Today, sad news came out of the opera world. Zhang Jiqing, the most beautiful "Du Liniang" in the world, a famous Kunqu performance artist, a national first-class actor, and a representative inheritor of kunqu opera of the national intangible cultural heritage project, passed away at 12:56 on January 6, 2022 in Jinling at the age of 83.
Zhang Jiqing is the winner of the first Chinese Drama Performing Arts Award "Plum Blossom Award", and the Du Liniang she played is stunning, becoming a classic of a generation and the "most beautiful Du Liniang" in the hearts of countless people.
"Mr. Zhang Jiqing has been through the ages! The moonrise rebirth light is red again! "Danjiao matsuri, she is the most beautiful queen in my heart"... For a time, countless opera lovers and people in the industry were grief-stricken, and they wished that the heavens would open up all over the place and meet her again under the beautiful scenery of the good day.
Zhang Jiqing Courtesy of Kun Theater of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group
In October 2015, the master version of kunqu opera "Peony Pavilion" of the Northern Kun Opera House was performed at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, and Zhang Jiqing made his final appearance, and the audience responded warmly. This is also the last time that this Kunqu master sister appeared on the stage of the magic capital.
"The last fold of the last fold of the "Soul Leaving" axis. Before she came out, she typed the subtitles and applauded continuously. ”
Today, the staff of the Grand Theater recalled the grand occasion of the evening to reporters, and said that even in a large pier like Modu, there are only a few artists who can be treated so "sublimeally" by the audience.
That night also remains in the memories of many viewers
At that year's performance, a total of six "Du Liniang" met with the Shanghai audience, all of whom were highly respected Kundan masters with different artistic styles.
Zhang Xunpeng, Hua Wenyi and Liang Guyin are danxing actors trained by Shanghai Kunda Class. The cooperation between Zhang Xunpeng and Cai Zhengren has won the essence of Yu Zhenfei and Yan Huizhu's version of "Peony Pavilion", and Zhang Xunpeng is known as "Pengpai" because of his unique style of special unrestrained enthusiasm. The cooperation between Hua Wenyi and Yue Meiti was called the "Huayue" combination by fans, and the Huayue version of "Peony Pavilion" was recognized as a golden partner, and the two's most popular "Frightening Dreams" had not been seen in China for more than 20 years. In 2014, before the Beijing people appeared, the subtitles just appeared the word "Frightening Dream", and the audience had exploded, and even some people were in tears. Another Liang Guyin is known as a "generalist actor", and her "Dream Hunting" brings out the mourning expectations to the fullest and moving.
At that time, he was already the oldest person in Kundan and the top of the first Plum Blossom Award, Zhang Jiqing inherited and developed the delicate and melodious tradition of Nankun, which is widely regarded as the most original standard "Peony Pavilion" model. That night, her appearance as the last stage of the last stage of the "Leaving the Soul" was the climax of public attention.
"Don't call me a master, I'm just an old actor. Hopefully, after this 'master version' is unprecedented, I believe that in a few years, new and young masters will continue to appear. Constantly interpreting the master's "Peony Pavilion" and "Hall of Eternal Life"..."
This is what Cai Zhengren said to the media at the scene of the launch of this edition of the "Master Edition" "Peony Pavilion", and also expressed the common aspirations of the 17 kunqu national treasure-level old artists who participated in the undisputed "strongest version of the Kunqu "Peony Pavilion"" that year.
Today, the news of Zhang Jiqing's death came out, and the opera industry and the vast number of Kun fans were also very sad:
The Si people have passed away, but there are not many acquaintances of Kunqu opera. I only hope that the "successors" can take over the baton, as Mr. Cai Zhengren said, new and young masters will continue to appear, so as to live up to the beautiful encounter on and offstage.
Master, all the way!