Peking Opera "Three Forks" is the most performed on the Stage of Peking Opera in China and the most performed abroad, and is a classic in Peking Opera. The plot source of "Three Forks" comes from "Yang Family General Yanyi", showing the Song Dynasty general Jiao Zan, who was framed by the traitorous ministers and escorted, and went to the Liu family shop at Sanchakou to spend the night, the chivalrous general Ren Tanghui followed all the way into the store in order to rescue Jiao Zan, the shop owner Liu Lihua and his wife were chivalrous and righteous soldiers, mistakenly recognized Ren Tanghui as an enemy, the two fought in the store at night, Jiao Zan arrived at the sound, which resolved the misunderstanding.
For Gao Yunsheng, a 92-year-old famous Peking Opera performance artist, "Three Forks" is still a special Peking Opera martial arts on that bright stage in the depths of his memory. Gao Yunsheng said: "In the Fulian Chengke class, Mr. Ye Shengzhang told me about the "Three Forks", I came to Wusheng Ren Tanghui and Zhai Yunkui to wu ugly Liu Lihua. Mr. Ye said that the drama is very exquisite, once after dinner, he took Zhai Yunkui and me outside the house, and a table was placed in the courtyard, allowing us to practice blindly with black lights and find the feeling of playing at night. At that time, I was stupid, when I was a child, I was timid, afraid that the dark would hurt myself, but Mr. Ye was very serious, he told the two of them that they could not see clearly at night, in order to master the thrilling scene of dancing knife chopping. Zhai Yunkui is a little younger than me, we both transferred from the Chinese Opera School to Fu Liancheng, he is a very good Peking Opera martial arts performance artist, inheriting Mr. Ye Shengzhang's performance style, in the Beijing Peking Opera circle, Zhai Yunkui and Zhang Chunhua, Gu Chunzhang have the reputation of martial arts and ugly three masters. ”
A calling card to the world
August this year marks the 70th anniversary of the first overseas performance of the Peking opera "Three Forks" after the founding of New China. In the past 70 years, "Three Forks" has been performed almost all over the world. Gao Yunsheng said: "In 1951, the China Peking Opera House changed Liu Lihua's identity from the negative role of opening a black shop to a hero and a good man, protecting Jiao Zan, having a misunderstanding with Ren Tanghui, and engaging in a fight. In the end, the misunderstanding is eliminated and the words are reconciled. And Liu Lihua, who originally painted an ugly face, also changed to a positive figure dressed as a handsome person. ”
In August 1951, the famous Peking Opera performance artists Zhang Yunxi and Zhang Chunhua participated in the third "World Youth Peace and Friendship Festival" held in Berlin, Germany, together with the China Youth Art Troupe, and their starring role in "Three Forks" sensationalized the World Youth Festival and won the Gold Award of the World Youth Peace and Friendship Festival, which was also the first time that Chinese Peking Opera won an international award. Zhang Yunxi and Zhang Chunhua have repeatedly accompanied the Chinese art troupe to France, Italy, The United Kingdom and other countries to perform "Three Forks", and their superb performances have caused a sensation in the world. In 1955, the China Peking Opera House visited the Soviet Union and Poland to perform, and the famous Peking Opera performance artists Li Shaochun and Ye Shengzhang performed "Three Forks", and their wonderful performances stunned the world art stage.
