In the Yue Opera Art Hall of Fame, the name Meng Liying may not be well-known to many people, but when it comes to the "Purple Juan" in the Yue Opera movie "Dream of Red Mansions", I believe many old opera fans must have an impression.
The eternal "Purple Juan"
Meng Liying is the actor of Zijuan, Zijuan in the film is not only Lin Daiyu's personal maid, but also spends joys, sorrows and sorrows with her like a sister.
The original novel of "Dream of Red Mansions" does not pay much attention to Zijuan, but screenwriter Xu Jin has a soft spot for Zijuan, giving Zijuan a new connotation, and through heavy scenes such as Daiyu entering the mansion, trying jade, Daiyu burning manuscripts, leaving, and Baoyu crying spirit, Zijuan's arrogant, simple and affectionate character is artistically displayed.
What's even more commendable is that the emotional interaction between her and Lin Daiyu played by Wang Wenjuan is meticulous, and the performances of the two have reached a perfect height in the major scenes such as "Burning Manuscripts" and "Burning Pa", which makes the deep friendship and sisterly love between the master and maid deeply move every audience and become an eternal classic character image.
Focus on the artistic path of "girl".
Meng Liying's voice conditions and appearance are excellent, and she has enough strength to play the leading role, however, she chose another unique artistic path - focusing on creating supporting roles, especially a series of popular "girl" roles.
She skillfully integrates the singing characteristics of the "Fu School" and the "Yuan School", and creates a singing expression with personal characteristics, often using exaggerated portamento to render the emotional atmosphere, so that the characters she plays have their own styles and are rarely the same. It is this unique artistic pursuit that has earned her the reputation of "The King of Girls" and become an irreplaceable green leaf in the Yue Opera industry.
The reason why I don't want to be a "safflower" and be a "green leaf".
Meng Liying's artistic concept of being willing to be a green leaf is inseparable from her upbringing. Born in an ordinary citizen family in Shanghai, she was exposed to Yue Opera since she was a child, especially the strong artistic atmosphere near the Longmen Grand Theater, which made her obsessed with Yue Opera performances early.
In 1951, Meng Liying, who was only 17 years old, resolutely devoted herself to the career of Yue Opera, first apprenticed at the Hangzhou Yue Opera Folk Art Drama Society, and then entered the Shanghai Yue Opera industry through the promotion of Ding Saijun, a famous student of the Yue Opera Fan School, and joined the Second Troupe of the Shanghai Yue Opera Troupe as a Hua Dan and Tsing Yi actor.
Shangyue No. 2 Troupe is a troupe led by the famous Yue Opera Huadan Wang Wenjuan and Xiaosheng Xu Yulan, Meng Liying thought to herself that although her voice conditions are good, her singing performance is not comparable to that of famous actors such as Wang Wenjuan and Xu Yulan.
She knows that her "weight" is not enough to serve as the "box office guarantee" of a theater group. Honghua always needs green leaves, and if she performs her plays well and wonderfully, she can also have a place in the talent-rich Shanghai Yue Theater.
Red flowers and green leaves, sisterhood is deeper
In the in-depth cooperation with teacher Wang Wenjuan, Meng Liying's acting skills have been sublimated. During the rehearsal of "Dream of Red Mansions", Meng Liying was a little restrained at first in the face of Wang Wenjuan, a senior artist, but under Wang Wenjuan's guidance and encouragement, she gradually found the soul of Zijuan's character.
Wang Wenjuan discussed art with Meng Liying on an equal footing, and the deep friendship between the two on and off the stage made the relationship between Zijuan and Lin Daiyu more real and touchable, which has also become an unforgettable story in their artistic careers.
When performing the climactic plot of "Baoyu Crying Spirit, Asking the Purple Juan", Meng Liying faced unprecedented singing and performance challenges. By working closely with composers Gu Zhenyao and Xu Yulan, she overcame difficulties and successfully pushed Zijuan's grief to the extreme.
The green leaves reflect the red flowers, and the achievements are also brilliant
Meng Liying is well aware of the diversity and harmonious beauty of art, and does her best to interpret the role of green leaves well. Although she has played the leading role in dramas such as "Plum Blossom Soul", "Chaoyanggou", and "Pearl Tower", people are still most talked about about her "girl play".
Meng Liying once said that being able to play a "personal girl" next to a "Yue Opera master" like Wang Wenjuan in this life is not only unyielding, but it is the honor of her life. This is the main reason why she is willing to be Wang Wenjuan's "personal girl" all her life.
She believes that both "red flowers" and "green leaves" are indispensable parts of the stage, and only when the two complement each other can a real good show be achieved. Meng Liying defines herself as a "leaf" on the stage,
Meng Liying's artistic career is a true portrayal of her unremitting pursuit and selfless dedication to art. She spends her life shaping each "girl" character, giving them vivid vitality and emotional depth. Even in the twilight of her life, she still adheres to the road of artistic exploration, and interprets the value and significance of "green leaves" with practical actions.
In March 2023, Ms. Meng Liying left us, but her artistic spirit and the image of "green leaves" that will always shine on the stage of Yue Opera will forever be engraved in the depths of the audience's memory.