My Father Mei Lanfang: The Sequel (The Sequel)

Author: Mei Shaowu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: In my heart, Mei Lanfang is the representative of Peking Opera and traditional Chinese theater, an undeniable fact. I believe that Mei Lanfang's status in traditional Chinese art and in the art of Chinese theater is historically established. Traditional Chinese theater art has a long history, with its origins in ancient times, taking shape during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and reaching its full maturity in modern times. Chinese theater follows a path of integration; one can say that all categories of traditional Chinese art can find their place within it. Chinese theater, in the realm of art, is like the sea, where all rivers converge. Of course, "analysis" and "synthesis" each have their merits in the development of art. Western theater originally also had a considerable degree of integration. Greek tragedies, for instance, were likely both song and dance, but later developments gradually separated them, forming three relatively independent art categories: opera, dance drama, and drama. Thus, the three aspects of singing, dancing, and language developed relatively independently, each reaching a high level—this cannot be denied.
Mei Lanfang, the representative of traditional Chinese theater art, is also an all-encompassing artistic giant. He can be considered a "encyclopedia" of traditional Chinese art, much like Aristotle or Hegel in philosophy. Such individuals are rare even in a country as inclusive as ours. We know that Mei Lanfang possessed multifaceted artistic attainments. In theater, he excelled in all genres—"literary, martial, Kunqu, and miscellaneous." Under his advocacy, the declining Kunqu opera was revived and preserved. His A Dream of Red Mansions remains a classic to this day, with recordings that endure. I remember over 40 years ago, when the Chinese Academy of Research organized a performance arts training program, gathering actors from various local opera styles across the country for mutual observation, performance, and skill exchange—a grand spectacle. This was undoubtedly due to the favorable policies of the government at the time, but it was also closely related to the broad artistic vision of Mei Lanfang, who served as the academy's president.
Furthermore, Mei Lanfang's achievements in calligraphy and painting were widely recognized, with numerous works left behind as models for later actors. From a sociocultural perspective, the rise of the Mei style coincided with a period of cultural transformation and upheaval in China. Traditional Chinese culture faced severe challenges, and Mei Lanfang courageously and enthusiastically embraced the wave of "Western learning (Western arts) spreading eastward" in his own theatrical domain. From Mr. Shaowu's two-volume My Father, Mei Lanfang, we can read about the grandeur of Mei Lanfang's travels to Europe, the Soviet Union, and Japan, where he was welcomed and honored in every place he visited, bringing glory to every Chinese person. His exchanges with renowned artists of the time, who are now recorded in history, provide invaluable lessons for future generations of artists.
Mei Lanfang valued the strengths of Western art and made numerous attempts to widely absorb them, even composing new plays to enrich traditional repertoires. Yet his goal remained to integrate various Western artistic elements into the vast ocean of Chinese theater, bridging the spiritual connection between Western and traditional Chinese art to create a harmonious unity. Naturally, he avoided simplistic, force-fitting approaches. The purpose of absorbing Western art was to enrich "oneself," making "oneself" more profound and comprehensive.
However, the work Mei Lanfang undertook in his artistic field was once misunderstood by the cultural elite of his time, a situation shaped by the historical context of the era.