Author: Jiang Xiwu
From a young fan play, it starts from "miqiu", saying that there is a "fate", that is just wishful thinking. Although he was a "left (voice machine) student" who was single-mindedly doing Mr. Qiu, and was admitted to the Wuhan Art School with a piece of Mr. Xue's "Huang Enhao"; and then debuted on stage with a "Lock Five Dragons" modeled on Mr. Qiu's singing, Mr. Qiu is still Mr. Qiu, I am still me, don't say listen to the teachings, that is, even Mr. Qiu can't see acting, so I complain, why wasn't I born in Beijing? I didn't expect this fate to come in the end, but that was many years later.
In 1969, when it was still the "Cultural Revolution", in early March, Mr. Qiu passed through Wuhan with the crew of the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe's "Dujuan Mountain", and there were three performances, a single play, and Mr. Qiu sang "Harbor". I wrote an article about this, and the Drama film newspaper published it with the title of "Qiu Shengrong Stirs Up a Thousand Waves".
At that time, I was working in the Wuhan Peking Opera Troupe, and I had a reception task, so I was able to watch three shows in a row (2, 6, and 7 days, respectively), and "drama addiction" was naturally enough, which can be said to compensate for more than ten years of shortcomings. It's just that I have another long-cherished wish, and I always wonder how I can meet Mr. Qiu.
Qiu Shengrong
During this period, I heard a "gossip message" that Comrade Tan Yuanshou had brought from Beijing "Comrade Jiang Qing's message," hoping to convey it to "Comrade Sheng Lin" and ask him to do a good job in private criticism and repair, touching the soul, and gaining the understanding of the masses. He also said that he could teach and teach drama, eat the meals of workers, peasants, and soldiers for so many years, and release so much poison, so that he could pay off his debts. As soon as I heard about this, I felt that the opportunity had come. Qiu Shengrong and Gao Shenglin are brothers who open their legs, and they wear an old partner of colored pants, although Goldman Sachs Lin was not "liberated" at that time, but "above" already had such "words", why not let them meet? Won't I be able to talk to Mr. Qiu too?
I summed it up with a few people, and just before the performance on the evening of the 6th, I first invited Qiu Shengrong (which was his name changed at that time, and "victory" and "glory", through "revolution" and "progress") to the stage, and then let people go offstage to call Goldman Sachs Lin (he had been allowed to watch the play). Taking advantage of this moment, I chatted with Mr. Qiu and went straight to the "subject" and asked him how to practice his voice. To be honest, since the collapse of the warehouse, the voice has disappeared, whenever I hear Mr. Qiu's singing, my throat itches, but the "heart" is more than enough and the "voice" is insufficient, so I first hold back this question.
Qiu Shengrong, Ma Lianliang, Zhao Yanxia's "Cuckoo Mountain"
Mr. Qiu said that this voice is the characteristics and strengths of each person, and it should be practiced according to its own characteristics, not mechanically imitating others. Many people have to learn from me, in fact, this also depends on personal conditions, not necessarily to learn me. Don't you see that people who play table tennis are not all trying to play their own strengths according to their own conditions?
During the conversation, Mr. Gao took the stage from the corner of the curtain that had not yet opened. He wore a military coat, a military hat, the brim of which was pressed low, it was really a "brow cover", and he wore a very large mask. It could be seen that it was only fear that people would recognize him. Mr. Qiu hurriedly greeted him and called out "Comrade Sheng Lin"; Mr. Gao hurriedly took off his mask, but he wanted to stop talking, and it seemed that he could not find a suitable title at once, but just tightly held Mr. Qiu's hand. At that time, there was nowhere to sit on the stage, so we let them sit down on the carpet that was still rolled up. I don't know whether I was not prepared for this abrupt meeting psychologically, or Whether I was worried about the tight sitting of our "young generals", Mr. Qiu did not say much, and Mr. Gao only had Wei Wei.
After Goldman Sachs Lin performed "Pick a Scooter", he took a group photo with Ma Lianliang, Tan Fuying and Qiu Shengrong
Mr. Qiu said: "If there is no new society, there will be both of us!" He also said, "Comrade Sheng Lin, we must strive to fight for private criticism and repairs, gain the understanding of the masses, and strive for early liberation." These, needless to say, were all "official words" and "clichés" at that time, but it could be heard that Mr. Qiu was sincere. We stood by, ears pricked up, eyes wide open, hoping they could talk about something else, but what else could they talk about then?
Two and a half years later, Mr. Qiu died of lung cancer, and his three "Harbor" oratorios became the last of his conversation with the Audience in Wuhan; my first conversation with Mr. Qiu became the last conversation.
Thirty years later, I still think about it and still feel sorry for it!
July 1994
(Peking Opera Speculations)