoshen, became known as the "Four Great Sousoussons". Meng Xiaodong, a female student, had high artistic attainments and was quite like her teacher Yu Shuyan. In the fall of 1936, Peking Opera enthusiasts and the general public in Beijing's universities and middle schools wrote letters to newspapers, advocating the election of Peking Opera children. Ye Longzhang, the president of Fu Liancheng Society, and Jin Dazhi, the president of the Beiping "Liping Newspaper", agreed that the newspaper would publish a notice to receive votes from all walks of life, publish the voting figures in the newspaper on a daily basis, and invite the "Rhyolite Society" to come to the newspaper to supervise the election. The polling date was set for half a month, and the votes were counted at the due date. The Chinese Opera School and Fuliancheng Society, as well as The Real Newspaper, The Real Newspaper, Beijing Evening News, and Drama Newspaper, also sent people to check the votes on the spot. As a result of the election, Li Shifang of the Fu Lian Cheng Society was elected "Chairman of the Children's Artists" with about 10,000 votes. Wang Jinlu, the champion of the Sheng section, and Ye Shichang, the first runner-up; Mao Shilai, the champion of the Dan section, and Song Dezhu, the first runner-up; Qiu Shirong, the champion of the Jing section, and Zhao Deyu, the first runner-up; and Zhan Shifu, the champion of the Chou section, and Yin Jinzhen, the first runner-up. After the election, a celebration was held at the Fu Lian Cheng Society in Hufangqiao, and the coronation ceremony was held at the Huale Theater in Xianyukou that night, with a performance of "Farewell My Concubine" by Li Shifang and Yuan Shihai. Peking Opera

After the election of the child actors was over, Li Shifang, Zhang Junqiu, Mao Shilai and Song Dezhu were elected as the "Four Little Famous Dancers" under the auspices of the Liyin Newspaper, and the "Four Little Famous Dancers" performed the "Legend of the White Serpent" and the "The Cave of Flowers" in the Changan and Xinxin Theatres to congratulate them. The four famous dancers jointly performed "The Legend of the White Snake" and "The Cave of Flowers" in Chang'an and Xinxin theaters to congratulate them. The variety of schools and talents was another sign of the heyday of Peking Opera. 这一时期除杨派(小楼),梅派(兰芳)、尚派(小云)、程派(砚秋)、荀派(慧生)外,旦角中还有筱派(翠花)及宋派(德珠)、张派(君秋);老生行中的余派(叔岩)、高派(庆奎)、言派(菊朋)、马派(连良)、奚派(啸伯)、杨派(宝森)、新谭派(富英);净行中的金派( Shao Shan), Hou Pai (Xi Rui), Hao Pai (Shou Chen), and after the 50's Qiu Pai (Sheng Rong); Sheng Sheng line in the Jiang Pai (Miaoxiang), Ye Pai (Shenglan); the old Dan line of the Gong Pai (Yunfu), Li Pai (Duo Kui); clown Ye Pai (Shengzhang), and so on. During the same period, there were many Peking Opera artists, such as Wang Fengqing, Shi Huibao, Wang Yuchen, Li Hongchun, Tan Xiaopei, Li Wanchun, Li Shaochun, Gao Shenglin, etc.; Dan line of Yan Lanqiu, Xu Biyun, Zhu Qinxin, Zhao Tongshan, Xue Yanqin, Xin Yanqiu, Zhang Cuiyun, Jin Shaomei, Biyunxia, Qin Xuefang, Wang Yurong, Yanyu Huizhu, Tong Zhiling, Liang Xiaoluan, Wu Suciu, Zhao Yanyuan and Du Jinfang, etc.; in the younger sheng Jin Zhongren, Ru Fulan, Cheng Jixian in the minor role; Guo Chunshan, Ci Ruiquan, Ma Fulu, Zhang Chunhua in the clown role.

Editing the class of Huizhou merchants

Huizhou merchants were rich, and their commercial success triggered a high desire for cultural consumption. With the socio-economic development and the rise of the opera cavity Kunshan cavity, have raised family class, the role of the fighting arts, and sell for the Qianlong Jiangnan collection of sound and color songs and dances, sparing no expense to package the Huizhou Opera color art, objectively created conditions for the Huizhou Opera to Beijing. The Huizhou merchant gang, which dominated the business world in the Ming and Qing dynasties for more than 500 years, was famous for its salt merchants, and the salt opera in Shexian County, Huangshan

