The Jiefang Daily Shangguan News reporter learned from the Shanghai Yue Theater that Jin Caifeng, a master of Yue opera and founder of Jinpai, died of illness at the central hospital of Xuhui District, Shanghai at the age of 92 at 10:45 on January 10.
In an exclusive interview with a reporter from Jiefang Daily in February 2016, Jin Caifeng, who is known as "Shen Xiuying", although he is over eighty years old, he still maintains an excellent state, his face is white and tender, and his body shape is not out of shape, which is her requirement for herself: "Being an actor is a lifetime of grinding, pay attention to diet, pay attention to shape. If you appear in front of people, you can't collapse. ”
Jin Caifeng, who only started to study drama in middle school, did not come from a science class, "People practice once, I may have to practice a hundred times." Talent is not smart, more sense of crisis, must work hard. Jin Caifeng thanked the director who was wise and pearl-eyed, and also sighed that the exploration and cultivation of young talents must have vision, "Leaders must have the courage to explore seedlings and focus on training." Actors have to be based on the audience, and if they don't sing well, it's zero. ”
Fan Tingting, the head of the second troupe of Shanghai Yue Theater, is a student of Jin Caifeng, and she recalls the days she spent with her mentor, "The most memorable thing is that I lived in the dormitory for six years after I entered the Shanghai Yue Theater, and I lived close to Mr. Jin and have been together, including life, and she has always taken me and talked to me about art. The teacher's life is simple, artistically rigorous and exquisite. ”
In May last year, Zhejiang Xiaobaihuayue Theatre (Zhejiang Yue Opera Troupe) performed three classic plays at the Shanghai Tiantou Yifu Stage, including Jin Caifeng's masterpiece "Jade Hairpin". Qiu Jinyuan, who played Li Xiuying in "Jade Hairpin", officially visited Jin Caifeng in 2009 and formed a deep friendship with this "God Xiuying". Qiu Jinyuan has gone to Shanghai Jincaifeng home many times to study. In the scorching heat, Jin Caifeng, who is more than 80 years old, personally demonstrates, teaches her, analyzes the hearts of the characters word by word, and imparts life and stage experience to her without reservation.
Qiu Jinyuan said, "I have been acting in "Jade Hairpin" for 22 years, and I have performed more than 50 times a year at most, sometimes 4 times in three days. Teacher Jin said that the audience's reputation is the most important. The plays we rehearse must first enter the market, accept the inspection of the audience, and then modify and improve. I take what she said to me deeply. ”
Born in Shanghai in 1930, Jin Caifeng was admitted to the training class of the Xuesheng Opera Troupe in 1946, a small student, who showed his fame for singing on the radio, and then transferred to the Dongshan Yue Art Society to play Danjiao, entered the Yue Opera Troupe of the East China Opera Research Institute in the summer of 1951, and joined the newly built Shanghai Yue Theater with the troupe in 1955. Jin Caifeng's singer inherited the Yuan school, and absorbed the vocal elements of Fu Pai and other genres according to his own voice conditions, and was recognized as the "Golden School".
People are familiar with Jin Caifeng because of the role of Wang Xifeng in the Yue opera film "Dream of the Red Chamber". But for fans, li xiuying in "Jade Hairpin" starring her is irreplaceable. Jin Caifeng and Yao Shuijuan learned "Jasper Hairpin" when they took a class, and sorted out the script that was familiar to them as a performance blueprint, with the reputation of "Shen Xiuying".
Jin Caifeng draws on the strengths of all, strengthens the means of expression of opera, such as its water sleeves that are freely curled and swaying, and the body and footwork that are varied and perfect, turning the invisible into the tangible. Her singing voice is more distinctive, "three covers" and "Guining" and other large sections of rigidity and softness, euphemism and fluency, free escape, word for word, both real and touching power, but also sweet and mellow charm. The circulation of "Jasper Hairpin" is largely due to her self-made singing voice, which is also one of the iconic singing voices of the "Golden School".
In 1962, "Jade Hairpin" starring Jin Caifeng was put on the screen, and the Shanghai Yue Theater sent a lineup of stars and moons, including Chen Shaochun, Zhou Baokui, Qian Miaohua and so on. It is worth mentioning that there are also senior artists Yao Shuijuan joining. Although she "took a back seat" to play Mrs. Li when she sang the red "Jasper Hairpin", she added icing on the cake to the film.
On February 27, 2012, Jin Caifeng published a signed article in Jiefang Daily entitled "The Charm of Personality and Artistic Virtue" to review his artistic experience. She wrote:
When I was a student, I was a hardcore "fan" of teacher Yuan Xuefen. At that time, the Snow Sound Troupe she led was very prestigious. In my impression, although I can't say anything, I always feel that this troupe has many very unique places compared with many other troupes at that time. Whether it's makeup, sets, costumes or repertoire, it's all so deeply appealing to me. I remember that Teacher Yuan wore a long skirt of pearl yarn in "The Absolute Queen", the color was light lake green, and the light hit it, which was very beautiful. This novel and beautiful costume is unprecedented in Yue opera. The repertoire of the Snow Sound Troupe at that time was created by the choreographer, whether it was the plot or the stage presentation, it gave people a refreshing feeling. What attracted me the most was Teacher Yuan's superb performance. Every time she performs, she can be emotional, acting to the emotional place, it is easy to touch the hearts of the audience, and the appeal is very strong. Every time I watch her performance, I have to remember it for a long time.
