Shanghai opera performance artist Xiao Xiaoyuezhen is talented and intelligent, her voice is crisp, her bite is clear and powerful, and she is known as the "golden voice" of Shanghai opera, which can also be described as a household name among the audience of Shanghai opera.
Xiao Xiaoyuezhen casual clothes photo
As a die-hard drama fan, I have long admired Xiao Xiaoyuezhen's superb singing skills and typhoons. I remember one year, the common stage held the "Shanghai Opera Fuzi Board Special", due to the strong cast, the tickets have long been sold out, in order to see the style of the idol, I stood at the door with my friends, waiting for others to refund the ticket, Kung Fu did not pay off, waited for a long time and finally waited for the ticket, although the ticket price doubled, but very happy. On the stage, Teacher Xiao Xiaoyuezhen sang the famous section "Eat Ravioli", which was completed in one go, and the singing skills of the sword were intoxicating and addicted to the drama.
After the end, I went backstage to visit Teacher Xiao Xiaoyuezhen, and the teacher was very happy to see that young people liked Shanghai opera so much, and took the initiative to leave me an address and phone number, and invited me to go to the door to play. I was flattered by the fact that such a prestigious old artist was so enthusiastic about my strange audience.
The first time I went to Xiao Xiaoyuezhen's home was around 1998, in an old-fashioned lane called Tangjiawan near Luwan District, and the old houses of nearly 100 years old looked very dilapidated. Teacher Xiao Yuezhen used to live near Yuyuan Road, and only changed houses with others to move here for the sake of her children, and lived here for more than ten years.
Teacher Xiao Xiaoyuezhen was very affectionate when she saw me coming to the door, and while telling her experience of art, she also took out many photos to show me, many photos are very precious, but they are more chaotic. I offered to help her sort through the old photos, and without the slightest hesitation, she agreed and asked me to bring all the pictures back. After returning home, I bought a new album, carefully sorted out the photos, and carefully pasted them. Afterwards, she was very happy to send the sorted album to the teacher's hand, no one had ever helped her sort out the photos for decades, and now, it is much more convenient to organize them into a book and look at the photos.
In the conversation with Xiao Xiao, I learned that the teacher's original name was Huang Suzhen, a Suzhou native, born in 1920 in the Jinjia Garden in Suzhou, due to the poverty of the family, at the age of nine, he went to Shanghai with his father and lived in a lane near the Old Gate Bridge. In 1934, when she had just turned fifteen, she was introduced to yang Hongsheng, a famous shanghai opera veteran, to sing Shenqu for her teacher, named Yang Yumei, and joined the Shenqu class "Guiying She" organized by the famous predecessor Shen Guiying and Shen Xiaoying's mother and daughter to study and perform in the big world. During the study period, he was guided by many predecessors, such as Cao Zhaosheng, Bao Fukui and other teachers, especially the bright and smooth singing style of Shen Xiaoying, known as the "Radio Queen", which laid a solid foundation for Yang Yumei's future development, and the song "Opening of the West Chamber" was appreciated by many teachers.
Yang Hongsheng has a son named Yang Guanshou, who is also a very good violinist, he likes to practice martial arts and wrestle since he was a child, but he often beat his sister Yang Yumei to bruises, and when he saw his brother coming, she tried to avoid it. At this time, Yang Hongsheng's ex-wife Yang Yueying took a fancy to the young Yang Yumei and told her to leave her husband and go to the Wenyue Society to work.
This matter spoke to her heart, she very much wanted to leave Yang Hongsheng, how to close the book in the teacher's place, can not get out. Yang Yueying asked Yang Yumei if she knew where Guan Shu was? Can you take it out and see. Yang Yumei took advantage of Mr. Yang's absence, secretly opened the box where Mr. Guan guan was hidden, fortunately, his father's name was known, so he "stole" a contract with his father's answer, she died happily, ran home and said to his father. Father was an honest man, timid, and took care of her to put the book back. Yang Yumei had to listen to her father's words and put Guan Shu back to the original place. Yang Yueying came to ask about this matter again, and Yang Yumei asked Yang Yueying for help. Later, it was Xiao Yuezhen and Yang Yueying who came forward and gave Yang Hongsheng a hundred pieces of ocean to "buy" Yang Yumei.
