The picture shows Tan Xinpei, the second generation of Tanmen and the founder of the Tan Sect
The picture shows Tan Xiaozeng, the sixth generation of Tanmen
The picture shows Tan Zhengyan, the youngest descendant of Tan men now
Chutian Metropolis Daily reporter Zhang Cong
On April 23, 2017, a series of activities to commemorate the 170th anniversary of Tan Xinpei's birth in Wuhan began, and Tan Xiao, the sixth generation of Tanmen and a famous Peking Opera performance artist, returned to his hometown and paid homage to the bronze statue of Tan Xinpei, the ancestor of Tanmen, with 6 disciples who worshiped on the same day.
More than 160 years ago, Tan Zhidao, a Han tune artist in Wuhan's Jiangxia District, took his son Tan Xinpei north to make a living in order to escape the chaos of war. Tan Xinpei founded the tan school, the first old school in the history of Chinese Peking opera, on the basis of inheriting his father's mantle. From Tan Zhidao, Tan Xinpei, Tan Xiaopei, Tan Fuying, to Tan Yuanshou, Tan Xiaozeng, Tan Zhengyan, Tan Men has been passed down for seven generations, and has been formed through the development and formation of Chinese Peking Opera to various stages of brilliant maturity, which can be called a "condensed history of Chinese Peking Opera".
Inheritance is a responsibility, and behind it is also hidden hardships and the pursuit of breakthroughs. To the present of 2019, how to adhere to and innovate this heritage? On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, as a representative of Hubei cultural figures, yesterday, Tan Xiao, the sixth generation of Tan men and a famous Peking Opera performance artist, was interviewed by a reporter from Chutian Metropolis Daily. As a peer of the republic, 70-year-old Tan Xiao once said that from literary and art workers to soul engineers, the Tan family hopes to contribute to the reconstruction of cultural self-confidence in Peking Opera through their own efforts, "Inheritance is naturally stressful, but what the Tan family is best at is to live in the present and then do what we need to do in this historical period." ”
Why can Tammen be passed on for seven generations
Drama is better than heaven peking opera is fate
Seven generations dedicated their lives to Peking Opera, and six generations simultaneously cultivated the old life industry, which is extremely rare in the pear garden line that is known as the fifth generation. The Tan family can be passed down from generation to generation, and in Tan Xiaozeng's view, it is not unrelated to the family style. In the interview, he mentioned that the Tan family has never been a person before learning to play, and in the literary and art circles and pear garden, "it can be said that no one has any criticism of our family, saying 'this person is not good'." ”
For example, the drama is bigger than the sky, Tan Xiao once mentioned that his father and grandfather went backstage to make up seriously, and they took out 200% of their energy on the stage.
Serious about the drama from childhood, tan zhengyan, the youngest descendant of the Tan family, entered the drama school relatively late, in order to catch up with the progress, other students got up at six o'clock to practice, Tan Zhengyan got up at half past four, and finally became a hard training pacesetter.
Now, Tan Zhengyan is a representative of the new generation of young actors in the Beijing Opera House, and he still insists on practicing for three and a half hours every afternoon. Tan Xiao once mentioned that Chinese New Year's Eve this year, he was waiting for his son at his father's house for a reunion dinner, and Tan Zhengyan arrived at five o'clock in the afternoon, "Asked him why he went, he said he had just finished practicing." ”
Today, the 70-year-old Tan Xiaozeng is still active on the Peking Opera stage, and when he is older, he is more cautious about the performance, "because everyone's expectations are too high, you can't think of yourself as older, and you absolutely can't have a situation where you haven't performed well, so that the audience will have pity for you." "Filial piety comes first, and loyalty is passed down from family to family for a long time." Tammen Peking Opera can be passed down for seven generations, relying on morality, spirit and art. This is the deepest experience of Tan Xiaozeng, who has been traversing the stage for more than 50 years. Born in 1949, he is the most clear historical witness to the different treatment of Peking Opera artists in the new and old societies, "The objective conditions are so good, and it is impossible to say that it is not good to sing opera and continue the charm of Peking Opera." ”
Discovering old dramas is exactly the inheritance of development
The Tan Pai Art Institute is also an opportunity
In September 2017, the 11-day "Commemoration of the 170th Anniversary of Tan Xinpei's Birth, The 111th Anniversary of Tan Fuying's Birth" genre classic boutique drama series was held in Beijing, in addition to "Dingjun Mountain", "Yangping Pass", "Evil Tiger Village", "Zhu Curtain Village" and other fine plays, Tan Xiaozeng also specially sorted out the old dramas that had not been staged for many years, such as "Peak Spring and Autumn", "Qinghe Bridge", "Picking The Ribbon", etc., so that they could reappear after decades.
