Not long ago, the full version of “The Legend of Zhaojun” starring Wang Yan premiered at the Jinwan Grand Theatre. This is one of her representative repertoires, taught by the late famous Peking Opera performing artist Mr. Yang Ronghuan. With more than 30 years of acting experience, Wang Yan’s appearance, voice, figure, expression, martial arts level and singing skills can all be regarded as the best among today’s Peking Opera actors. Fans from all over the world affectionately call her “Yan Zun”. In the face of praise, she never forgets her original intention: “The profound accumulation of Tianjin’s traditional culture is the root that affects my life choices and pursuits. Peking Opera is my dream and the eyes through which I see the world. Experience real life from opera, and perform on the stage I understand the philosophy of life and gain happiness from applause and cheers. This is the luck of my life. I will work hard to inherit the art of Peking Opera and do my part for the future of Peking Opera art.”
Talent is not the best
Pay homage to famous teachers with hard work
Because her parents are both theater fans, Wang Yan also fell in love with Peking Opera due to family influence. “Like many little girls, what first attracted me was the gorgeous appearance of the female actors and the colorful stage.” When she was 11 years old, she was admitted to Tianjin Art School to study Peking Opera. Her first teacher, Meng Xianrong, often taught her that as an actor, she must be confident on the stage. But where does this confidence come from? That means continuous accumulation and hard practice.
In fact, Wang Yan’s talent conditions are not the best. She is petite and it is difficult to practice martial arts. At the beginning, the teacher did not regard her as a key training target. But she had an unyielding spirit in her heart. She would study seriously what the teacher taught in class, never being picky. After class, I continued to practice private martial arts alone in the practice room, making up for my weakness with hard work. I also liked to use my brain to ponder the essentials taught by the teacher. The school gradually discovered this good seedling and invited Mr. Yang Ronghuan, a famous disciple of Mr. Shang Xiaoyun and a famous Peking opera master, to guide Wang Yan and another well-qualified female actor Li Guojing. “At that time, Teacher Yang suffered from cerebral thrombosis and had just recovered. During the summer, he taught us two plays, “Mirror of Fortune and Longevity” and “Farewell My Concubine.” He re-standardized us from stage steps, body posture to vocal methods; we were young and had If the character doesn’t understand it, the teacher will dissect each performance move based on the character’s moves and teach him step by step.”
The “Mirror of Fortune and Longevity” in “The Lost Child and the Shock of Madness” is the “core” of the play and is quite difficult. The character Hu in the play was originally a kind and steady lady. When she was framed and lost her young son, she suffered a huge mental blow. The performance at this time should clearly show the changing levels of the characters in “anxiety, shock, stupidity, fear, and madness”. If you want to perform this play well, you must first understand Hu’s inner changes before and after his madness, and secondly, master difficult skills such as water sleeves, three rises and three falls, and sitting on the butt, all of which are indispensable. Wang Yan suffered a lot and worked hard. Under the guidance of her teacher, she completely became involved in the drama. She also realized that “technique cannot be separated from the character, otherwise it will become a show off”.
In 1992, the first National Children’s Peking Opera Invitational Competition was held in Beijing. 16-year-old Wang Yan participated in the competition because she was “frightened by the loss of her child.” Prizes. Mr. Li Huiliang, who served as a judge, was full of praise for her: “What a little girl. If I give her a few more years to show off, she will definitely be a big star on the stage in the future!” Two years later, Wang Yan went to Japan to participate in exchanges with this play. show.
After studying at Tianjin Art School for six years, Wang Yan was taught by Meng Xianrong, Yuan Wenjun, Tian Yuzhu, Zhang Zhilan and other teachers, and learned to perform “Yutangchun”, “Silang Visits His Mother”, “Universal Front” and “Red Line Stealing Box” ”, “Mu Guiying Takes Command”, “Battle of Jinshan” and other dramas. Another disciple of Mr. Shang Xiaoyun, Mr. Sun Ronghui, also had a special fondness for Wang Yan and taught her plays such as “Silver Screen Princess” and “Grand Ascension” to her. The teachers laid a solid foundation for Wang Yan, allowing her to gradually understand what opera performance is.
After graduating in 1995, Wang Yan stayed in the school’s young actor training class to continue her studies for three years. In 1997, she officially became a disciple of Peking Opera performing artist Liu Xiurong. Liu Xiurong studied under Wang Yaoqing, the famous Peking Opera performing artist and “Master of Tongtian”, and also studied plum and shang. Teacher Liu taught his skills without any reservations, and taught him all the special dramas such as “The Legend of White Snake”, “Mu Guiying’s Battle of Hongzhou”, “Princess of Hundred Flowers” and “Red Mane Horse”.
