Shen Xiaomei's artistic personality in many dimensions
Artistic personality is the overall mental outlook of an artist, that is, the sum of psychological characteristics with certain tendencies, and it is also the characteristics that stand out from others in the artist's commonality. Shen Xiaomei, the head of the Henan Yue Tune Troupe and a famous Yue Tune performance artist, has a kind of devotion to art, and with the spirit of perseverance and hard work, absorbs and explores in many ways, highlighting the multi-dimensional artistic personality, so that the art of Yue tone as a whole is richer and more diverse.
Luo Yun (right) and Shen Xiaomei (center), one of the authors of this article, are on the rostrum of the Henan Artists Promotion Project - Shen Xiaomei Performing Arts Seminar
In 1998, "Shen Fengmei", rehearsed by the Henan YueTuo Opera Troupe (now the Henan YueTuo Art Heritage and Protection Center), was not so much a work of art as a common remembrance of Master Shen Fengmei. Based on her affection for her ancestors, Xiaomei naturally has an instinctive attachment to the play. It is believed that this is a kind of idea of saving the danger and supporting the tilt of the Henan Yue Tune Troupe gathered by the Henan Provincial Yue Tune Troupe 3 years after the death of Master Shen Xian, and it is also an inevitable choice for Xiaomei's ideological consciousness and responsibility.
More tune "Shen Fengmei" stills
To interpret such a character as Master Shen Fengmei, it is necessary to take its essence, abandon the branches, and put the most dramatic conflicting plot on the stage. Especially in some issues, it is necessary to accurately grasp and touch the pulse of life behind the phenomenon of life. Xiao Mei is very familiar with the sound and smile of the master, and the gestures and feet, so when dealing with the internal and external actions of Master Shen, she can show the master's life and the secret world in the depths of the soul in a concrete and perceptible way, making people feel the huge impact force. This kind of power is where XiaoMei and Master Shen's spiritual level are connected.
From youth to old age, the form, tone, personality, and psychology change with the changes of the times and the increase of age. Coupled with the penetration of the structure of the play within the play, there are always various changes in and out of the jump. The good news is that Xiaomei did not stay on the surface of the plot change, but deeply showed the characteristics of the various eras that Shen Fengmei experienced. For example, when Shen Fengmei let the xian young actor play the role of starring in the Yue tune movie "Li Tianbao Married", the contradiction and conflict with her husband Li Daxun suddenly intensified, and at this time there was a large section of enlightening confession, Xiaomei grasped the logical accent, emotional accent and tone accent to get the position accurately, and the tension was relaxed. In particular, "Daxun, aren't you mad at me?" That grasp of tone is established on the basis of truth and nature, vividly interpreting the unique expression of feelings between Shen Fengmei and Li Daxun.
Xiaomei not only creatively interpreted Shen Fengmei as a person, but also creatively inherited Shen Fengmei's artistic spirit. The play also provides strong spiritual support for the Henan Yue Tune Troupe. It is undeniable that the drama "Shen Fengmei" also has such and such deficiencies, but it is a pity that the drama was shelved prematurely. In fact, this drama should have achieved greater influence and radiation. We are optimistic about this play, and hope that Xiaomei can build this play into an artistic height commensurate with this era under the new aesthetic concept of the diversified era, so that it can stay on the stage for a long time.
Shen Fengmei said a play for Shen Xiaomei
If Xiaomei in the drama "Shen Fengmei" gives people the feeling of being a zhengzheng newcomer in the rising stage of growth, then after watching "Exhaust Qishan", we are surprised to find that she has bloomed her own dazzling brilliance more perfectly, which is infinitely gratifying. It can also be said that "Exhausting Qishan" is an important symbol of Shen Xiaomei's personality awareness, and has a very gratifying new atmosphere.
"Exhausting Qishan" completes the unfinished road of Shen Fengmei's lifelong pursuit of Zhuge Liang, showing the beginning of the docking of transpolar art and modern consciousness, giving Zhuge Liang a new perspective and the texture of the times. Following the natural logic of Zhuge Liang's character development, Xiaomei has pushed human nature into the depths of history, strengthened the psychological space, and injected fresh vitality.
In this play, Xiaomei deeply excavates the inner space of the characters, consciously restores Zhuge Liang from a deified symbol of wisdom to a "person", and then magnifies the warm human brilliance, so that Zhuge Liang has the human temperature of loving his wife and children. For example, after Zhuge Liang returned home, he took off his gossip clothes and helmet, and the warm scene of talking with his wife and children was a kind of psychological induction of family affection. This is Xiaomei's in-depth examination of Zhuge Liang from the contemporary stage, so that the oppressive and solemn atmosphere has seen a warm and bright color.