Zhang Yunxi Zhang Chunhua
There is a black-and-white photograph of Gao Yunsheng's home, which is the scene of Gao Yunsheng and Guo Jinguang performing the Peking opera "Three Forks" in an agricultural production cooperative in Czechoslovakia, which is a precious souvenir of Gao Yunsheng's visit to the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania and other countries in 1954 with the General Political Song and Dance Troupe of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Gao Yunsheng said: "On that visit, the Zongzheng Song and Dance Troupe went to more than 200 people, with symphony, chorus, dance and other programs, Peking Opera went to more than 20 people, "Three Forks" and "Haunting dragon palace" are one of the favorite programs of foreign audiences. ”
In 1954, Gao Yunsheng was transferred from the Shengli Peking Opera Troupe of the Political Department of the Northeast Military Region to the Peking Opera Troupe of the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army, and Gao Yunsheng's co-performance of "Three Forks" with Guo Jinguang was well-known at home and abroad. Guo Jinguang is an excellent martial arts performance artist, he flips and stumbles, is quick and fast, and is known as the "king of heels". Gao Yunsheng is known for his beautiful figure, and Ren Tanghui, who he played in "Three Forks", has clean and neat movements, plays beautifully, does not drag mud and water, and performs quickly and flexibly. Gao Yunsheng has accompanied the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Political Song and Dance Troupe, the Chinese Culture and Art Delegation, the China Peking Opera Theater and many other countries and regions in Asia, Africa, Europe and other countries and regions, as a witness and witness, and has made indelible contributions to the cause of new Chinese cultural diplomacy.
Gao Yunsheng Guo Jinguang
Generations of artists have performed with passion
The unique artistic charm of Peking Opera "Three Forks" has been continuously processed by several generations of artists and achieved high artistic attainment. As early as 1824 (the fourth year of The Qing Daoguang), there was the play "Three Forks". In 1879 (the fifth year of Qing Guangxu), the Peking Opera master Tan Xinpei performed in Shanghai for the first time and also starred in "Three Forks".
Gao Yunsheng said: "When it comes to "Three Forks", it is necessary to mention the famous Peking Opera performance artist Mr. Gai Mingtian, I have seen Mr. Gai Mingtian's "Three Forks" in Shanghai, and he has made outstanding contributions to the classic of "Three Forks". Ren Tanghui, played by Gai Mingtian, is athletic, thrilling and realistic in the dark, one move at a time, brisk and agile. "Three Forks" is also a masterpiece of Gaipai art, and has become a long-term performance repertoire of 'Gaipai' Wusheng. 'The English name Of the Three Forks of the Gaishi, the Masterpiece Of The Amazing Cross Slope' is a high evaluation of the gai called the sky. In 1947, Gai Mingtian invited Ye Shengzhang to the Shanghai Golden Stage to perform "Three Forks" with the honor of double-headed cards, and they played the stunt of "fighting in the dark", which was praised by the audience at that time as a "fighting drama" of "north and south doubles", and since then, the reputation of "Three Forks" has been shocked and has become a famous drama with a big finale.
The martial arts skills of ye Shengzhang, a famous Peking Opera performance artist, are well-known in the Peking Opera circle, and he has the reputation of "the first martial ugly". Gao Yunsheng said: "Mr. Ye Shengzhang's martial arts are very solid and superb, and he pays great attention to character building. His "heel" when he "appeared" in "Three Forks" was tall and light. Squatting 'walking short', can walk several 'round fields'. Ye Shengzhang vividly performed the scene of dark fighting, as if he were immersed in the scene. In "Three Forks", the techniques of playing with chairs and jumping chairs are amazing and amazing. Ye Shengzhang has long cooperated with Li Shaochun to perform "Three Forks", with tacit understanding, which has become a classic of this play. ”
Ye Shengzhang Li Shaochun
Gao Yunsheng said: "In the performance of "Three Forks", Wusheng should pay attention to the beauty of the shape, the stretching of the body, the fiery and compact martial arts, and more close cooperation with the martial ugly. In 1952, when Gao Yunsheng was performing "Three Forks", Li Zengchun, who played Liu Lihua, moved a little off, cut it down with a knife, and cut the corner of Gao Yunsheng's right eye, and Gao Yunsheng completed the performance with blood. After the performance, Gao Yunsheng was taken to the hospital. After examination, only the corner of the right eye was cut and three stitches were stitched. Gao Yunsheng said: "The performance of "Three Forks" should not only pay attention to martial arts, but also require two people to be highly consistent. Can't be a little sloppy, that time is particularly hanging, if Li Zengchun's knife splitting action is slightly off, my dodging action is a little slower, I'm afraid my right eye can't be saved. ”
Gao Yunsheng is a respected performance artist, and behind his wonderful performances, there are also sad stories. Gao Yunsheng once performed "Three Forks", his knee was in severe pain, and he received a closed injection to relieve the pain before he appeared on the stage. As a martial arts actor, in his stage art career, he can't get around the word "injury". Whether it is a young actor or an experienced old actor, there will be different degrees of injuries in practice and performance. Gao Yunsheng was no exception, injuring the meniscus of both legs and later surgically removing the meniscus that had broken inside the knee joint. Gao Yunsheng kept the pain of illness to himself and dedicated exquisite art to the audience.
