Since the formation of Peking Opera, a large number of outstanding actors and actresses have emerged, who have contributed to the innovation and development of Peking Opera's singing and performance, as well as the repertoire and character modeling, forming a number of highly influential genres. There are many influential schools of Peking Opera, such as Cheng Changgeng, Yu Sansheng, Zhang Erkui, Tan Xinpei, Wang Guifen, Sun Juxian, Wang Xiaonong, Liu Hongsheng, Wang Hongshou, Yu Shuyan, Gao Qingkui, Yan Jupeng, Zhou Xinfang, Ma Lianliang, Yang Baoshen, Tan Fuying, Li Shaochun, etc.; the younger scholars, such as Xu Xiaoxiang, Cheng Jixian, Jiang Miaoxiang, and Ye Shengrande, etc.; the martial arts performers, such as Yu Jusheng, Huang Yueshan, Li Chunlai, Yang Xiaolou, Gai Jiatian, Shang Heyu and Li Huilang, etc.; and the Dan actors, such as Mei Qiao Ling, Yu Ziyun, Tian Guifeng, Chen Guifeng, and Li Huilang. In the roles of Mei Qiaoling, Yu Ziyun, Tian Guifeng, Chen Delin, Wang Yaoqing, Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Xun Huisheng, Shang Xiaoyun, Ouyang Yuqian, Feng Zihe, Shiao Cuihua, Zhang Junqiu, etc.; in the roles of old dan, Gong Yunfu, Wol Yunjushi, Li Dokui, Li Jinquan, etc.; in the roles of Jingjiao, Mu Fengshan, Huang Runfu, He Guishan, Qiu Guixian, Jin Shaoxuan and Qiu Shengrong; in the roles of clowns, Liu Cusan, Yang Mingyu, Wang Changlin, and Xiao Changhua, etc.. In addition, there are famous qin masters such as Sun Yuchen, Mei Lantian, Xu Lanyuan, Wang Shaoqing, Yang Baozhong, etc.; famous drum masters such as Hang Zihe, Bai Dengyun and Wang Xieyuan.
Geography of Peking Opera
The Class of Huizhou Merchants
The merchants of Huizhou 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, they have to raise the family class, the role of the fighting arts, and sell for the Qianlong Jiangnan collection of sound and color songs and dances, no matter how much money to pack the Huizhou Opera color art, objectively for the Huizhou Opera into the Beijing to create the conditions.
Hui Shang and Hui class
Hui Zhou is located in the mountains of southern Anhui Province, for the sublime mountains and steep mountains surrounded by the four plugs, unyielding to the fate of the Hui people, in order to survive, and more development, embarked on the road of commerce and travel ......
Huoming Ming and Qing Dynasty business more than 500 years of Hui State business gangs to salt merchants famous, Shexian, Huangshan County salt merchants are particularly famous, rich. Especially famous, rich party. With the social and economic development and the rise of the opera cavity Kunshan cavity, Jiangnan Jiangbei literati and wealthy merchants and magnates have 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 had a wide range of family classes, and the local theater along the river in Anhui, including the ancient Huizhou, began to flourish. They sang the Kun cavity, 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 the sound of the township down to Yangzhou, got the patronage of the merchants and the support of the money. They frequented the wharves and streets, or were accommodated by the wealthy merchants of Huizhou. Their skills were developed and their accent 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 accent, playing tune).
It is worth mentioning that, Shexian salt Jiang Chun, is a high taste in opera connoisseur, he loved opera, home 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.
Hui merchants further stabilized in the business world, they and the relationship between the art of opera is also getting closer and closer. The emergence of a large number of opera singers "Huiban", but also in the new historical conditions has been further developed.
"No Shi Bu Ban"
Shipai is an old market town in Huaining County, Anqing City, and the "Shi" in "No Shi Bu Ban" refers to this place, as well as Anqing and its counties in general. Anqing 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, Shipai was mostly passing boat gangs and merchants in addition to local residents, 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, including not only theater gardens and buildings, but also flower stages.
Theater gardens, there were three in Shipai town. The Changle Theater on Hengjie Street in Shangzhen has a capacity of more than 600 spectators and specializes in performances by Hui tune and leather reed classes.
Theaters are usually in ancestral halls. Ancestral hall theater usually only sing opera, every year to do the winter solstice festival, someone in the clan to get a job, promotion, as well as the clan officials and gentry to celebrate the birthday, etc., to hire a troupe to perform in the theater. In addition, the completion of major repairs to the ancestral hall, will also be invited to sing opera to show congratulations.