Yue Tune "Exhaust qi mountain"
Because Xiaomei had a profound understanding of Zhuge Liang, who had inherited master Shen's previous modeling, he had a more accurate grasp of the scale in "Exhausting Qishan". In particular, the relationship between Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi is more delicate and uniquely expressed. For example, Sima Yi wore a women's suit and appeared in the poetic imagery, twisting and twisting, singing with Zhuge Liang.com.
"You are as timid as a rat and insist on not fighting, which is a little manly."
"You don't have enough food and grass to fight quickly, and I have already seen through your move."
"You serve Cao Wei and bend down to usurp the rebellion, and the insult is difficult to escape for a thousand years."
"You went out of the Qi Mountains and nine to cut down the Central Plains six times, and in the end you wasted your efforts..."
Such a meaningful round of singing gives the original dualistic contradiction an intricate stream of consciousness display, which gives rise to new meanings.
"Sacrifice Lantern" is undoubtedly the most wonderful one in "Exhausting Qishan". After a rush of tumultuous strings, it is soothing again, one by one, just right. This expression is like a waterfall spraying down a stream. Shrouded in a gloomy blue light, on the empty stage, Zhuge Liang stumbled. Xiaomei's performance is no longer the usual Qingjian strength before, replaced by a hopeless and slow expression and a desolate look, conveying the loss of Zhuge Liang's failure and inability to return to heaven. At this moment, the floating seven-star candlelight reflected Zhuge Liangmuran's haggard face, and the desolate and tragic meaning enveloped his whole body, and his body had collapsed, but the vast qi at the bottom of his heart had not yet dissipated. Qi Qiran slowly sang "Kong Ming I wore a cloth coat on my body...", and if he traveled intermittently, he would slowly release the pain in his heart.
Stills of "Zhuge Liang Hanging Filial Piety" in Yue tune
More tune "Daming Zhu Yuanzhang" stills
In this nearly 100-sentence singing voice, Zhuge Liang's generous and tragic song on the altar is not a full of bitter crying like Zhou Yu crying in the spiritual hall, but an attempt to excavate the deepest connotation of the character's soul, focusing on conveying a sense of euphragic feelings that cannot be released. That kind of long-lasting emotion, like the undercurrent surging under the ice, needs a restrained tension. A mixture of feelings, nine turns of the intestine, are gathered in this large section of singing cavity in the middle of the layers of advancement, strongly expressed. This is far more heartbreaking than weeping. Xiaomei travels in the middle and low sound areas in her singing, cleverly integrating the modern sense of "qi" and "crying", complaining and complaining, which can really be described as tears, words and blood, and the sourness of the heart. Singing to "At this time, the eight parties are silent and the sky is vast, the seven star lanterns of Qi Youtai are bleak and lightless, I am afraid that the generals and the six gods and no masters are in turmoil, and the five of me are burning tears and wet clothes..." Xiao Mei sang with a clear board bass, with emotion, singing "The air will pay my life's hard work to the ocean", and shouted out in an almost heart-wrenching tone, with a sad demeanor, with a high degree of self-control, conveying Zhuge Liang's helplessness of unpaid ambition. In addition, the different dance postures of the 16 lantern girls form a multiple but integrated three-dimensional space, which strengthens the revelation of the characters' hearts. Huang Yueying's appearance in the illusory space subtly reflects the comfort of the husband and wife. Accompanied by the high-pitched and desolate behind-the-scenes singing of "Three Gu Maolu World Plans, Two Dynasties Kaiji Old Ministers' Hearts, Death Before Leaving the Master, Often Making Heroes Cry", it immediately brings people into a deep, long, solemn and sad atmosphere, rises the perception of the festival of human vitality, and creates a high and quiet spiritual realm. The play won the first place in the gold medal of the Ninth Henan Provincial Drama Competition.
"Pick up the unfinished thread of the predecessors, and open the end of the future generations that have not been enlightened." In "Exhausting qishan", Xiaomei gave Zhuge Liang the vicissitudes of the years and the feelings of the world, so that this image had a new brilliance on the stage. The Zhuge Liang she portrayed is magnificent and atmospheric, long and deep, dignified and timeless, with speculative psychological analysis.
Shen Xiaomei, head of the Henan Yue Tune Troupe
"Putting Lao Tzu, the sage, on the stage is a manifestation of the splendid cultural inheritance of the nation, and it also reveals the sincerity of the Yue people who are obsessed with the creation of drama." Practice has proved that this is a breakthrough in the subject area that Yue Tuning must face after a long and stable stage, and it is also the current call for the cultural character of Yue Tone.