In March this year, "Cinnabar Mole" was re-performed in Beijing, and Tan Xiao once forgot the theater effect at that time, "A piece of applause, the audience has cried." This made him feel that the work of sorting out old plays in recent years is quite meaningful, "I just want people to see that Tan Pai and Lao Sheng are not without plays, but lack of excavation and sorting." There are many good and not preachy things in the old drama, loyalty and filial piety, punishment of evil and promotion of good, these emotions will naturally move people. ”
It is not easy to sort out old plays, and many excellent plays are on the verge of being lost. For example, "Qinghe Bridge" does not even have video materials, all relying on the memories of old artists to restore a little. Sorting out the old drama, Tan Xiao once had a very clear idea: the previous performances were mostly acting cores, and singing was full of color, but for the audience who are not so familiar with Peking Opera now, the context of the story should be explained clearly to be attractive, "Then we will add the beginning and tail to this play core and sort out the whole book." ”
In August this year, the Beijing Opera House set up the "Tan Pai Art Research Institute", in addition to performing, excavating, sorting out and rescuing the tan pai classic repertoire, the institute will also study and summarize the Tan Pai art theory, innovate the Tan Pai repertoire, carry out Tan Pai art academic exchange activities, cultivate Tan Pai reserve talents, etc. 70-year-old Tan Xiao once said that in the future, his main energy is to put here, "This is an opportunity, seven generations, if there is no institution to sort out the complete information, one day history will be annihilated." ”
Of course, he also said that he also had a task, that is, to focus on his sons and apprentices, "The future of Peking Opera is theirs." ”
Not everyone did Tan Xinpei
Inheritance must follow the times
This month, the Beijing Opera House launched a series of performances for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the academy, among which Tan Zhengyan, Yang Shaopeng, Zhang Jianfeng and other 13 theater candidates led the performance of "Thirteen Jies Contending for Wonder and Fighting Beauty" that was popular with opera fans, and the performances covered six different professions of Lao Sheng, Xiao Sheng, Wu Sheng, Hua Face, Qing Yi and Lao Dan, intended to show the style of the young backbone Peking Opera actors of the Beijing Opera House, of which Tan Zhengyan played Tan Men's heirloom "Dingjun Mountain". Tan Xiao once said that this "Dingjun Mountain" is the highest attendance rate in the "Thirteen Jie Controversies" series of performances.
The heirs can sing the play well and get the audience to win the audience, which is undoubtedly the happiest thing for the Tan family. After all, a glory, the pressure and burden of inheritance are always there.
In the interview, Tan Xiao once admitted that he had no pressure when he was young, but the pressure on his son Tan Zhengyan was greater, "He is a very introverted child, not very good at expressing himself, and the sad things are carried by himself." ”
In addition to their own innovative pursuit in art, these pressures also come from the outside world's eyes and judgments, "Hey, is your Tan family inferior to a generation?" And this kind of pressure and pain Tan Xiao once said that there were people in his ancestors who endured, "For example, my great-grandfather Tan Xiaopei, people used to say that he was inferior to his father (Tan Xinpei) and inferior to his son (Tan Fuying), but is this really the case?" ”
The truth he realized himself often said to his son, "In fact, everyone is dedicating, Tan Xiaopei gave up his artistic life to cultivate his son, is it not doing a good job?" Moreover, the seven generations of the Tan family should do different things that are beneficial to Peking Opera in different historical periods, and be worthy of their ancestors and worthy of society, rather than saying that everyone must be like Tan Xinpei to applaud. ”
For example, now, in order to promote Peking Opera, 40-year-old Tan Zhengyan tried to use Peking Opera to make cross-border integration of various stage arts; 70-year-old Tan Xiao once sorted out old plays and Tan Men materials in addition to performing and taking apprentices; 92-year-old Tan Yuanshou would also put forward his own opinions on the collation and new compilation of old plays... Tan Xiao once felt that this was all the dedication of the Tan family to Peking Opera.
He said that more than thirty plays have been sorted out so far, and the Beijing Peking Opera House has also renovated a theater near Wangfujing as a base for Tanpai art exhibitions. He said he looked forward to returning to his hometown with the old dramas he had sorted out as soon as possible, "bringing the style of Tanmen back to Jiangxia and back to Wuhan." ”