Gao Yuqian, who is a skilled person

Grandma Li in "Red Lantern" is gone, and many colleagues in the Peking Opera circle reminisce - people are fine in their art, and may the "red light" be passed on forever / Chinese culture newspaper

The king of chess

Gao Yuqian

Reporter Liu Miao

"On December 23, 2018, our highly respected art predecessor, Teacher Gao Yuqian, said goodbye to us at the age of 92. The stars that once lit up the stage fell again. Over the years, we have always lamented the passing of a predecessor at the moment of farewell, taking away a body of ability and ending an era. But, apart from a sigh, what did we really think of and do? On January 9, at the memorial meeting of Gao Yuqian's artistic life held in Beijing, Song Chen, president of the National Peking Theatre and secretary of the party committee, said so.

At the memorial service hosted by the National Peking Opera, more than 10 colleagues in the Peking Opera circle, old and middle-aged artists of the National Peking Opera House and representatives of Gao Yuqian's family fondly recalled the artistic life of this famous Peking Opera artist and also made suggestions for the inheritance of Peking Opera art.

Turning to multi-teacher art is exquisite

Gao Yuqian was born in Beijing in 1927, lived in poverty at an early age, entered the pear garden at the age of 8, and then transferred to the Beiping Chinese Opera College as a student of the "Yong" character class, Gong Qingyi and Hua Dan. In the same year, he joined the alumni troupe of the Peking Art Museum Chinese Opera School sponsored by the famous director Jiao Juyin, performing the improved Peking Opera "Peach Blossom Fan", "New Butterfly Dream", "Chen Yuanyuan" and the Peking Opera "Cast Love" based on Shakespeare's theatrical work "Romeo and Juliet". These plays with national integrity and progressive ideas inspired her greatly. Jiao Juyin's emphasis on inner psychology also gave her a deeper impact.

"Gao Yuqian has high artistic achievements in her own line of Qingyi and Hua dan. She has studied under Wang Yaoqing, Yu Lianquan, Han Shichang, Xue Yanqin, Ouyang Yuqian and other artists. In 1947, she took Mr. Mei Lanfang as a teacher in Shanghai. In the same year, various famous artists cooperated to perform "Silang Visiting Mother", Mei Lanfang, Li Shaochun, Zhou Xinfang, Tan Fuying, Ma Lianliang and other artists took the stage, and Gao Yuqian played the fourth lady, which shows her weight and status in Tsing Yi xing. Song Chen said.

In 1950, Gao Yuqian, who graduated from north China Revolutionary University, was assigned to the New China Experimental Peking Opera Troupe (the predecessor of the National Peking Opera House) and became a veteran of the theater.

Dare to break through, dare to take responsibility

In 1964, the modern Peking Opera "Red Lantern" was set up and put into rehearsal. This work that made Gao Yuqian change her profession also became a turning point in her artistic life.

When the casting of "Red Lantern" was selected, director A Jia saw that Gao Yuqian had a good voice, good temperament, and good at shaping characters, and felt that she had great potential, so he mobilized her to change to singing Lao Dan and play grandma Li in the play. In fact, changing the profession is a very risky thing for Peking Opera actors, and changing to Lao Dan's big voice may destroy the small voices of Qingyi and Hua Dan, in case Lao Dan cannot be performed, Qingyi and Hua Dan will also be smashed. But the need for the stage is the duty of the actor, and in the face of the director's expectations, she resolutely took the order and accepted the role.

Time is tight, the task is heavy, and there are many difficulties, Gao Yuqian gets up early every day and practices greedily, devoting herself to the role. In order to play Grandma Li well, Gao Yuqian started from the form and demeanor of the characters, learned the gait of the old lady on the way to and from work, and the usual eyes and gestures also deliberately imitated the appearance of the old man. A month later, Grandma Li, played by 37-year-old Gao Yuqian, appeared on the stage, shining and shocking.

"The reason why I successfully shaped the image of Li Tiemei in "Red Lantern" is inseparable from Teacher Gao's guidance to me and the performance with me." Liu Changyu, a Peking Opera performance artist and actor of Li Tiemei in "The Red Lantern", recalled, "During the rehearsal, as soon as Teacher Gao touched my head, I was about to cry, which made me feel that it was not acting, but directly brought me into the situation in the play. It was Teacher Gao who taught me how to use Peking Opera techniques to shape characters and enter the story. ”

In 1974, the National Peking Theatre created another modern Peking opera" "Plains Combat", in which Gao Yuqian played Zhang Da Niang. "Grandma Li in "Red Lantern" and Zhang Da Niang in "Plains Combat" have their own characteristics and are very successful. I don't have many people who serve in art, and I am convinced by the two artistic images of Teacher Gao. Li Guang, a Peking Opera performance artist and actor of Zhao Yonggang in the modern Peking Opera "Plains Battle", said.

People are good at art, virtue and art

Acting calmly and low-key, being humble and kind, and having no horn temper is the evaluation of Gao Yuqian by every participant. She is a master of art, and her good stories of teaching and passing on art at the peak of art and nurturing future generations are also remembered by students of all ages.

"In 1973, I was transferred to Beijing and participated in the crew of "Plains Operations", with Teacher Gao. Later, when the traditional drama was restored, the troupe let me learn drama from Teacher Gao, who selflessly taught me the three plays of "Hunting Tigers", "Fishing and Killing The Family", and "Phoenix Erqiao", and resolutely gave way to the stage for the growth of young actors. When she went out to perform, she never made a special one, and slept with us in the chase bunk. There are not enough actresses in the troupe, and an artist of her age also runs a dragon suit and plays a piano boy in "Empty City Plan"..." Shen Jianjin, a Peking Opera performance artist, choked up.

In 1995, in order to rehearse "Red Lantern", Yuan Huiqin, who was still a young actor at that time, was brought to visit Gao Yuqian by her master Li Jinquan. "She didn't have any insight into the portal, and taught me every detail of Grandma Li's singing performance, and encouraged me, 'Huiqin, you must pass on this play well.'" I've tutored countless Grandma Lee, and you're the one I've taught the most carefully.'" It can be said that Teacher Gao's Grandmother Li has enriched the cultural connotation and aesthetic character of Peking Opera Lao Danxing. Through this play, she taught me how to shape characters, and broadened my artistic vision and thinking. Yuan Huiqin, vice president of the National Peking Theatre, recalled.

Bi Xiaoyang, a young laodan actor of the Second Troupe of the National Peking Theatre who also followed Gao Yuqian to study "The Red Lantern", remembered that the teacher could not help himself: "I still remember that year you came to the rehearsal hall on crutches to guide "The Red Lantern" for me, you personally walked on stage and did not hesitate to demonstrate, and talked to me and said, 'How good your conditions are, I am Hua Dan to change lao Dan, and the voice of that year was not better than yours, you have to practice well'. I remember the last time I met you, you waited for me on crutches and said, 'You're still coming to see me when it's so cold.' Your heart is not good, but as soon as you sat down, you eagerly asked me if I still didn't understand this play... Teacher, I miss you! ”

Before her death, Gao Yuqian specifically instructed her family: Do not be silent, do not engage in any rituals, and do not alarm others. "Don't alarm people" are the old artist's last words. The whole of her life is in this sentence.