Pass on the classics better

"Wild Boar Forest" rehearsal site information photo

The 2022 "100-day training" of the National Peking Theatre has begun. A few days ago, this reporter came to the Changheyuan Theater of the National Peking Opera, and "Wild Boar Forest," starring Tian Lei, a cultural master of the Central Propaganda Department and a "four batches" of talents and the leading talent training object of the "Hundred Days Training" of the National Peking Opera Theater, was in an intensive rehearsal, and the couple of Liyuan, the couple of the "Plum Blossom Award," and the famous Peking Opera performance artists Li Guang and Shen Jianjin were on the spot to guide.

Old opera and new singing are the tradition of the National Peking Theatre

"The new singing of old operas is the tradition of the old three troupes of the Peking Opera Theatre." Li Guang told reporters that his masterpiece "The Horror of the Han Palace" was adapted on the basis of the traditional play "Striking Golden Bricks", and "Wild Boar Forest" was created by Mr. Li Shaochun on the basis of "Forced to Liangshan".

Peking Opera "Wild Boar Forest" is a classic play that melts "singing and doing fighting" in one furnace, with the characteristics of a strong literary and martial arts old life drama, which has always been loved by the majority of audiences. Its story is based on the mainland classical literary masterpiece "Water Margin", which tells the story of Lin Chong, the leader of the 800,000 forbidden army in Tokyo during the Northern Song Dynasty, who was framed by the taiwei Gao Li and sent to Cangzhou, on the way to be rescued by the brother Lu Zhishen, and later at the Mountain Temple, Lin Chong stabbed the enemy Lu Qian, braving the wind and snow to flee to Liangshan Po overnight. The first to put this story on the stage of Peking Opera was Yang Xiaolou, the grandmaster of Wusheng, and in 1948, it was sorted out and adapted by the famous Peking Opera performance artist Mr. Li Shaochun, and the play became a classic repertoire. In 1949, the play was performed 66 times in Shanghai. In 1963, the play was put on the screen and swept across the country.

"This play Mr. Li Shaochun did not perform on the stage after filming the movie that year. Later, the China Peking Opera Re-arranged this play, starring Li Guang, Yuan Guolin and Li Weikang, strictly respecting Li Shaochun's version, but there were also innovations, mainly reflected in the music design and lighting set. Shen Jianjin explained that the appearance of Lin Chong and Lin Niangzi only has percussion in the movie, and the "Changting Separate" is over after the two sing. Later, the appearance music was added to the rehearsal, which was very good and was designed by the lead actor Li Guang, the pianist Lin Zongti and the xu junde who played the moon piano at that time. "Changting Parting" became a "parting song" after adding music, which made the life and death parting of Lin Chong and Lin Niangzi more tragic and moving, and the play was more beautiful. Dancing sword, the movie is a dance knife, the stage version has a dancing sword, when the sword dance used to be only percussion, Li Guang added music when performing, music, dancing sword and Peking Opera gong and drum point three combination, the effect is particularly good. Mr. Li Wanchun, a famous Peking opera artist, watched it and said that your innovation is very good, more wonderful than in the past. In the future, the Peking Opera Troupe across the country performed "Wild Boar Forest", and this version was used.

Cultivate leading talents and inherit the classics of the country

"Mr. Li Shaochun is the first generation of the main actor of "Wild Boar Forest", I am the second generation, they are the third generation." Li Guang pointed to Tian Lei on the stage and was very satisfied with his performance, "I rehearsed this play for him before, and this time the performance is much more mature." ”

"'Wild Boar Forest' is a condensation of the artistic essence of Mr. Li Shaochun's life, I imitated it first, and it is not easy to look like it." Under the guidance of teacher Li Guang, it is a process of progress to experience Teacher Li Guang's understanding of the characters and strive to do it. Tian Lei said.

Mr. Li Shaochun's performing arts are broad and refined, miscellaneous and pure. He is an all-rounder in literature and martial arts, inheriting the past and opening up the future, and is extremely creative. Old life drama, wusheng drama, red life drama, monkey drama, traditional drama, newly compiled historical drama, modern drama, are very good at it. This "Wild Boar Forest" is his painstaking work and a reserved play of Guojing, which must be passed on from generation to generation. Li Guang said that in the past, the old three troupes rehearsed plays because of people, and he had both literature and martial arts, so he arranged "HanGuan Horror", "Great Trouble in the Heavenly Palace", "Wild Boar Forest", etc. Li Weikang sang well, and he arranged "Butterfly Love Flower", "Qin Xianglian", "Xie Yaohuan" and other plays. "Today's young people have very good conditions themselves, such as Tian Lei, who is good at both culture and martial arts, and now inherits the plays of the older generation, and in the future, they can also tailor some plays for them."