Du Drama Fugue describes: "Huiban day lost beauty, from Shipai". This indicates that the Anhui class in Anqing has a history of splendor, and many famous Peking Opera actors and actresses are from this area, so there is the saying "no stone is not a class".
Who would have thought that the old theater in the small town of Shipai in Anqing would have such a connection with the formation of Peking Opera? In Shipai's bullet-ridden land emerged Hao Tianxiu, Cheng Changgeng, Yang Yuelou and many others to open a generation of style masters, the four Huiban 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 for a time widely circulated.
Careful Peking Opera fans are 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 some understanding of the dialect of the Anqing region, you will find that these words are exactly the same as the pronunciation of the Anqing dialect.
After the four Anhui classes went to Beijing, Shipai artists continued to go to Beijing to enrich the lineup of the four Anhui classes, and by the Tongzhi period, Shipai artists went to Beijing by nearly a hundred people.
While there was a mass exodus of Huiban and actors and actresses, there was also a development of local Huiban.
Anqing early Republic of China, there is a "people's" theater, when the country's famous Peking Opera basically performed here, they are with a "pilgrimage" mood to come to the stage in Anqing, theater Cao Yu to Huaining Shibei town, get off the car, the first words are The first thing Cao Yu said when he got off the bus in Shibi Town of Haining was "I'm on a pilgrimage". The Peking Opera world old class out of the people, not in the Anqing performances for ten days, not singing even the book, at that time are considered to be no development prospects of the "corner".
From the ancient town of Anqing Shipai countryside between the origin of Huizhou Opera, out of the town, went to Beijing, Huiban Beijing's glorious history of the aura still shrouds the ancient town of Shipai.
Anqing
Anqing is one of the earlier cities in China to embrace modern civilization, and is also a national historical and cultural city. At the same time, Anqing is also the hometown of Huangmei Opera, a world-renowned drama with great local characteristics. Cheng Changgeng Memorial Hall, located in Qianshan County, Anqing, the museum collects more than 300 pieces of precious objects and pictures, reproducing the Peking Opera art of initiation and growth in addition. There is Cheng Changgeng's former residence for fans to visit.
Theater class fighting
According to historical records, "Pearland theater, Gaozong (Qianlong) South Tour for the most prosperous, and the two Huai Salt especially out of the best". That is to say, the government official theater by the two Huai salt Yamen is responsible for the two Huai salt to be stocked flower, elegant two departments to prepare for the southern patrol performance of the opera. The elegant part of the Kunshan cavity, the flower part of the Beijing cavity, Qin cavity, Yiyang cavity, bangkok cavity, Luo Luo cavity, two spring tunes, collectively referred to as chaotic bomb.
In fact, most of the theater groups that undertook specific performance tasks were financed by Anhui salt merchants and were called Neiban. Initially, the troupe was funded by the salt merchant Xu Shangzhi (a Jin merchant) to form the old Xu class, and later the salt merchant Huang Yuande (a Huizhou merchant), Zhang Da'an, Wang Qiyuan (a Huizhou merchant), Cheng Kende, Hong Chanshi (a Huizhou merchant), Jiang Chun (a Huizhou merchant) and so on also successively formed the troupe.
Hui merchant Jiang Chun set up his own class Chuntai, in order to enrich the strength, he recruited four famous dancers such as Yang Baguan of Suzhou, Anqing Hao Tianxiu, etc. for the Chuntai class pillar. Hao Tianxiu's performance is soft and charming, which makes the audience feel sick, and is known as "the pit of death". Wei Changsheng, a famous Qin opera singer who specialized in playing the flower girl, came to Yangzhou to join Jiang Chun. Jiang Chun was extremely respectful of Wei Changsheng and gave him one thousand taels of silver for his performance. The joining of these famous actors greatly promoted the mutual integration and absorption of the Beijing and Qin cavities in Yangzhou at that time, and further promoted the development of the flower section.
Gao Langting of the Sanqing class and Hao Tianxiu of the Chuntai class were renowned in the south of the Yangtze River for their "combination of Beijing and Qin cavities in the flower section of Anqing". Yangzhou salt merchants for the performance needs, but also hired a number of masters of words and music, to provide generous conditions, long-term support for them. Dahong Ban and Chuntai Ban were even "gathering the beauty of the crowd and great preparation". A "Peach Blossom Fan" fee silver 160,000, a "Palace of Eternal Youth" fee silver to more than four hundred thousand. In addition to the Qing court, others are difficult to match this kind of arrangement.
