Author: Jiang Peiyang
Perform in Guangdong in the south
In Guangzhou in 1928, a theatrical group "Pengchen Tongle Club" specially invited Mei Lanfang to perform in Guangdong. According to the news released by Hong Kong's Huaxing Daily on April 22, "Guangdong people want to embellish Shengping, because they have extended the invitation to Mei Qihua (Mei Lanfang's typo) to come south to perform the drama, and first save Hong Kong." Mei Lanfang's speech was quoted in the article as saying: "Mei often has a heartfelt song about the southern scenery, and because the political situation at that time was not at peace, she did not regret the Cantonese behavior. ”
Mei Lanfang had just lost his wife at that time, endured the pain, handled the aftermath, and on October 22, he took the Japanese ship "Shen Maru" from Tianjin, arrived in Shanghai via Dalian, then took a boat to Hong Kong, and arrived in Guangzhou on October 30. His supporting roles Tan Fuying, Wusheng Jin Shaoshan, Wudan Zhu Guifang, Xiaosheng Jiang Miaoxiang, Huadan Yao Yufu and other more than 120 people arrived in Guangzhou.
Cantonese people rarely see Peking Opera, but they have long heard of Mei Lanfang's name. The first person to write an article in the newspaper to introduce Mei Lanfang to cantonese people was The Famous Scholar Luo Luo gong of Shunde. This person was a good friend of Jiang Kongyin in Hanlin in the late Qing Dynasty. Jiang Kongyin built the "Taishidi" in Tongdri, Henan, Guangzhou City, and was one of the founders of the "Pengchen Tongle Association", and went to Beijing to meet Mei Lanfang in the early years of the Republic of China.
As soon as Mei Lanfang arrived, Jiang Kongyin immediately went to his hotel and presented a Chinese painting inscribed by his inscription, the Eighth Lady Xiang Feng, as a greeting gift: "In the Ninth Autumn of the Fifth Anniversary, Qi Hua enlisted to come to The Temple." The north-south distinction has exceeded ten, because it is a gift of the old work of the Ji people Xiang Lun imitating the Song Dynasty's Hibiscus Mandarin Duck, and it is a must-have consolation":
The person in the painting is a beautiful person, writing that Furong always breaks the intestine; cherishing the people wading in the river, may wish to look at the mandarin duck on the left.
Mei Lanfang
Guangzhou people warmly welcomed Mei Lanfang and his party, and set up four archways on the road in front of the Haizhu Theater where he performed, of which the archway in front of the Haizhu Theater was the most spectacular, eight feet high, with pavilions on both sides, embedded with Mei Lanfang's twelve-foot huge photograph, hung with the big slogan of "Welcome Mei Lanfang", and there were music pavilions on both sides, and the band repeatedly played Chinese and Western music all day long, a festive and lively atmosphere. Newspapers in Guangzhou also introduced the style of this Peking Opera master on their front pages.
The show caused a storm
Mei Lanfang officially performed on November 1, and the 1,900 seats of the Haizhu Theater were full. The Municipal Party Department ordered the demolition of several archways in the Haizhu Theater on the grounds that "Mei Yiling'er, what value has won such a welcome" because the charter was not done. On November 2, the Republic of China Daily published an article entitled "Give the Plum Pie a Blow to the Head". As a result, there was a dispute between the two factions of "holding plums" and "degrading plums" in Guangzhou, which became more and more intense. Mei Lanfang originally planned to perform for 12 days each in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, but at the request of the audience, she performed for 40 days before and after, and successively performed "Qi Shuanghui", "Shilang Visiting Mother", "Mulan Congjun", "Taizhen Wai Biography", "Yang Guifei Ma Songpo Zi Hang", "Xianshan Song and Dance Re-see the Ming Emperor", "Lady Shangyuan", "Hongni Guan", "Funeral Flowers" and other first plays. The audience watched with fascination and feasted their eyes and ears. There is a general Feng Youwei, who will arrive at every game and hold the scene the most.
Mei Lanfang and Wang Shaoting's "Tai zhen wai biography"
After watching Mei Lanfang's performance of "Hua Qingchi" and "Shilang Visiting Mother", Jiang Kongyin wrote poems to express his feelings, "Title Mei Huahua Qingchi • Shilang Visiting Mother Double Drama":
Kuang Shi who is in tune with Sanlang and Shiro; do not try to decline the day, as seen in the inner home decoration. Whoever looks like a person, the song is crazy for the whole country; he knows the heavenly song, and can have a few neon clothes.