Commercial is especially famous and rich. With the socio-economic development and the rise of the opera cavity Kunshan cavity, Jiangnan Jiangbei literati and wealthy merchants have been raised family theater. Has become prominent in the foreign business community of Huizhou merchants have also followed suit. For a long time for a Huizhou merchants to raise the use of the opera troupe is known as "Huiban" by outsiders. The Huizhou merchants saved up their families, and the local operas along the river in Anhui, including those in ancient Huizhou, began to flourish. They sang Kunqiang, due to language differences and not "harmonious Wu sound", inadvertently sang a little "local flavor". So under the influence of the Qingyang cavity, sang the Anhui tune - "Hui Kun", after the development of the two reed cavity. Especially born in Anqing City, Anhui Province, Huaining County, Shipai tune is the most famous. Huizhou artists with their native voices down to Yangzhou, received the patronage of Huizhou merchants and heavy support. They frequented the wharves and streets, or were accommodated by the rich and famous merchants. Their skills were developed, and their native voices gradually prevailed. At this time the concept of Huiban is not entirely "Huizhou merchants of the class", and began to have the meaning of Huizhou tune (Shipai cavity, chaotic bomb tune). It is worth mentioning that the Shexian big salt merchants Jiang Chun, is a very high taste of opera connoisseur, he loves opera, often "opera three or four, the same day the pavilion hall banquet, guests to hundreds of counting". He brought together a variety of famous actors, and let different voices on the same stage complement each other, so that the emergence of Huiban has a wide range of open pattern. The "messy bomb" is sung in a messy way, and it is very red-hot. At this time the most colorful is from Anqing opera artists, Qing Li Dou in the "Yangzhou Boat Records" wrote: Anqing color art is the best, covered in the local chaotic bomb, so the local chaotic bomb between the hired into the class. Huizhou merchants further stabilized in the business world, and their relationship with the art of opera also became closer and closer. And emergence of a large number of opera singer "Hui Ban", but also in the new historical conditions has been further developed.

Editing this section of the no Shi Bu Ban

Peking Opera

Shipai is an old market town in Huai Ning County, An Qing City, "no Shi Bu Ban" of the "Shi" that is, refers to this place, but also refers to An Qing and its counties. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Shipai had become a well-known commercial center with 3,000 merchants and 1,000 sailboats. Merchants from Jiangxi, Fujian, Hubei and other places had set up pavilions here. At that time, besides local residents, most of Shipai were passing boat gangs and merchants, who began to build their own marketplace culture when the problem of survival became easier. There were as many as 800 theater stages for performances in Shipai at that time, including not only theater gardens, theater buildings, but also flower theater. For the theater, there were three in Shipai Town. The Changle Theater on the cross street of Shangzhen could accommodate more than 600 spectators, and was dedicated to performances by Anhui tune and leather reed classes. The opera house is usually in the ancestral hall. The theater in the ancestral hall usually only sings big opera, and every year, when the winter solstice festival is held, when someone in the clan is successful in the imperial examination and promoted to a higher position, as well as when the officials and gentry in the clan celebrate their birthdays, etc., the troupe will be hired to perform in the theater. In addition, the completion of major repairs to the ancestral hall, will also be invited to sing opera to congratulate the class. The description of "Du Drama Fugue": "Huiban lost its splendor in the day, starting from Shipai". This indicates that the Anhui class in Anqing had a glorious history, and many famous actors and actresses of the former generation of Beijing Opera were from this area, thus there is a saying that "there is no class without Shipai". In the stone of the projectile land emerged Hao Tianxiu, Cheng Changgeng, Yang Yue Lou and many other open generation of the style of the master, the four Hui class to Beijing, the emperor for the Anqing artists exquisite lines, decorations marveled at, "Anqing color art is the most optimal!" "No stone (card) not class!" The said a time widely spread. Careful Peking Opera fans it is not difficult to find, Peking Opera singing there are many words in the pronunciation is not the same as the Beijing dialect, if you have an understanding of the dialect of the Anqing region, you will find that these words are pronounced exactly the same as in the Anqing dialect. After the four Huiban went to Beijing, Shipai artists continued to come to Beijing to enrich the lineup of the four Huiban performances, and by the Tongzhi era, Shipai artists came to Beijing by the hundreds. Although there was a mass exodus of Huiban and actors and actresses, the local Huiban also developed. In the early years of the Republic of China, there was the "People's" Theater in Anqing, and basically all the famous Peking Opera artists from all over the country performed there, and they all came to Anqing with the mood of "pilgrimage". The first thing Cao Yu said when he got off the bus in Shibi Town of Haining was "I'm on a pilgrimage". Peking Opera old class out of the people, not in Anqing for ten days, do not sing even the book, at that time were considered to be no development prospects of the "corner". From the ancient town of Anqing Shipai countryside originated between the Hui Opera, out of the town, went to Beijing, Hui class into the glorious history of Beijing aura still shrouds the ancient town of Shipai. Anqing is one of China's earlier cities to accept modern civilization, is also a national historical and cultural city at the same time Anqing is also world-renowned, very local Beijing Opera

characteristics of the drama - Huangmei Opera's hometown. Cheng Changgeng Memorial Hall, located in Qianshan County, Anqing, the museum collection of more than 300 pieces of valuable physical and photographic materials, reproducing the Beijing Opera art of initiation and growth in addition. There is Cheng Changgeng's former residence for fans to visit.