Su singing street pear garden
Hui class to Beijing departure in Yangzhou, skilled actors and actresses, before the departure must be located in Su singing street pear garden directorate to meet, discuss the departure schedule and repertoire, and there together with a figure, flinging a couple of sleeves, Yang a few rounded voice singing voice. Sometimes simply rehearsed a few plays, or "garden", or "Sifan", voice and emotion, graceful and elegant, when the Su singing street, very lively!
Su Song Street is the only street in old Yangzhou that has been preserved and is directly related to the opera troupe. When the salt merchant Xu Shangzhi recruited kunqu artists from Suzhou to run Yangzhou's first kunqu class, "Lao Xu Ban", on this street. Kunqu's hometown in Suzhou, so also known as Sukun, this small street has resided in a number of singing Sukun artists, Yangzhou people named it Sukun Street.
Hui Pan in Beijing
In 1790 A.D., Hui Pan began its artistic journey to Beijing with the singing of birthday plays. After many years of vicissitudes, in the continuous absorption, Huiban "combined the sound of the five parties as the same" at the same time gradually lost their own color. The history of Huiban ended, and the Peking Opera, which was born out of Huiban, eventually became a world-renowned artistic treasure, and for Huiban, it can be called Nirvana.
Sanqing class debut
In the autumn of 1790, in celebration of Qianlong's 80th birthday, Yangzhou salt merchants Jiang Heting (Anhui) in Anqing organized a Huizhou Opera troupe called the "Sanqing class", led by the artist Gao Langting to Beijing to participate in the birthday performance. This Anhui opera troupe mainly sang two reed tunes, and also sang Kunqu opera, blowing cavity, clappers, etc. It was a troupe of all cavities and played. The birthday show in Beijing on a grand scale, from Xihua Gate to Xizhimen outside the sorghum bridge, every few dozen steps to set up a stage, the South and the North, the music of the four directions, a collection of competition. Or string song singing, or shaking fan dance shirt, the front has not been rested, behind and has been opened, the group theater, the arts competition. In this art competition, the first time to the Beijing three Qing Hui class that emerged, attracting attention. Three Qing class of Gao Langting is Anhui Anqing people, into the Beijing when only sixteen years old, playing the role of Dan, specializing in two reed cavity, excellent skills. Under the eyes to see the flowers of the record, said he: "like a woman, without the slightest bit strong. There is no need to sing, a knitted brows, a smile, a sit, depicting the female soft expression, almost the realm of realization."
The Four Great Anhui Classes Entered Beijing
After the success of the Sanqing Classes in Beijing, the Anhui Classes such as the Four Happiness Classes, the Hechun Classes, and the Chuntai Classes entered Beijing, and gradually became dominant in the Beijing theater scene. This is the so-called "four big Huiban into Beijing".
The four Huiban had their own strengths, and there was a saying that "the axle of Sanqing, the tune of SiXi, the handle of Hechun, and the child of Chuntai". The axle referred to the fact that they were famous for performing the entire opera, the tune referred to the fact that they were good at singing kunqu, the handle referred to the fact that they won with the martial arts, and the child referred to the fact that they were good at being a child actor.
In the capital, where the trend of praising Dan was very hot, Gao Langting, who had extraordinary skills, was naturally favored. After arriving in Beijing, he succeeded the original three Qing class master Yu Laoshi in charge of the class, a do is more than 30 years, but also served as the capital of the opera industry guild organization "Jingzhong Temple" head, through the Jingzhong Temple of Beijing's troupe, the implementation of the administrative management of the theater, he has become the leader of the Pear Park. After Gao Langting, Cheng Changgeng, Xu Xiaoxiang, Yang Yuelou and Liu Cusan all held this position.
To the beginning of the Jiaqing period, Huiban has achieved a dominant position in the Beijing opera stage, according to the "Menghua Zuozhu" records: "the theater must be 'Huiban'. The big opera houses, such as 'Guang De Lou', 'Guang He Lou', 'San Qing Yuan', and 'Qing Le Yuan', must also take 'Hui Ban' as their main organizer. The 'Huiban' is the main one. The next this is 'Hui Ban' 'small class' 'Western class', mixed with the appropriate average carry on."
The four Anhui class to the Beijing show, opened the prelude to more than 200 years of magnificent Chinese Peking Opera history.
The artists of the various vocal styles in Beijing, in the face of the Huiban's omnipotent, omniprecise artistic advantage, inability to compete with it, most of them turned to the Huiban. They have the Beijing stage of the voice of each type of theater famous, such as joining the spring stage class of Hubei Han opera famous Mi Xizi, Li Fenglin, to join the four Xi class of Hunan chaobang (Pihuang) famous Han Xiaoyu, to join the three Qing class of Beijing Beijing actor Wang Quanfu, etc., and then formed a variety of voice of the situation of the Huiban. As a result, Hui Ban gradually focused on the performance of Pihuang opera from "two pots" and "three pots" to "wind and snow" in the process of playing various voices.
