Yu Shuyan: Biography - A Series of Biographies of Peking Opera Masters

Author: Weng Enzai
Publisher:
Publish Date: Not available
Features: Opera is one of the most accomplished and representative genres in the family of Chinese opera. It once captivated the nation, winning over countless audiences. However, its artistic completeness and maturity have also brought about greater rigidity, making it face more severe challenges from the times. Its rich and profound artistic heritage must be respected and inherited, but in the face of current realities, it is even more essential to prioritize innovation and development. Only through innovation and development can it truly break free from its and embark on a path of integration with the times.
Yu Shuyan (1890–1943), whose courtesy name was Diqi, was from Luotian, Hubei. He was the grandson of Yu Sansheng and the son of Yu Ziyun. In his youth, he performed in Tianjin under the stage name "Little Yu Sansheng," debuting in plays such as "Capture and Release of Cao Cao." Due to illness and a decline in his voice, he returned to Beijing. With the help of his father-in-law Chen Delin, he studied clapping techniques and martial arts from Qian Jinfu and Wang Changlin, and learned Kunqu opera plays like "Shi Xiu Probing the Village" from Yao Zenglu. Simultaneously, he studied Tan-style singing from Chen Yanheng, Aisin Gioro Pudong (Red Bean Studio Owner), and Wang Junzhi. Later, he joined the "Chunyang Youhui" and exchanged skills with Fan Disheng, Shi Zhesheng, Tie Linfu, and others. He then became a disciple of Tan Xinpei, under whom he learned the acting of Shi Jingsi in "Taiping Bridge" and Wang Ping in "Battle of the Street." Whenever Tan performed, Yu would attend the theater to observe. He humbly sought advice from all drummers, pipa players, stagehands, and extras who had worked with Tan, greatly improving his skills.
After his voice recovered in 1916, he joined Mei Lanfang's troupe and returned to the stage. After Tan's death in 1917, he began to lead his own troupe, performing plays such as "Beating the Stick and Exiting the Box," "Battle of Taiping," "Empty Fort Strategy," "Story of the Black Pot," "Parting in the Mulberry Garden," "Beating Cao Cao with a Drum," and more. He mastered the essence and spirit of the Tan style while gradually developing his own artistic style, which came to be known as the "New Tan Style" or the "Yu Style." His singing emphasized clarity of pronunciation and phonetic harmony, often using "suo tones" for embellishment. His voice had a slight hoarseness, with a singing style that blended gentleness and strength, rich in flavor and profound in meaning. His arias in plays like "Rescuing the Orphan and Saving the Father," "Battle of Fancheng," "Fish Blade Sword," "Hongyang Cave," "Pearl Curtain Pass," "Beating His Nephew to Death," "Farewell at Sha Bridge," "Battle of Taiping," and "Empty Fort Strategy" are considered classics and have been passed down for generations. His stage movements in "Dingjun Mountain," including his acrobatic stunts with fans and the performance of the "iron tongs" in "Selling the Iron Tongs and Horses," serve as exemplary models for future learners.
Disciples of the Yu Style include Yang Baozhong, Tan Fuying, Wang Shaolou, Meng Xiaodong, Li Shaochun, and Chen Shaolin (his brother-in-law) also studied under him. The Yu Style, following the Tan Style, has had a profound influence on the history of Peking Opera.