In 1936, Yang Yumei joined the "Wenyue Society" led by Xiao Wenbin and Xiao Yuezhen. Due to her diligence and humbleness, she was favored by the famous Dan Xiaoyuezhen of Shenqu, and since then she has changed her stage name to "Xiao Xiaoyuezhen". She immersed herself in speculation, careful imitation, learning Xiao Yuezhen's singing voice, day after day, year after year, and gradually formed her own unique style, in which, both Xiao Yuezhen (rigid cavity) undulating, clear and sonorous characteristics; It also has the charm of Shen Xiaoying's low and flowing charm.
Teacher Xiao Xiaoyuezhen often said that her own art is substituted for characters. Because the main actors at that time, in addition to the performance, the troupe also had a fixed radio station to broadcast and sing, and there were many church meetings, social gatherings, etc., so the group pillar "Empress Shenqu" Wang Yaqin, Ling Aizhen and others at that time were often entangled in things and could not appear on stage as scheduled. Fortunately, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen usually secretly "stole" to learn a lot, so once, everyone felt good, and then often called her instead of "pad role", Wang Xiaoxin also gave her the nickname "A mat".
Over time, she watched the play more seriously and the performance was more engaged. So that she has more opportunities for stage practice, and gradually became the main actor of Wenbin Opera Troupe, in the early 1940s, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen was equally famous with Ding Shi'e, Wang Xiuying, and Gu Yuezhen, and was also known as the "Four Little Famous Dans" of Shanghai opera.
Xiao Xiaoyuezhen and her disciples
At the beginning of 1950 (Lunar New Year), under the planning of her husband Ye Zhicheng, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen and famous actors Zhao Yunsheng, Zhou Lili, Wang Zhongyu, Xiao Zhengwu and others formed the New Art Shanghai Opera Troupe at xindu theater, and the band owner Hu Xulonglong. The troupe performed "Phoenix Back to the Nest", "Jade Pear Hate", "Horse Widow Opens a Shop", "Regenerated Flowers", "Rose Thorns" and other drama days. What is more significant is that Xiao Xiaoyuezhen transplanted and performed the Shanghai opera "Xianglin Sister-in-law" according to the version of the Xuesheng Yue Opera Troupe, so that Lu Xun's works were put on the Stage of Shanghai Opera for the first time. In the play, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen played Xiang lin's sister-in-law, Zhao Yunsheng played He Laoliu, and Xiao Zhengwu played Wei Leper, and the audience responded warmly and became a classic of Shanghai opera.
In 1951, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen actively participated in the work of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, and cooperated with many Shanghai opera masters to perform large-scale costume plays (Qin Xianglian) in the Xinguang Theater. In the play, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen plays Qin Xianglian, a gathering of famous artists and a strong lineup, and the proceeds from a total of 20 performances for ten consecutive days are all supported for the frontline battle.
In 1957, due to Gu Yuezhen's physical reasons, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen was invited to work hard in the Shanghai Opera Troupe and asked her to serve as the deputy head of the troupe, performing plays such as "Zhao Yiman" and "Cheating on The Sister-in-Law and Losing His Wife". In 1959, the Shanghai opera circle organized the "Thunderstorm" to be a big string, and Xiao Xiaoyuezhen participated in the performance on behalf of the Shanghai Opera Troupe, playing "Lu Ma", and rotating performances with Shi Xiaoying, but unfortunately did not leave audio recording materials. In 1962, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen returned to the Yihua Shanghai Opera Troupe.
