Meilanfang (1894-1961 A.D.), formerly known as Meilan, a native of Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, was born in Beijing in 1894.
1. Mei Lanfang was an outstanding dramatist, Peking Opera performer and a representative of traditional Chinese opera. Under the influence of his elders, Mei Lanfang grew up with a love of theater and opera. he began to study opera at the age of 8, and made his debut at the age of 10:The Match of Heavenly Immortals. He blended the performance styles of Qing Yi, Hua Dan and Peking Opera Blues to create a mellow and beautiful singing style, forming the unique Mei School. He made unique artistic innovations in the singing, recitation, dancing, music and costumes of Peking Opera, laying a solid foundation for the performing art of Peking Opera. Afterwards, he was brave enough to innovate, create and perform new plays, revolutionize Peking Opera in all aspects, and perform plays such as The Drunkenness of the Concubine, which had a great response. He was known as the master of the Mei school, a representative of traditional Chinese opera with far-reaching influence.
2. Mei Lanfang was a pioneer in bringing Peking Opera to the world and a world-renowned master of the art. In April 1919, Mei Lanfang was invited to Japan to perform in plays such as The Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers and The Jade Hairpin. He returned to China a month later and received an enthusiastic response.In the spring of 1930, Mei Lanfang led a troupe to the United States and performed Peking Opera in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities, which was a great success. The local newspapers commented that Chinese opera was not realistically true, but artistically true. It is a conventional method of expression that is more profound than the reality of life. During this period, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Literature by the University of Pomona and the University of Southern California.In 1935, Mei Lanfang led a troupe to perform in the Soviet Union and Europe to study foreign theater. Among Peking Opera artists, Mei Lanfang made the most visits to China and received the most foreign artists. He introduced the performing art of Chinese Peking Opera and the modesty and simplicity of the artists to people all over the world. People called him the cultural ambassador of Chinese Peking Opera in the 1920s and 1950s, and a master of the art who was renowned all over the world.
3. Mei Lanfang had a noble national spirit. Mei Lanfang was not only of high moral character and skillful in acting, enjoying a high reputation in the art world and among the people, but also demonstrated a lofty national moral character. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese hypocrites tried to use Mei Lanfang to buy people's hearts and embellish peace, but were rejected several times. He had to be smart and lived a reclusive life. Later, considering that he could not stay in Shanghai for long, Mei Lanfang went to Hong Kong in 1938, where he performed plays such as Liang Hongyu, which inspired people to fight in the war against Japan.
Executive Summary: Mei Lanfang is an outstanding dramatist and Peking Opera performer in China, and a representative figure of traditional Chinese opera. Mei Lanfang is not only the pioneer of Chinese Peking Opera to the world, but also a world-renowned master of the art, with noble character, superb acting skills and noble national spirit. As a result, she enjoys a high reputation in the art world and among the people.
What was Du Jinfang's position in the industry during her lifetime?
Du Jinfang, a renowned Peking Opera artist, representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project (Peking Opera), one of the founders of the artistic style of the National Peking Opera Theater (NPTA), and advisor to the Artistic Steering Committee of the NPTA, died at 22:26 on April 17, 2021 at the age of 89 due to a prolonged medical treatment.
She inherited the characteristics of both the Wang School (王派)and the Mei School (梅兰芳)in the art of Peking Opera, and combined the two schools of art to establish the "Du School" of some significance. Of course, this is not a real school of architecture, because she only integrated the art of the two schools and added some of her own characteristics. But when it comes to building a school of mountain building, it is not a real school. At most, it would be a school based on the two schools, with a few alterations.
If you effectively blend two schools of art together and add some of your own specialties, even if it's a founding school, there are too many schools of Peking Opera. Generally founding schools do not have anything from the past, although they will refer to the foundation of the past, but their own innovative content is more than 80%. The art of the Du school contains the contents of the Wang and Mei schools, which may account for more than 80%, so even if it is not a school, it is still considered a school
It is not that Du Jinfang's kung fu is not in place, but it is not easy to find an alternative way to work under the big tree of Mei Lanfang. After all, although it is cool under the big tree, there are not enough nutrients to grow an equally tall tree. The only way was to move away from the big tree and plant a different one. That's why Du Jinfang can't say he founded the Du School, and there's no such thing as the Du School in Peking Opera in general.
Mr. Du studied Dan Xing performance with Peking Opera educator Mr. Wang Yaoqing in his early years, and then studied under Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang, formally learning the art of the Mei School. He was named "Little Mei Lanfang"! Mr. Du has a wide range of acting styles. She has successfully straddled the two major lines of Qing Yi and Xiao Sheng, performing in the Peking Opera Xie Yaohuan. She also appeared in "The Tale of Liu Yin" in an innovative role adapted from a Sichuan opera. She co-starred with Peking Opera artist Li in the Peking Opera movie "Wild Boar Forest", which has become a classic of Chinese opera movies and is unsurpassed by anyone. She was also the only woman in the "Four Top Brands" of that year, and was known as the "Queen of the East"!
Despite these honors and achievements, Ms. Du did not start her own school, which is a true reflection of her humble and low-key life! The emergence of new schools is based on inheritance. It is only through comprehensive inheritance, combined with one's own characteristics, that new chants can be created. Rehearsed works with obvious characteristics of their own style, recognized both inside and outside the industry, can be called new genres. It can be seen that creating a new genre is not easy!
In short, the art of Peking Opera: and Mei Lanfang gave Du early foundation; Du Jinfang has a very high IQ and IQ, socialization and learning to understand; in the process of professional development, met, Li, and other mentors. Ultimately, Du Jinfang's artistic life was accomplished.
In terms of voice, Du Jinfang once mentioned that Zhang Junqiu made her admire. Zhang Junqiu and Ye Shenglan were both famous actors in The West Wing. She was a rising star, but she learned fast and played well. She is not inferior to famous actors and even has her own luster, which is very rare. Du Jinfang's singing in the Peking Opera "The Legend of the White Snake" was at times euphonious, at times loud, and at times mercurial, fitting in seamlessly with the plot and handling it appropriately.
On artistic performance, Du Jinfang once told Ye Shaolan: In fact, I have learned more from your father than your father ever taught you. They rehearsed a large number of excellent plays together. Ye Shenglan had extremely rich stage experience, dashing stage presence, sharp eyes, elegant and funny, tough and brave acting skills that could be freely changed and come and go as they pleased. For the young Du Jinfang, it was a good opportunity to learn. Ye Shenglan and Du Jinfang achieved the artistic achievement of a perfect combination of movie stage effects and Peking Opera effects. The collaboration between Li, et al. Du Jinfang also culminated.
Phoenix Returns the Nest Peking Opera
Hearing that her sister has married Zhu Chiantian, the transformation of her loss and joy, the accuracy of the expression of the emotion in her eyes, and the delicacy of the expression of her stance are indeed hard to beat. Du Jinfang is one of the best and most fortunate of the danjiao artists, and this has to do with the fact that she is both emotionally and intellectually gifted. Du Jinfang, as she said herself, she is lucky, more diligent, love Peking Opera, enjoy Peking Opera, she is one of the rare Peking Opera artists.