For a period of time, Teacher Liu Xiurong lived in Tianjin Art School and taught “The Legend of White Snake” to Wang Yan. He talked about the character Bai Suzhen in detail, which set the tone for Wang Yan to sing and act in the play. During the rehearsal process, Teacher Liu broke down the performance routines of each scene such as “Broken Bridge” and “Stealing Grass” and demonstrated them one by one. In order to help Wang Yan learn this play well, the Tianjin Drama Association and Tianjin Art School invited famous Peking opera masters to conduct “art consultation” for her performance. In her first performance, Wang Yan performed from “Wandering the Lake” to “Broken Bridge”. Her appearance was beautiful and smart, and her performance was regular and generous. She inherited the essence of her teacher and better demonstrated her performance style of combining both civility and martial arts, as well as strength and softness.
Later, two teachers, Liu Xiurong and her husband Zhang Chunxiao, helped Wang Yan to rehearse “The Legend of White Snake” and added two plays “Hebo” and “Falling Tower” to improve the entire play and speed up the rhythm. Wang Yan will never forget the scene during the performance: “The two teachers took care of me, and I felt like I had some reassurance.”
In 1999, Tianjin Peking Opera Theater prepared to establish an experimental troupe and invited Peking opera performing artist Yang Qiuling to guide Wang Yan in rehearsing “The Female Generals of the Yang Family”. Wang Yan’s appearance is dignified and beautiful, her voice is clear and mellow, and her performance is delicate and expressive. As a tribute play to the founding of the group, this play became an instant hit.
Starring in the new costume Peking opera “Mazu”
Learn “Xie Yaohuan” from Teacher Li Weikang
The accumulation of art never ends. The predecessors have left too many artistic treasures waiting for future generations to inherit and develop. Wang Yan said that her greatest luck is that she has not taken any detours in art, because she has met good teachers along the way. “Teacher Liu Xiurong taught me to understand the artistic style of the Wang (Yaoqing) School, which is Zhongzheng, vigorous and broad, giving me strong spiritual strength.”
Teacher Liu Xiurong taught “Qipanshan” to Wang Yantong, and added the beginning and the end to expand it into a big play. This play was highly praised after it was broadcast on the TV station. Teacher Liu also taught Wang Yan a number of repertoires such as “Wang Baochuan” and “Dragon Playing with the Phoenix”. Most of these repertoires were difficult in technique and extremely demanding, which also created Wang Yanyun’s acting style of Wen Yun and Wu. “Swords and guns convey feelings” prompted her to continuously improve and integrate into her creations, forming her own artistic style.
Participating in youth training classes and genre classes in Beijing, Wang Yan broadened her connections with teachers more extensively and learned plays such as “The Drunken Concubine” and “Sanniang’s Teaching Son” from Mr. Mei Baojiu, Mr. Jiang Fengshan, and Mr. Wang Zhiyi, and gained the direct inheritance of Mei School art. . She gradually realized the profound connotation of Chinese cultural aesthetics represented by the art of opera. “The things left by our predecessors are too precious. Only by continuously passing on the classics can we live up to the careful cultivation of the teachers.” Wang Yan said.
In 2004, the Tianjin Peking Opera Theater Experimental Troupe rehearsed a new costume Peking opera “Mazu”, with Wang Yan playing the leading role Lin Moniang. She acted with ease, dressed in Tsing Yi, and borrowed performance routines from various professions such as Hua Shan, Hua Dan, Dao Ma Dan, etc., and successfully created the image of this ancient woman who helped those in need, and showed love and kindness.
Learning “Xie Yaohuan” from teacher Li Weikang was an unusual improvement for Wang Yan. “When Teacher Li was organizing the play, I personally experienced the process of how she changed the draft several times, and I learned about Teacher Li’s thinking and methods. I benefited from Teacher Li’s grasp of the script, the characters’ actions and emotions, the design of the performance program, and the scientific singing method. It’s so profound.” Teacher Zhang Guanzheng served as the director of “Xie Yaohuan”. During more than a year of arrangement and rehearsal, Wang Yan continued to practice under the guidance of the two teachers. Through this play, she broke through the difficulty of freely switching between the pronunciation positions of niche and dan roles, and realized the artistic sublimation from “complete herself” to “full role analysis”. By shaping the stage image, she realized the contemporary transformation of traditional opera aesthetics . In 2011, at the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Awards, Wang Yan performed two consecutive performances of “Xie Yaohuan” and won the first place, blooming the highlight moment of her artistic youth.