Lao Tzu is an unprecedented role on the Henan drama stage, for the shaping of this new paradigm, Xiaomei can be said to be unsimitable before, now unsimitable, from the singing voice to the body, performance, to the exploration of the character's heart, it is completely creation and exploration. She has invested a lot of effort in many aspects such as physical strength, energy, feelings, etc. It is reported that she bought more than 400 yuan of books about Lao Tzu at one time, and accompanied the screenwriter and director to visit experts in Laozi's hometown many times, strengthened the inner experience of shaping Lao Tzu, and conducted analysis and research from the inner psychology of the characters to the external image of the body, so that Lao Tzu lived in her heart, and then accurately grasped the demeanor, with a rational temperament that went straight to the essence.
Stills from Lao Tzu (stage play).
When speculating about Lao Tzu, Xiaomei tried to dilute Zhuge Liang's potential influence on herself as much as possible, and avoided the similarity between artistic treatment and Zhuge Liang's temperament. She deeply believes that only in this way can she enhance the audience's acceptance of the sage Lao Tzu. Based on this understanding, she skipped Zhuge Liang's performance stereotypes, incorporated Lao Tzu into the traditional old life of yue tuning, and used the corresponding performance programs to pursue an ethereal and unsatisfactory realm, so that the audience accepted a new aesthetic impact.
In 2008, as soon as the Yue tune "Lao Tzu" was unveiled, it caused a strong response from all walks of life. Through the weaving of specific plots such as "Confucius Greetings" and the rescue and treatment of disaster refugees, Xiaomei effectively mobilizes the audience to feel the psychological and spiritual connotations through the surface of the story. Such a process of shabby old and new reflects Xiaomei's vision and boldness to be the first, and also tests her comprehensive artistic accomplishment and cultural connotation, and truly represents the maturity of Xiaomei's performing arts.
Stills from the Yue-tuned movie "Sage Lao Tzu"
Whoever is wise will have great suffering. Xiaomei's Lao Tzu not only has the wisdom of many human feelings, but also has a kind of melancholy pain. She first appeared in a state of fairy spirit, and then more and more life-like inner struggles, until finally a sense of anger broke out. The state of mind that cares for the people is so beautiful that it is accompanied by the sound of agitation, so that Lao Tzu has a closer communication with the contemporary audience, and has a spiritual relationship with the contemporary audience. For example, when she sang "Shangshan is as soft as water, and her character is as watery..." for a while, she was psychic and indulgent, her heart was calm, the tune was melodious, and she always had a calm and undisturbed foundation.
"Lao Tzu" won the 2010-2011 National Stage Art Top Ten Fine Projects, marking an epoch-making major achievement in the history of Yue Tone, which has landmark aesthetic value for both Xiaomei personally and Yue Tone art. From here, looking at the high tacit understanding formed between Xiaomei and "Lao Tzu", it has to be said that Xiaomei's performing arts have reached a new artistic level, exuding the charm of an increasingly mature artist.
From "Shen Fengmei" to "Exhaust qishan" to "Lao Tzu", Xiaomei has integrated traditional skills and new pursuits in the roles she has created, reflecting the dialectical unity of innovation and shoucheng. It can be seen that Xiaomei has been breaking through and seeking changes in order to cope with the aesthetic needs of modern social development, and is trying to explore this deeper cultural connotation. This is a benign development of yue tuning art that keeps pace with the times. Xiaomei has transformed the spiritual core of Master Shen Fengmei into a vigorous life trend of her own, so that Shen Fengmei's spirit can get an echo of the times. To some extent, Xiaomei's artistic pursuit represents the wind vane of the current change of the tone. This makes many people realize that her focus has consciously fallen on improving the aesthetic taste of a drama. This is enough to show that she has accumulated careful life experience and rich historical knowledge, has a relatively deep cultural accomplishment and a sober modern consciousness, and constitutes the characteristics of her own performing arts.
Shen Xiaomei's artistic modeling in the Yue-toned film "Sage Lao Tzu"
"There are talents in the Jiangshan generation, and each has led the way for hundreds of years." It can be said that the inheritance and glory of yue tuning art in the new era, Xiaomei is indispensable! This is also a consensus reached by many people in recent years. I hope that Xiaomei will gallop forward and lead the Shenpai art and even the whole Yuetong art to echo and think about the times at the intersection of history, and create more works of art that are full of their own artistic feelings and life personality.
Xiaomei's multi-dimensional personality pursuit is worth discussing, which will not only play a role in promoting the development of the yue tuning career and the growth of the future generations of the yue tuning. I believe that this promotion will boost Xiaomei's future artistic path will become wider and wider, and go farther and farther! We look forward to her new fruits!
(Luo Yun, Jiang Jianchao, Zhang Fuqing)