History of the Development of Beijing Opera
I. The Nurturing Period
Hui Qin merged in the early Qing Dynasty, and Kunqu and Beijing opera (Yiyangqiang) were prevalent on the stage of the Beijing opera. After the middle of the Qianlong period, Kunqu gradually declined, and the Beijing cavity flourished to replace Kunqu to dominate the Beijing stage. In the 45th year of the Qianlong reign (1780), Wei Changsheng, a Qin opera artist, entered the capital 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, Zuiqing class, Baohe class is no one to ask, and have hitched a ride into the Qin opera class to make a living. In the 50th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign (1785), the Qing court banned the performance of Qinqiang in the capital and expelled Wei Changsheng from the capital because his performance was indecent.
In the fifty-fifth year of the Qianlong (1790), following the three Qing Hui class 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 Dajiejie settled performances. 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 a '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 the Daoguang period (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 the "Four Great Hui Classes", they sang Hui tunes, and also used the Kun cavity, the blowing cavity, the four flat tunes, and the clapper clapper cavity, so they could be said to have played all kinds of cavities together. In terms of performing arts, they have absorbed the strengths of various styles of opera and fused them into the Huizhou Opera. With a full lineup of performers and a rich repertoire of plays, the show was very popular with the Beijing audience. Since Wei Changsheng was forced to leave the capital, the Qin opera is not vibrant, Qin artists in order to make a living, have to join the Hui class, the formation of the Hui, Qin two fusion of the situation. In the process of merging Hui and Qin, the Hui class took a wide range of Qin singing, performance of the essence and a large number of scripts transplanted for the further development of the art of Hui opera, creating favorable conditions.
The Hui and Han opera was popular in Hubei, and the sound of the Erhuang and Xipi had a blood relationship with the Hui opera. 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), there were famous Han Opera veterans such as Li Liu, Wang Honggui, Yu Sansheng, and Xiao Sheng Long Deyun entering the capital to sing 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 for 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 the tune and plate style, 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 reed, Xipi-based; second, 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 Lao Sheng," "Three Dingjia" that is: "Scholar", "Scholar", "Three Dingjia". "Zhang Erkui, Cheng Changgeng, and Yu Sansheng, the "Scholar". Each of them was unique 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 opera, as well as the speech and pronunciation of words characteristic of the Beijing 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. Later became the 'Four Happiness Class' class master Mei Qiaoling, the courage to break through the strict division of work of the old rules of the blue, flower Dan, for the singing art of Danjiao opened up a new road.
The Thirteen Masterpieces of Famous Actors of Tongguang is a colorful costume 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 painting, selected the Qing dynasty Tongzhi, Guangxu years (l860 to 1890) on the stage of the Beijing opera famous thirteen actors, with the work of the heavy color they play the characters in the play depicted, showing the author's profound ability. 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 accompanied by the compilation of the Tongguang famous actors thirteen absolute biography of a volume.
Three, maturity
1883 a 1918, from the formation of Peking Opera into maturity, the representative characters for the then called "three masters of the Lao Sheng" 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, and created the "Tan School" with its unique style of singing, which led to the formation of a situation in which "there is no cavity without learning Tan". After the 1920s, Yu Shuyan, Yan Jupeng, Gao Qingkui, Ma Lianliang and others developed their own schools 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 style, with a strong and mournful voice, and a simple and unadorned accent, which was described as "the sound of a tiger whistling and a dragon chanting", and was known as "the reincarnation of Changgeng" (长庚再世), as his "imitations of Cheng can be mistaken for the real thing. He was also known as "Changgeng's successor" because his "imitation of Cheng can be mistaken for the real one". Sun Juxian, selected at the age of 18, was good at singing Peking Opera and often sang in the box office, but at the age of 36, he joined the master Cheng Changgeng. His voice is loud and clear, and he can sing with ease. His recitation is not confined to Hu Guang and Zhong Zhou rhythms, but mostly uses Peking sounds and words, which makes him sound friendly and natural. The performances are generous and realistic, close to life. The "Three Masters of the Old Sheng" had their own focuses and different artistic styles. On balance, Tan Xinpei's artistic attainments and development of Peking Opera far exceeded those of Wang and Sun, as he was a master of the art. During the Guangxu period, Tan Xinpei was called the "King of the Eloquent King", the status of the theater, such as the 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 Sanqing class, the Sixi class, the Shuangkui class and the foreign class (Peking Opera class). 