In 1946, I was admitted to the Snow Sound Troupe. The examiners are yuan xuefen, Fan Ruijuan and Wu Xiaolou and other senior artists. Since then, I have had more opportunities to meet and get to know this highly respected artist. At that time, the Xuesheng Opera Troupe recruited a total of more than 30 people, and this group of students was taught some basic opera skills by Kunqu opera artist Zheng Chuanjian, while playing and running dragon sets for big-name artists on the stage. In the old society, the identities of the famous horns and the little dragon set were very different, but the Xuesheng Theater Troupe was a very enlightened troupe, there were not many rules, and we all called Yuan Xuefen Miss Yuan at that time. Miss Yuan not only does not put up a shelf, but also cares very much for us young people. At that time, the theater owner did not pay us, and many performances, including cosmetics, were funded by Miss Yuan. Miss Yuan has a good reputation for her concern for her subordinates. At the end of one year, when the box was sealed, she gave a Female Staff Member a MerdenEse Cheongsam, and a Male Staff Member a Zhongshan Suit, which was extremely rare in the drama class of the old society. Another example is that she is particularly protective of the choreographers. At that time, Because Nanwei had many children, the family economy was relatively poor. Miss Yuan has the heart to help him, but she is afraid that too direct financial support will embarrass Nanwei and be rejected, so she always sends milk cakes to her children in the name of milk cakes, mixed with money in milk cakes to give to him. This way made Nan Wei very moved, and later after everyone learned about this matter, they all expressed their admiration for Miss Yuan's personality.
Up and down the troupe, Teacher Yuan has a high prestige. However, this prestige is not deliberately imposed on others by her, but because of her noble personality charm, which is naturally formed in our minds. Of course, this was my later acquaintance, when I was only vaguely attracted to the unique temperament of her body, and longed for her "different". Although she has always been a serious style in her work, in life, she has never been as the outside world speculates, always with a straight face and harsh and harsh. I remember that when the night show was over, she and the seniors would call us up and go to the restaurant next to the Great Bright Cinema to have a late night snack. After all, we were still young at that time, and we couldn't have a deeper communication with the teachers, so we could only eat while quietly listening to the teachers and choreographers talking about the play. They would talk about the experience of acting, talk about the storyline of the play, and sometimes talk about the idea of a new play. I have benefited a lot from this time. From them, I understood that the creation of the repertoire has a very close relationship with the actors, and that we should integrate ourselves into the creation, rather than waiting for the choreographer to bring the ready-made work to "perform". Teacher Yuan, especially a creative artist, has her own unique insights from the script to the singing voice and choreography. This is beyond the reach of ordinary actors.
From a naïve middle school student to a troupe actor, the transformation is very large. Two scenes a day and night, usually not going home until midnight, is very hard. Many of the students recruited by our batch of Xuesheng have relatively good family conditions, and their original intention is only to like Yue opera, close to their favorite troupes and actors, and they did not expect this kind of hard work. Gradually, many of my classmates gave up, and in the end only three people, including me, insisted on staying. My family's economic conditions are not very good, in order to save some fare, every day I carry my lunch box for half an hour to go to the troupe. At the end of the evening performance, a person walks on a silent road, and from time to time some small hooligans appear, which is very unsafe. Coupled with the fact that my grandmother was opposed to my entry into the industry at that time, she felt that I would not have much success in singing, and it would be better to marry someone earlier. During that time, I was also confused about my future. From the bottom of my heart, I like Yue opera very much and want to make a difference on the stage. But the surroundings often make me skeptical of my decisions and make me feel lonely. I remember very clearly that one night, the performance was "Daughter Country", and during the waiting period, I plucked up enough courage to say to Teacher Yuan: "Miss Yuan, after performing this play, I will not come." Miss Yuan did not speak at that time, but just nodded her head indifferently. After the performance, she specifically called me in front of me and said to me in a sincere tone: "You have been studying for so long, isn't it a pity to give up now?" You better keep acting! "Although there were no excessive words of retention, I was very touched at the time, because this is my heart. How much I need to have someone I trust in that situation gives me a little strength. Perhaps at that time, even I did not think that Teacher Yuan's words had affected my whole life. After following Teacher Yuan for many years, whether in art or on the road of life, Teacher Yuan is a model and model in my heart. Her tortuous life experience and charismatic personality guided me in the direction of my life.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Shi Chenlu Text Editor: Shi Chenlu
Source: Author: Zhuge Yi