Success made Wang Yan more sober, always introspective, and took the initiative to assume more responsibilities for inheriting the art of Peking Opera. She has traveled out of Tianjin many times – at the invitation of the National Peking Opera Company, she played Princess Wencheng in the Peking Opera Tibetan Opera “Princess Wencheng”; she played the role of Xiaofengxian in the new Peking Opera “The General Protecting the Country” broadcast by CCTV Air Theater, and played the role of “Wild Boar” Lin played Lady Lin in “Lin”; participated in exploratory repertoire performances such as the Peking Opera epic “Red Cliff” and the visual Peking opera “The Legend of the White Snake”; participated in the recording of the Peking Opera film project “Mirror of Fortune and Longevity”, Chinese Peking Opera video and audio “The Female General of the Yang Family” “Mu Guiying Takes Command”, “Sanniang Guizi”, “Xishi”, “The Legend of White Snake”, all “Wang Baochuan” and other plays.
Express the character accurately
Guide the audience’s aesthetic appreciation
Wang Yan has been learning “Mirror of Fortune and Life” since she was a child. After long-term stage practice, it has become her regular repertoire. At that time, Peking Opera master Shang Xiaoyun learned this play from Wang Yaoqing. Yang Ronghuan learned it from Shang Xiaoyun, adapted it and taught it to Wang Yan. In the process of learning opera, Wang Yan was deeply influenced by the spirit of the senior masters: “In his early years, Yang Ronghuan studied opera in a professional class and received selfless guidance from Mr. Shang Xiaoyun. When he went on stage to act, Mr. Fashion played the role of Hu, and Mr. Yang played Hu. Shouchun’s maid Shouchun, sometimes the roles of the two are reversed. Mr. Shang was not willing to play the role for Mr. Yang just because he was a junior student. When Yang Ronghuan went to Shanghai to worship Mei Lanfang as his teacher, Mei Lanfang cared deeply for his new disciple. , was considerate and considerate in his daily life, and personally went to the guest room where he stayed at night to take care of him and spray insect repellent. Yang Ronghuan was always grateful for this. The demeanor of the senior Peking Opera masters is awe-inspiring. Although there are sects, each sect learns from each other. The director has no grudges and has just made Peking Opera reach the height of national quintessence.”
In early 2015, “Mirror of Fortune and Longevity” was filmed as a Peking Opera film with the support of the “Peking Opera Classics and Traditional Drama Film Project”. During the recording, Wang Yan danced her two water sleeves up and down, and she was already proficient in movements such as running, squatting, and smoothing out. Under her performance, the character Hu progresses from happy to anxious, from anxious to frightened, and from frightened to crazy. The inner wanderings and chaos in the pain and suffering are all externalized by her into eyes, expressions and body movements. Crazy yet artistically beautiful, it makes people applaud.
“Zhaojun Leaving the Fortress” was adapted by Yang Ronghuan from Shang (Xiaoyun)’s famous work “The Concubine of the Han Dynasty”. Wang Yan acted as the supporting figure for Teacher Yang Ronghuan’s “Zhaojun Leaving the Fortress”, and imitated it perfectly with every gesture. The pipa music in the “Leng Palace” scene was also played by her on the spot, and her skillful technique was quite similar to the charm of teacher Yang Ronghuan’s pipa playing in the past; in the “Leaving the Fortress” scene, she sang and danced, conveying Wang Zhaojun’s request to go out of the fortress to marry, and his gratitude to serve the country. Heart. Wang Yan said: “On the way to Hefan after Wang Zhaojun mounted his horse, Teacher Yang designed the dance moves based on the feeling of the environment at that time, the climate of the desert, etc. This was a reasonable innovation by the teacher. When I performed, I included looking back at my hometown in the dance The other actions express Wang Zhaojun’s inner emotions. This is my heartfelt experience and understanding of this play and this character.”
In 2007, Wang Yan studied “Luo Shen” with Mr. Jiang Fengshan and Teacher Mei Baojiu, and began to delve more deeply into Mei School art. In 2015, she learned to perform “Xishi” with teacher Mei Baojiu, and was later guided by teacher Shu Jian. The play participated in the Chinese Peking Opera audio and video recording. Through stage practice, she has a deeper understanding: The characteristic of Mei School singing is to “pass by like a dragonfly touching water”. Don’t over-sculpt the falling notes, and always reflect the “centered, peaceful, natural and comfortable” Mei School temperament. Mr. Mei Baojiu told her: “Qingyi must master the temperament of conversation. Artistic practice must not only have ‘skills’, but also ‘constraints’, and understand how to accurately express characters so as to achieve aesthetic guidance for the audience.” This is also Wang The long-term thinking and correction direction that Yan has set for herself.