After the Cultural Revolution, she actively participated in the preparation of the troupe together with Wang Yaqin and Wang Pansheng, and became the deputy head of the New Art Huahu Opera Troupe. After her retirement, she also actively participated in various performances. In 1987, he raised funds for the publication of "Shanghai Opera Chronicle" and actively participated in the performance of "Lu Yachen Selling Women", and a song of Fuzi board "Eating Wontons" made the audience still unforgettable. In fact, when arranging the role, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen was the mother-in-law who played the role of the lady seller, and Shi Xiaoying and Ding Shi'e performed the "Return to the Mother's House" with a fold. Because Shi Xiaoying felt that she was not in good health at that time, singing a large section of "Fuzi Board" could not achieve her ideal effect, so she took the initiative to propose and exchange with Xiao Xiaoyuezhen for a second time. When Xiao Xiaoyuezhen got the script, she also had pressure and felt a burden. However, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen is also an accomplished old artist after all, after her own pondering and creating of the singing voice, "eating wontons" has become a hit, which has become a classic famous segment and is widely circulated among the audience.
Xiao Xiaoyuezhen dresses up simple and generous, is good at playing Sad dan, and also plays Lao Dan and village girl; He has performed a large number of traditional Shanghai operas, such as old beach spring plays, improved bullet play plays, fashion plays and modern plays. He has successively played Yang Fengbao in "Embroidered Lotus Bag", Jin Xiuying in "Meeting in the Nunnery", Li Jinjie in "Pulling Orchids", XiuQing's wife in "Serial Scheme", Li Sanniang in "White Rabbit", Xie Bingniang in "The Tragic History of Ice Niang", sister-in-law in "Cheating On Sister-in-law", Li Yuru and Wang Mu in "Biluo Yellow Spring", and many other women with different personalities and destinies, which were well received by the audience.
But such a respected artist is very modest in life, she always says that "I am far worse than others." I remember once, Xiao Xiaoyuezhen teacher took me to the Liulin Shanghai Opera Salon, everyone invited Xiao Xiaoyuezhen to sing, she sang a piece of "Eat Wontons", the audience still refused to give up, she knew that I would sing "Ask Uncle", she took the initiative to ask me to accompany her to sing "Ask Uncle", many audiences are envious of me, can sing with famous artists, there is unspeakable sweetness in her heart.
Xiao Xiao Yuezhen founded the New Art Shanghai Opera Troupe that year, which can also be described as a fragrant song art, peach and plum all over the world, although they are all over 70 years old, they still love and respect the teacher very much, regard Xiao Xiao teacher as a mother, and often visit the teacher, take the teacher out to relax, chat, etc., the so-called "one day for the teacher, lifelong for the mother".
"Antang Rendezvous" Xiao Xiaoyuezhen and Qian Yimeng
Since 2010, Ms. Xiao Xiao has been fighting the disease for seven years, and she is strong. Although she can't express it verbally, she understands it in her heart, and whenever she is asked, "Eat ravioli" forgets? She immediately started the rhythm with her right hand, and her heart wanted to sing. In 2017, Teacher Xiao Xiao's merit was complete, and he drove the crane to the west. Presumably, in another world, she got together with some of her older predecessors and began their concerts.
Recitation: Gao Peiming
Moderator of Minhang District Rong Media Center, chief announcer of the WeChat public account of "Learn Shanghainese", and first-class announcer of Mandarin.
He has been engaged in broadcasting for nearly 40 years, and has won many awards for tv news, TV features and broadcast works over the years. In 2013, he choreographed and planned the "I Am a Star" Shanghai Opera Television Competition of Minhang TV Station, and served as the host of the competition and the observer of the competition. In 2014, he planned the Shanghai "Xiangyin Harmony" and "I Am a Star" Shanghai Opera Television Competition.
Author: Tao Yiming
Announcer: Gao Peiming
Producer: Liu Fan
Consultant: Hong Liyong
Producers: Sun Li, Zhou Jun
Producer: Mao Jie
Editor: Su Mingshan