In order to thank Jiang Kongyin for his strong support, Mei Lanfang, after finishing the performance of the Haizhu Theater, visited Jiang Kongyin's private residence "Taishidi", where she stayed for a few days and was received by the guests. Jiang Kong yin ordered his daughter Qi Zheng to draw a picture of Mei Lan, and then he personally inscribed a poem and gave it to Mei Lanfang. Poetry Cloud:
The name exhales this flower body, the painting is real and real; the color pen my daughter has, and the beauty vanilla is two gods.
Mei Lanfang performed his first film for many times in the back garden of "Taishidi" "Bai2 Lan Zhai". Jiang Kongyin's thirteenth son, Jiang Feng, ——— Nanhai Thirteen Lang, seized the opportunity to study while asking Mei Lanfang for knowledge of drama and opera; he was later able to become a master of Cantonese opera screenwriting, which had a lot to do with Mei Lanfang's careful transmission of art.
Jiang Kongyin also wrote "Transferring Jiangnan Moon Gifts to Qihua", expressing his deep friendship with Mei Lanfang, and the word cloud:
Ling Bo socks, his heart is slightly confused. The same autumn wind group fan song, man will throw pillow contempt for sigan, soul dreams can not be forgotten.
When Mei Lanfang first bid farewell to the "TaishiDi", Jiang Kongyin wrote the "Bie of the Two ZhiZhi Of Qihua Xingyi":
First: two precepts and one green shirt in the rivers and mountains, except for Ru, who can talk about drama; the song is not extinguished, and the broken intestines are in Jiangnan.
Second: the old neon drama is sad, the Yuan Duan listens to the song for Junlai; the southern capital has sung and danced since the past, and the lakes and mountains are full of mo tender gray.
Mei Lanfang's "Shiro Visits His Mother"
Rumors were given to the Cantonese opera community in Guangdong
Since the end of the Qing Dynasty, Cantonese opera in Guangdong has once declined, or clichés, or low style, although it has been reformed by Pan Dawei, He Jianshi and other knowledgeable local forces, but it has not been fundamentally reversed.
During Mei Lanfang's performance in Guangdong, she took the time to watch some Cantonese opera performances and talked about Cantonese opera with Jiang Kongyin and others. Jiang Kong Yin also cares about Cantonese opera on weekdays, and has many opinions in his heart: "The Cantonese opera circle in Guangzhou today is really loud and wordless, and recently it is competing for the vernacular and flat throat, and there is no big difference between wen and wusheng and ugly old Dan, and it has changed into a wordless and silent, and it is easy to have the heart to correct it!" ”
Mui Lanfang did publish a criticism of Cantonese opera to the press, saying: "The only Dan corner in your province, let alone technology, that is, disguise has not yet been understood." He also said of the "organ" arrangement that was popular in Cantonese opera at that time to attract audiences, he said: "When I performed dramas such as "Heavenly Girl Scattered Flowers" and "Lady Shangyuan", I acted for certain scenes. With the help of magic, there is nothing wrong with it, and the celebrities have a lot of criticism... Cantonese opera in your province, at every turn, engages in 'organ' arrangements to please the audience... And some Cantonese opera content is obscene, ignoring social welfare, too undeserved. These words were published in the Hong Kong huaxing newspaper in mid-December 1928.
There is a surplus for the show
In mid-December 1928, Jiang Kongyin held a grand meeting at the "Taishidi" to bid farewell to Mei Lanfang. Cantonese opera, cultural circles and many celebrities were invited to attend. During the banquet, Jiang Kongyin presented a poem "Lan Zhai Rao Bei Bi Bi Hua":
The sandalwood is miserable, and the song is already far away. There is no more and no more, and there is no confusion before drunkenness. The lanterns are easy to disperse, the two meet, the rivers and lakes are day and night, smelling different people in the sky. He Qingsheng pipe, singing Jiangnan, the king of incense does not fall into the incense of the king's grievances; the wind and purple crops, think of the year as if it was a spring feast. A song of jun tian dream broken, hate hurried people return to Langyuan. Returning to the homeland, The vicissitudes of Tai Xie, neon clothes are tired.
Mei Lanfang said goodbye to everyone and said that she could not say goodbye to her feelings.
According to the "Huaxing Daily", "This time Mei Lang came to Guangdong and Hong Kong, and the sales were very prosperous... With Mei from The south of Beijing, its total package of silver is 38,000 yuan, completely at the disposal of Mei Lang, and the rest of the group in Shanghai, its package of silver is about 10,000 yuan, the contract is performed for 30 days, and the total income of Guangdong and Hong Kong is more than 170,000 yuan, which of course makes a profit. ”
(Golden Age, No. 432, 2005)