This issue launches an interview with Shang Changrong, honorary member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, honorary chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association, and famous Peking Opera performance artist.
Shang Changrong, honorary member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, honorary chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association, and famous Peking Opera performing artist
In 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping personally presided over the symposium on literary and art work and delivered an important speech. Shang Changrong was one of the 7 writers and artists who spoke on the spot. In 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to teachers and students of the China Academy of Performing Arts. Shang Changrong is one of the representatives of the four generations of teachers and students of the Chinese Academy of Performing Arts. Inspired by General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech and reply to the spirit of the letter, Shang Changrong, who is more than 80 years old, is still active on the stage and unremittingly rushes for the inheritance and innovation of China's excellent traditional culture. He said that General Secretary Xi Jinping has added confidence, transmitted energy and given motivation to the vast number of literary and artistic artists and literary and art workers. Opera workers should strengthen their cultural self-confidence and continuously carry forward the excellent Chinese opera culture on the basis of keeping right and innovating.
Interview
China Literature and Art Network: In 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping personally presided over a symposium on literary and art work. You are one of the 7 artists who spoke live. Can you tell us about your statement? Shang Changrong: I still remember that meeting vividly. I am the second speaker. After the report, General Secretary Xi Jinping and I had an exchange. He mentioned that I starred in "Zhenguan Event" and "Honest Officials in Jackie Chan", believing that they are very realistic and targeted, can play a role in enlightenment and warning, and support us to continue to do a good job in this regard. China Literature and Art Network: General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the forum on literary and art work, what kind of significance do you personally feel for China's opera cause and opera workers? Shang Changrong: I have repeatedly studied the general secretary's speech. I think that this speech has increased the morale of the opera people and the ambition of China's excellent traditional culture. The general secretary's speech is a guideline, which has guided the direction of literary and artistic work, and has increased confidence, transmitted energy, and given motivation to the vast number of literary and artistic artists and literary and artistic workers. I feel that the waist of our opera people has hardened, and it is a serious cause for us to insist on inheriting excellent opera art. The vast number of opera workers should be more firm in cultural self-confidence, and on the basis of abiding by integrity and innovation, they should continue to carry forward the excellent Chinese opera culture. China Literature and Art Network: From the literary and art work forum to the present, 7 years have passed. Do you feel any changes in China's opera industry in the past 7 years? Shang Changrong: Thriving. In the past few years since the symposium was held, the influence of China's excellent traditional culture, including opera, in society has become more and more important, and great progress has been made in the rescue, inheritance, research and innovation of traditional opera. General Secretary Xi Jinping's care and encouragement, the support of the party and the government, and the strong support of the audience are the greatest happiness of contemporary opera people. China Literature and Art Network: In October 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to the teachers and students of the China Academy of Performing Arts, pointing out that it is necessary to carry forward the fine traditions and adhere to the principle of integrity and innovation. What is the significance of this reply to your current work in opera education? Shang Changrong: The four words of "Shouzheng Innovation" weigh thousands of pounds. These four words are the "lights" of our opera people. We must understand well, learn thoroughly, work down-to-earth, and inspire every newcomer to opera. Stay away from rigidity in inheritance, release artistic inspiration and wisdom, and don't stick to the rules. The general secretary also mentioned in his reply that "the key to the prosperity and development of the opera industry lies in people." Inspiration cannot be based on contemplation, and opera people cannot enclose themselves in a room woven with gold wire, but must go to the grassroots level and go deep into the masses of the people. The feelings of the people are the most simple, and if you go deep into the people, you will find the most sincere feelings and inspirations. China Literature and Art Network: This is consistent with General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the opening ceremony of the Tenth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Ninth National Congress of the China Writers Association, "the artistic life of all outstanding literary and art workers originates from the people, and all outstanding literary and artistic creations are for the people". Shang Changrong: As a contemporary opera artist, in the process of creation, we must go deep into life, take root in the people, perform for the people, sing songs for the people, and praise the great people and the great times. We must study what kind of works the people need, and what the people need are literary and artistic works with a sense of truth and deep ground. We opera people must overcome impetuosity, devote ourselves to creation, and be grounded in editing, directing, and acting, not engaging in flowery fists and embroidery legs, and sincerely shaping and interpreting our excellent historical figures. We must cherish the stage of opera, spread the national spirit, national justice and national morality of Chinese, and interpret an extraordinary life in the ordinary. Tell the Chinese story well, spread Chinese culture, and carry forward Chinese values, so that we will always be invincible.