The artist's sense of home and country
In the Liaoshen Campaign and the liberation of Changchun, Gao Yunsheng performed "Three Forks" to the front line of the war, dedicating his youth. In 1952 and 1953, Gao Yunsheng went to Korea twice to comfort the Chinese Volunteer Army, starring in peking opera "Three Forks" and "Water Curtain Cave" and other plays. During the months-long condolence performance, Gao Yunsheng braved the rain of bullets and bullets, and Li Zengchun, who played Liu Lihua, performed "Three Forks" to all the positions on the east coast of North Korea and some positions on the west coast, bringing more than 100 condolence performances to the soldiers. He dedicated the most beautiful Peking Opera art to "the most lovely people". Because of Gao Yunsheng's outstanding performance, he was also commended by the Political Department of the Northeast Military Region.
Gao Yunsheng
The famous Peking Opera performance artist Gao Shenglin is Gao Yunsheng's second brother. In May 1953, Gao Shenglin went to Korea with the Wuhan Peking Opera Troupe to comfort the Chinese Volunteer Army, and in the front position, braving the rain of bullets and bullets, he performed "Three Forks" and "Haunting Heavenly Palace", and cooperated with Goldman Sachs Lin to perform "Three Forks" as Liu Lihua's Gao Shitai, the third brother of Gao Yunsheng, Gao Shitai is an excellent martial arts artist, he is clear-tongued, witty, and wonderful, with "Five Flower Cave" and "Four Soldiers" as the best. During the performance of the Korean Condolence Volunteer Army, the brothers Gao Shenglin and Ko Shitai also received commendations from the headquarters of the Chinese Volunteer Army for their outstanding performance.
In 1954, a rare flood occurred in Wuhan, Gao Shenglin participated in the anti-flood condolence performance, rushed to the front line of flood relief, and performed "Three Forks" and other plays with Gao Shitai on the truck, some thrilling martial arts scenes, they were completed in the shaking carriage and the danger of falling at any time. The performance of "Three Forks" on the truck became a good story of the anti-flood condolence performance, and Goldman Sachs Lin was awarded the title of "Flood Prevention Hero" by the Wuhan Municipal Government.
Tan Yuanshou, a famous Peking Opera performance artist, is Gao Yunsheng's brother in Fulian Chengke Class, and the two of them are both small and close friends. In 1953, Tan Yuanshou, who was then in the Peking Opera Troupe of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, received the task of going to the Korean front to comfort the volunteers, Tan Yuanshou bid farewell to his bedridden grandfather, who was bedridden, and followed the General Political Affairs Peking Opera Troupe to the Korean front. Braving artillery fire and risking, they went deep into the garrison and forward posts to offer condolences and performances. Tan Yuanshou once told Gao Yunsheng before his death: "That visit to North Korea to comfort the Chinese Volunteer Army was the most performed in my life of "Three Forks" and the most unforgettable experience. ”
Today, what makes Gao Yunsheng unforgettable is that the guns and bullets of the War of Liberation, the defense of the family and the country in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the condolence performances at the grass-roots level, and the visits abroad on behalf of the country have closely linked their personal destiny with the fate of the party and the country and realized their artistic life.
It is through the interpretation of many artists that "Three Forks" has become a classic of Peking Opera. Behind the classics, there is the persistent pursuit and dedication of the older generation of artists to the art of Peking Opera. "Three Forks" made them, and they also made "Three Forks".