During the upcoming May Day holiday, the Beijing Opera House will host a series of classic Peking Opera performances at the Chang'an Grand Theatre, featuring a variety of outstanding works from different schools and styles. On May 1, Guo Wei, a leading performer and master of the Cheng School at the Beijing Opera House, will debut in the classic Cheng School opera "Wen Ji Returns to Han." This performance is dedicated to honoring the 110th anniversary of the birth of the renowned Cheng School Peking Opera artist Zhao Rongchen.
"Wen Ji Returns to Han," with a script by Jin Zhongsun, was first performed in late 1925. Based on the story of Cai Wenji, a talented woman of the Eastern Han Dynasty, returning to Han from the Southern Xiongnu, the work portrays her deep longing for her homeland and nation, with profound themes and a gripping plot. Cheng Yanqiu was deeply involved in the creation and staging of the opera, especially in designing the vocal melodies. Tailoring the music to his own vocal characteristics and performance style, he skillfully employed various singing techniques to express the complex emotions of the character "Cai Wenji." The successful use of three slow-tempo arias in the opera established the unique vocal style of the Cheng School, with classic pieces such as "Tidying the Whip for an Endless Journey," "Returning to the Homeland, My Child Cannot Follow," and "Weeping at the Grave, Listening to Mingfei" becoming widely celebrated.
Guo Wei has spent years preparing for this revival of Cheng Yanqiu's "Wen Ji Returns to Han." As early as her studies at the Beijing Opera School, she learned the classic arias from Li Wenmin. For this revival, the elderly Li Wenmin insisted on attending rehearsals to offer guidance, while the renowned drummer Wang Shuo served as the artistic director. Guo Wei remains faithful to the roots of Cheng School art, adhering strictly to its performance style, and strives to restore the original appearance in terms of plot arrangement, vocal techniques, costumes, and stage direction. The Beijing Opera House has cast actors with strong artistic skills for the important roles and invested heavily in creating elaborate costumes, with meticulous attention paid to props and scenery. For this performance, Peking Opera master Li Hongtu will play the role of "Left Virtuous King." To align with the plot and Li Hongtu's artistic strengths, the character of "Left Virtuous King" has been enhanced with additional arias, making the role more vivid and well-rounded.
Comments