In January 2019, at the invitation of the Hong Kong Chinese Import and Export Chamber of Commerce and the Macao Provincial CPPCC Members Association, Wang Yan, who serves as a member of the 14th CPPCC Tianjin Committee, accompanied the CPPCC delegation to Hong Kong and Macau for investigation. During the event, she mentioned that she had performed in the Peking Opera “Mazu”, which resonated with the Hong Kong and Macao committee members who were deeply influenced by Mazu culture. She was invited to sing the famous Peking Opera aria “The Glory Shines Forward”, which won a lot of applause.
The audience’s applause is the greatest love for art and actors. Wang Yan always responds to the audience with the same enthusiasm and gives her best in every performance. “There are fewer and fewer people in some theater performances, which makes us feel that our responsibilities are getting heavier and heavier.” Since serving as the leader of the Tianjin Peking Opera Theater Experimental Troupe, Wang Yan has led the troupe to perform all year round to cultivate new talents and also He often rehearses and talks about operas for the actors of our troupe and opera actors from all over the world via video. She often warns young actors: “You must pay attention to the essence of Peking Opera—hands, eyes, body, steps, singing, chanting, and fighting. Only if your own art is excellent can the audience understand the emotions of the characters and remember the story. Only when everyone on the stage is selfless Only when you work hard can a play be called a complete one.”
Wang Yan’s autobiography
Mr. Mei Baojiu guided me
Understand the Mei School and appreciate the Mei School
In 2007, due to the recommendation of Mr. Qian Jiang, I was fortunate enough to meet Teacher Mei Baojiu and Mr. Jiang Fengshan, and I learned the famous Mei School drama “Luo Shen” from these two teachers. Teacher Mei Baojiu has many social activities. Thanks to Brother Fan Meiqiang’s help, he made an appointment for me in advance and took me to Teacher Mei’s home to learn opera. When I first arrived at Mei’s house, I was touched that Teacher Mei could spare time to give me guidance, but I was even more nervous and excited. Teacher Mei very carefully corrected me word for word and every aria. She also told me about the process of creating “Luo Shen” by Master Mei Lanfang and Mr. Qi Rushan, as well as his experience when learning this play. Some fun facts. I feel that Teacher Mei is not only telling me stories, but also teaching me the principles of life and learning drama through these stories, and guiding me to understand and appreciate the Mei School.
In 2007, I performed the entire production of “Luo Shen” at the China Theater in Tianjin. Mr. Qian Jiang personally organized the performance and played the role of Cao Zhi. The band used Mr. Mei’s original band. Mr. Jiang Fengshan played the piano himself. Even the props and costumes were all used by Master Mei back then. I was extremely excited, extremely nervous, and even terrified. Teacher Mei personally handles the performance at the side curtain, and reminds me to pay attention to the essentials of the movements between each performance, down to the height of the whisk to avoid the head and face while keeping the movements reasonable and graceful. The performance lasted for nearly an hour and a half, and the 70-year-old teacher Mei stood at the side curtain until the whole time. For me, the sense of security and happiness of being protected by the teacher on the stage was unparalleled. This experience made me feel Teacher Mei’s demeanor as a person. Looking back, I still remember it vividly.
Through the study and performance of “Luo Shen”, I have a deeper understanding of Mei Pai. The performance style of the Mei School is peaceful, and may not include more gorgeous coloratura, but the most ordinary things must be interpreted into the most extraordinary, so mastering the art of the Mei School does not happen overnight. While Teacher Mei taught me carefully, she also taught me that to learn the Mei School, I should take my time and learn one play at a time.
When we were learning the play “Xishi” in the Mei School workshop, Teacher Mei came to the rehearsal venue to demonstrate for us. The class was in the middle of summer, and he was still wearing a suit, just like the impression he always gave people – well-dressed and affable. Teacher Mei is serious about art, but her manners and manners are humorous. It is very relaxing to take classes with Teacher Mei.
I performed the entire “Xi Shi” for the first time in Tianjin. It was the middle of winter, and Teacher Mei had a bad cold and was unable to attend in person. Before the performance, I talked to the teacher on the phone. He said that when the weather gets warmer, he must watch the play I performed. He also told me on the phone what to pay attention to in every performance, as well as the band, lighting, and stage design. Again. The teacher hopes that this play can become my repertoire and that I must perform it repeatedly so that I can truly understand and comprehend it.
On April 25, 2016, teacher Mei Baojiu passed away. In addition to the grief, I recalled every detail of asking Teacher Mei for advice, and I could not calm down for a long time. When the Mei School Art Workshop reported on the performance of “Xishi” at the Chang’an Grand Theater in Beijing, Teacher Mei could not come… This has become an eternal regret for me, but I will do my best to pass on what the teacher taught me. I feel that there is always a teacher beside the side curtain of the stage. He is always dressed in a suit, always smiling and amiable.
(Picture provided by interviewee)