Shang Changrong was born in Beijing on July 15, 1940. Famous Peking Opera performance artist, the third son of Peking Opera master Shang Xiaoyun. He is currently an honorary member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the honorary chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association, the honorary chairman of the Shanghai Dramatists Association, the artistic director of the Shanghai Peking Opera House, and the representative inheritor of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage (Peking Opera) projects. He is a deputy to the Sixth National People's Congress, a member of the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a member of the Eighth Plenary Committee of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Shang Evergreen Worker flower face. Born in the Liyuan family, he was trained by Hou Xirui and other famous masters of Peking Opera, and was deeply influenced by the spirit of traditional Peking Opera art. In the stage art career of more than half a century, he has tirelessly absorbed the nutrition of traditional art, and solidly inherited the various skills of "singing, reading, doing and playing" of Peking Opera flower face art, and his artistic attainments are very profound, and he has deeply obtained the performance essence of "originating from the inside and forming outside". The traditional repertoire of performances includes "NiuGao Beckons Relatives", "Niu Gao Xia Shu", "Jingde Pretending to Be Crazy", "Muhu Guan", "Bai Liangguan", "Huarong Dao", "Playing Luan Driving", "Tianshui Guan", "Fighting Yan Song", "Giving Silk Robes", as well as "Wild Boar Forest", "General Xianghe", "Li Kui Visiting Mother", "Serial Set", "Taking Luoyang", "Black Whirlwind", "Overlord Farewell", "Flying Tiger Mountain" and so on. His performance integrates "copper hammer" and "shelf" into one, singing and reading at the same time, Zhang Chi has a degree, full of passion, and gradually formed a unique performance style that is harmonious with stylization and personality, good at portraying the inner world of the characters and good at guiding the audience's emotions. His artistic vision is broad, not limited to the view of the portal, and he has a family style in performance. He mastered traditional skills without being bound by traditional skills, but with his artistic perception, he was determined to pursue the "personalized" performing arts. Whether it is the reinterpretation of traditional classic dramas or the creative creation of new characters in the new screenplay, he actively seeks the internal basis of the characters, integrates the traditional expression techniques, strives to work the performance of the characters, and strives to achieve inner weight and outer accuracy when creating characters, and the characters he creates are either magnificent or simple and majestic. In the newly created repertoire represented by "Cao Cao and Yang Xiu", "Zhenguan Event" and "Honest Officials in Jackie Chan", Shang Changrong explores human nature, activates tradition, and actively seeks new cultural support for traditional arts, and these three works are known as the "Shang Changrong Trilogy". In "Cao Cao and Yang Xiu", he created a complex character of Cao Cao; in "Zhenguan Event", he continued to use and excavate the performance means of Peking Opera to shape the image of Wei Zheng, a sage whose name has been passed down through the generations; in "Honest Officials in Jackie Chan", he vividly displayed the image of a Qing official with flesh and blood and iron bones in front of every audience. The characters he portrays have distinct personalities that are endlessly evocative. Shang Changrong's rich artistic practice and fruitful achievements have promoted the new development of Peking Opera flower face art, and made outstanding contributions to the promotion and inheritance of Peking Opera art. The newly edited historical Peking Opera "Cao Cao and Yang Xiu", "Zhenguan Event", "Honest Officials In Jackie Chan" and other plays starring Shang Changrong have won many awards such as the "Top Ten Fine Repertoire" of the National Stage Art Fine Project, the "Five One Project Award" of the Central Propaganda Department, the "Wenhua Award" of the Ministry of Culture, the "Excellent Performance Award" of the Chinese Drama Festival, and the "Gold Award" of the China Peking Opera Arts Festival. He has won the "Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award" three times, the first "Plum Blossom Award" winner in the Chinese theater industry, the Shanghai "Magnolia" Drama Performing Arts Award three times, and the Outstanding Performance Award of the China Peking Opera Arts Festival, the "Wenhua Performance Award" of the Ministry of Culture, the "Excellent Performance Award" of the China Theater Festival, as well as the titles of National Advanced Worker, Shanghai Model Worker, Shanghai Literary Association Virtue and Art Double Xin Artist, Shanghai Top Ten Pacesetters of Professional Ethics, etc. In 2011, he was awarded the title of "World Theater Ambassador" by the 33rd World Congress of the International Theatre Association, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the 2nd China Arts and Literature Awards in 2013, and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the 6th Shanghai Literature and Art Award in 2014. In 2017, he was awarded the honorary title of "Lifetime Achievement Dramatist" by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
Source: China Literature and Art Network
Editor-in-Chief: Xing Yaping
Editor-in-charge: Hu Hanbo