"Compared with our predecessors, our foundation is too weak", Tian Lei frankly said that the gap between them and their predecessors is too large, Mr. Li Shaochun is a generation of masters, and Li Guang is also deep and solid in kung fu, feeling that he cannot reach the dust.

In fact, Tian Lei is also a leader among his peers, he is a graduate student of the 4th Chinese Peking Opera Outstanding Young Actors Graduate Class, in 2020, the Central Propaganda Department awarded cultural masters and "four batches" of talents, the winner of the Plum Blossom Award, and in 2021, he was selected into the National Opera Performance Leading Talent Training Program of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In addition to traditional dramas, there are outstanding performances in the newly compiled historical dramas "North Wind Tight", "Shijie Wang Bo", "LuoshuiyiRen", "Lady Anguo", the adapted historical drama "The Battle of Weinan", the newly compiled modern Peking Opera "Mirror Sea Soul", "Dongji Hero", "The Party's Daughter", "Cross the River Reconnaissance", "Warrior" and other dramas. What is even more rare is that he has inherited many famous artists and genres, and can perform plays of multiple genres.

Shen Jianjin was very pleased when several scenes were arranged, she said: "The repertoire is a classic play, and it is more effective to choose a good actor." Lin Chong of Tian Lei, Lin Niangzi of Fu Jia, and Lu Zhishen of Yang Wei are all outstanding, inheriting the innovative style of the National Peking Theatre. ”

The spirit of "one dish" also needs to be inherited

"Stop, you two go again, the action should be fast", Li Guang stood up, let the young actors Shi Yan and Yu Huikang, who played Dong Chao and Xue Ba, re-do the action of helping Lin Chong to sit down, and let them do the action at the same time, the recitation in the mouth should also say faster.

"Peking Opera pays attention to the spirit of 'one dish', and the protagonist and supporting roles must be wonderful. While inheriting the classic repertoire, the spirit of 'one dish' also needs to be inherited. Li Guang stressed.

The reporter saw that Li Chen, who played Jin'er, completed the closing of the door and the knife action neatly under the guidance, and the actor Jin Xing in Gao Ya was more exaggerated and ugly. And Huang Jia, the father-in-law of Lin Chong, who has just left the field, and tian lei, the lead actor, practiced the knife-to-gun competition of the previous few scenes on the side. In the entire rehearsal hall, both the main actor and the supporting role are seriously rehearsing the scene, and there is no distraction.

Outstanding young actress Fu Jia plays Lin Niangzi in the play, and she is very excited to be able to perform this play and play the role that the teacher once played. She said that when she was a child, she saw a movie, and the teacher was young at that time, whether it was the appearance or the singing voice, the whole state was the best period. "Although I did not have the opportunity to play Lady Lin before the teacher was born, the teacher once taught me this play from beginning to end, from singing to acting and stating, word by word for me to guide the play. The drama was processed and guided by Teacher Li Guang and Teacher Shen, and fully respected The guidance of Teacher Du before his death, mainly to make subtle adjustments to the places that were not suitable for walking, including position, movements, etc. Teacher Shen said that as long as the feelings are in place and in line with the character, there is no problem. Previously, he has cooperated with Tian Lei in "Shiro Visits His Mother" and "Nagasaka Slope", which is the third cooperation. He is a very mature actor who can lead me into the play. ”

"In the past, we have the responsibility to inherit the classic repertoire created by Mr. Lao, so that the current audience can see the style of Guojing in that year." In 2019, the National Capital re-rehearsal of "The Great Haunting of the Heavenly Palace", the ticket attendance rate is excellent. Shen Jianjin said with emotion that many things have not been passed down and people have gone, which is a pity." Li Guang is 81 years old this year, and I am also 77 years old, and I am eager to pass on what I have learned to young people. As a Peking opera person, we must give the audience good drama and introduce good talents. ”

(Reporter Su Liping)

Source: Guangming Daily