In a meeting room at the Great Hall of the People, China?s most highly-regarded Peking Opera performer Mei Baojiu, 68, took time from his work as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People?s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing for an interview with our china.org.cn reporter. Mei Baojiu talked about his father Mei Lanfang [1894-1961], the Chinese Peking Opera master, and the traditions of Peking Opera:
?My father died at my age, 68. Actually, his early death can be attributed to years of hard work. In addition, a lack of advanced medical treatment contributed to his early death. But now, great changes have taken place in our lives. Look at me, I am still strong and energetic.
?My father devoted his whole life to Peking Opera. When he was 68 years old, on behalf of the Mei Lanfang opera club, he performed Mu Guiying Takes Command for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and that was the last performance of his life. He had adapted this opera and performed it to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People?s Republic of China. Even today, this opera is regarded as a classic, combining my father?s respect for both tradition and for innovation. Expressing also my father?s years of performing experience, his adaptation is still studied and performed by opera groups both at home and abroad without any diminishing of its appeal. Guo Moruo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who at that time watched my father?s last performance, praised it as perfect. This performance was also the one that left the deepest impression on me, as it did on my father.
?The operas we perform today should be able to stand up to those performed by our veteran performers or masters. My father always told me that our performance should, first, appeal to an audience with little knowledge of Peking Opera; second, to any audience just willing to buy a ticket; and third, to an appreciative audience of true opera fans -- the kind who return again and again. By following this rule, I, with many opera counterparts, have performed many operas that were once interpreted by masters like my father, such as Xishi, Legend of Taizhen and Mu Guiying Takes Command. And they all have been well received by the audiences in places around the world, including Japan, Russia, Hongkong, Taiwan and Macao.
?A short time ago, I created a new work, China Guifei (Imperial Concubine) based on an original work of my father entitled Legend of Taizhen. This project has won great support from many excellent Peking Opera performers and producers throughout the whole country. When we were just beginning to write the script, design the art style, form the musical and dance company for this opera, I said I wanted this adaptation of a famous Mei-style opera to be performed not only at the Shanghai Theatre, the Beijing Opera, New York?s Lincoln Center, and the Sydney Opera House, but also at the China Opera in Tianjing, the Chang?an Opera in Beijing -- even at cultural centers in factories, counties and even the military. What?s more, I wanted to see it performed on some TV variety shows which would be aired throughout the whole country.
?Chinese leaders are all very interested in Peking Opera and even able to sing some selected passages. Nevertheless, the devoted audience of Peking Opera is limited to people over 50, and most young people don?t like it. But this is actually a problem caused by societal misunderstanding through lack of education. For many years, the promotion of Chinese history and culture gradually has been weakened, which makes it difficult for young people to enjoy Peking Opera. As a matter of fact, the content of Peking Opera deserves everyone?s deep appreciation. When you can enjoy it, you will find it unique and meaningful. At the same time, a good understanding of Peking Opera has to be backed up by some basic knowledge in Chinese literature.
?With China?s successful entry into WTO, there will be more opportunities for Chinese and foreign artists to contact each other and to exchange their different performing experiences to expand their learning and understanding -- which is definitely a golden chance for the development of Peking Opera. In addition to Peking Opera, there are many valuable art treasures that China takes pride in. According to many foreign friends I have met, in their China visit, there are three things that cannot be missed, they are the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and then Peking Opera. For many overseas Chinese, Peking Opera reminds them of their old days. At the same time, Peking Opera serves as a window through which foreigners are able to understand Chinese culture in such a unique way. In their minds, Chinese culture is profound and worthy of very careful research, especially in the academic aspect. I believe, as a most valuable national treasure, Peking Opera still has a very promising future.
?Changes are necessary, of course, but they should be done purposely, not blindly, according to Peking Opera?s basic rules. Reform must focus on performance by bringing forth the new from the old in singing, dialogue, mime, acrobatic fighting and dancing in Peking Opera. Most of our efforts should be directed toward improving our performing art, rather than other aspects. It?s true that Peking Opera needs lighting and scenery, but one thing to remember is that, for drama, the performance must be supported by the setting. But in Peking Opera, the setting can even be expressed in the performance. If we put a lot of money and energy into stage design, the grandeur of the performance well be inappropriately dwarfed. Peking Opera is a kind of performing art. If we emphasize the non-performance aspects, then such opera will hardly embrace the power of life. We hear others ask why many selections performed today are not so lively and well-received as those preformed by our older generation, which are still full of life even after being restaged numerous times over the past several decades or even 100 years.
?My answer is that Peking Opera is an art dependent on performing expertise rather than on lighting and scenery. Peking Opera is an art that has to be interpreted by its performers -- not by pen and ink, let alone by the so-called art of decoration. It?s impossible to sustain its appeal by only investing huge amount of money into stage design but without improving its performing expertise. As long as we can follow the basic artistic rules of Peking Opera, just as our older generation did, we will be able to find the right way for Peking opera to evolve.?
(china.org.cn, by Jiang Limin, translated by Feng Shu, April 12, 2002)
