Mei Lanfang 梅兰芳: Queen of Peking Opera

梅兰芳 Mei  Lanfang

An introduction to Peking Opera would not be complete without mentioning female impersonator Mei Lanfang (1894-1961). Traditionally only men performed Peking Opera, including the female roles — and Mei Lanfang was the master. During his stage life, Mei embellished traditions of the past with his own creations, shaping a style of his own, and gave birth to “The Mei Lanfang School.” He was also the first artist to introduce Peking Opera to an overseas audience, winning international recognition across the globe.

Secret of the name

梅 mei, plum (flower)

兰 lan, orchid (flower)

芳 fang, fragrance

The most popular topic that have drew in Chinese painting to represent the best friendship is known as “The Four Gentlemen” - plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo (梅兰菊竹). These four kind of plants are grew in a difficult weather, needs intensive care, and straight tall spiritually growth that could resemble the characteristic of a strong will and hardship of friendship. Many artists like to draw these pictures to admire the beauty of the nature that has created by the God.  So Mei’s parents might wish he could achieve a great success (blossom - fragrance) through heart-and-soul learning of the Peking Opera. His life in art might be full of fragrance (芳) when the flowers (梅plum, 兰orchid) blossom.

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Mei, who began his career at the age of eight, was born into a family of Peking Opera performers. His teacher said he showed little promise due to his lack-luster eyes. To remedy this, Mei exercised his eyes relentlessly: he gazed at the movements of an incense flame in a dark room, flew kites and stared at them as they drifted across the sky and kept pigeons to watch them soar higher and higher until they disappeared into the clouds. Thanks to his efforts, Mei managed to transform his dull peepers into a pair of bright, keen, highly expressive eyes and achieved national fame before the age of 20.

During his 50-year acting career Mei starred in over 100 roles, which included emperors’ concubines, daughters of noble families, female generals and goddesses. In his performances, Mei demonstrated the different characters and personalities of these women and revolutionized both stage makeup and costumes and systemized and enriched characters’ gestures, expressions and poses. Mei also wrote many new plays, designing his own choreography. The many dances he created form a part of the great legacy that he left to Peking Opera.

Mei designed various kinds of dances to help express his role’s character. In the opera Conqueror Xiang Yu Parts with His Concubine 霸王别姬, Mei incorporated a kind of sword dance. Through the gentle yet forceful movements of the sword, audiences recognized the heroine’s bravery, gentleness and loveliness. In The Fairy Scattering Flowers 天女散花 Mei designed a sick-ribbon dance based on ancient Buddhist grotto frescoes. With two colorful ribbons tied to his body Mei danced with the elegance of a fairy flying in the sky. In addition, he created a plate dance, a horsetail whisk dance, a feather dance and a floral sickle dance. The repertoire of the Mei Lanfang School includes:

Conqueror Xiang Yu Parts with His Concubine 霸王别姬

The Drunken Beauty 贵妃醉酒

A Startling Dream of Wandering Through the Garden 游园惊梦

Beauty Defies Tyranny 宇宙锋

Mu Guiying Takes Command 穆桂英挂帅

The Fisherman’s Revenge 打渔杀家 and

Phoenix Returns to its Nest 凤还巢

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Mei was the first to introduce er hu, a two-stringed musical instrument, to the Peking Opera orchestra. Today, more than 60 years since its debut, er hu has become one of the main orchestral instruments used to accompany Peking Opera. Mei’s other stage innovations include changes in hairstyles and costume colors.

Mei was also the first to introduce Peking Opera to foreign countries. Mei visited Japan on three occasions with his troupe wher, during the first visit in 1919, he was praised as an “outstanding performer of the Oriental arts.” In 1929 Mei and his troupe toured the United States. Despite of the Great Depression, tickets for the two-week premiere were sold out in only three days. Mei’s performances were truly a great success. Drama critic Justin Brooks Atkinson once wrote in the New York Times: “You may feel yourself vaguely in contact, not with the sensation of the moment, but with the strange ripeness of centuries.” During his stay in the United States, Mei met with the famous motion-picture actor Charles Chaplin and the American singer Paul Robeson. Six years later, Mei introduced Peking Opera to the Soviet unio. There, he met theater greats Konstantin Stanislavaski, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenlo and Vsevolod Meyerhold, as well as other artists. Everybody felt they could learn from the superb acting forms of Peking Opera.

Age was never a barrier for Mei. Even in his 60s he could still summon up the strength to play a female warrior. In 1959, just two years before his death due to heart problems, Mei added one last piece to his extensive repertoire, “Mu Guiying Takes Command.” Mei’s most enduring legacy, however, was his son and disciple Mei Baojiu who reinterpreted his father’s roles and ensured that the Mei Lanfang School would thrive for another generation.