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 Dynasty Palace in charge of the performance affairs of the organization "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 Yue Lou, Sun Ju Xian, Chen Delin, Wang Lengxian, Yang Xiaolou, Yu Yuqin, Zhu Wenying, Wang Yaohuqing, Gong Yunfu, Mu Fengshan, Qian Jinfu, such as the student, dan, Jingsheng, 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 a Peking Opera unified situation. During the mature period of Peking Opera, in addition to the "three masters", there were Xu Yintang and Jia Honglin in the Sheng line; Yu Jusheng and Yang Longshou in the Wusheng line; He Jiashan, Huang Runfu, Jin Xiushan, Qiu Guixian and Liu Yongchun in the Jingsheng line; Wang Lengxian, Derjunru, and Lu Huayun in the Xiaosheng line; Chen Delin, Tian Guifeng, Wang Yaocheng and Zhu Wenying in the Dan line; and Wang Changlin, Zhang Hei, and Luo Baisi in the Ushou line, 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 to start his own school, and he was called "the originator of the martial arts actor" by 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 Peking Opera has seen a large number of outstanding actors and actresses, presenting a flourishing situation of a variety of genres, and has developed from maturity to the heyday of the period represented by Yang Xiaolou, Mei Lanfang and Yu Shuyan.
In 1927, the Beijing Shun Tian Inch Newspaper held a contest to select the most famous Peking Opera Dan actor. The readers voted: Mei Lanfang was awarded the title of "Four Famous Dan" 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 Quotes". The "Four Famous Dancers" are an important symbol of the heyday of Peking Opera. They created their own distinctive artistic styles, forming the "Four Great Schools" of Mei Lanfang's solemnity and elegance, Shang Xiaoyun's playfulness, Cheng Yanqiu's deepness and composure, 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 to various newspapers, advocating the election of Peking Opera children. The president of the Fu Liancheng Society, Ye Longzhang, and the president of the Beiping "Liping Newspaper", Jin Dazhi, 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 meeting was held in Hufangqiao Fuliancheng Society, and a coronation ceremony was held at the Huale Theater in Xianyu Kou that night, where Li Shifang and Yuan Shihai performed "Farewell My Concubine".
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 Lifan Newspaper, and the "Four Little Famous Dancers" performed "The Legend of the White Serpent" and "The Four and a Half Flower Caves" in Chang'an and Xinxin theaters to show their congratulations.
The variety of schools and talents is 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 Qiu Pai (Sheng Rong) produced after the 50's; Xiao Sheng line of Jiang Pai (Miao Xiang), Ye Pai (Sheng Lan); the old Dan line of 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 Suqiu, Zhao Yanyuan and Du Jinfang, etc.; Xiao Sheng of Jin Zhongren, Ru Fulan, Ru Fulan and Du Jinfang. Jin Zhongren, Ru Fulan, Cheng Jixian in the minor role; Guo Chunshan, Ci Ruiquan, Ma Fulu, Zhang Chunhua in the clown role.
Peking Opera has inherited the artistic achievements of the reed opera and its rich repertoire. Not only are there repertoires belonging to the two-reed system, but there are also repertoires belonging to the two-reed system, such as the two-reed, the western skin, the blowing cavity, the four flat tunes and the plectrum. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, through the cooperation of opera workers and the majority of opera performers, *** with the collation and modification of which the outstanding repertoire as a national cultural and artistic heritage included in the Chinese new culture and art Lin Yuan was preserved, and continue to circulate widely on the stage. It is estimated that there are more than 200 plays of this kind, such as "Cosmic Front", "Jade Hall Spring", "Chang Ban Po", "The Meeting of Heroes", "Fishing and Killing Family", "The Righteousness of the Five", "Picking Chinese Cars", "Playing the Golden Boughs", "Gathering Jade Bracelets", "The Three Strikes of the Palm", "The Snow of June", "The Four Scholars", "Searching for Orphans and Rescuing Orphans", "Qin Xianglian", "Playing Yan Song", "Blocking the Horse", "The Golden Younger Slave", "Fan Jiang Guan", "The Wild Boar Woods", "The Eight Great Hammers", "The Empty City Scheme", "The King of Kings and Farewell to his Concubine etc. The themes and forms of expression are varied, including literary plays, martial arts plays, singing plays, doing plays, pairs of children's plays, group plays, folding plays, this play, etc. The various forms of plays are collectively known as the "play". Various forms of repertoire, collectively referred to as traditional theater.