2022 marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Yu Zhenfei, a master of Beijing-Kunming art. As a master of Beijing Kunqu Opera and an outstanding opera educator, he has served as the principal of the Shanghai Opera School, the head of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and the director of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre.
July 15th coincides with Yu Zhenfei's birthday. In order to cherish the memory of the master, carry forward the spirit of "Yu School of Art", and encourage the uprightness and innovation of contemporary opera art, Shanghai Art Research Center has joined forces with Shanghai History Museum, Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, and opera affiliated to Shanghai Theater Academy. The "Ya Yun Qianqiu - Yu Zhenfei's 120th Anniversary Exhibition" hosted by the school, the China Kunqu Opera Museum and other units opened on the same day. The exhibition will be held in the West Building Exhibition Hall of the Shanghai History Museum from July 15 to August 31, 2022. out.

Exhibition poster

At the brief and solemn opening ceremony, Kunqu opera artist Cai Zhengren spoke on behalf of Mr. Yu's disciples. He said that this is the best birthday present for Mr. Yu.

Kunqu Opera artist Cai Zhengren delivered a speech on behalf of Mr. Yu's disciples.

The whole exhibition strives to integrate professionalism and appreciation, combining "narrative history" and "artistic transmission", taking Yu Zhenfei's life as the main line, highlighting his artistic characteristics of complementing Beijing and Kunming, and enjoying both elegant and popular; each chapter is based on its poems. The frontispiece; all the contents are strictly verified, the historical materials are detailed, and the pictures and texts are abundant. The exhibition is composed of five sections: "Introduction to Kunqu Opera", "Authentic Kunqu Opera", "Art and Kunqu Huang", "Inheriting the Past and Linking the Future", and "Master Liufang". The form is lively and the texture is contemporary. For example, through phantom imaging, photo blind boxes and other forms, it reproduces Yu Zhenfei's important life. The sound and image of the stage are highly interactive and bring the audience an immersive experience.

Color block diagrams and dynamic videos of five chapters of the exhibition.

Xia Ping, director of the Shanghai Art Research Center, said at the exhibition: "There have been some predecessors in the cultural history of Shanghai who have made great contributions to the culture and art of Shanghai. Yu Zhenfei is one of them, and they will always be worthy of future generations. In the more than one year of organizing the exhibition, I visited and contacted many family members and disciples of Mr. Yu Zhenfei, who provided many important clues and contributed many precious collections to the organization of the exhibition. A total of exhibits are displayed in this exhibition. There are more than 300 pieces, including 113 physical exhibits and 43 pieces before the founding of the People's Republic of China, covering manuscripts, letters, newspapers, textbooks, costumes, play lists, photos, audio and video related to Mr. Art archives. I hope the holding of this exhibition can stimulate the cultural vitality of Shanghai under the guidance of the artistic spirit of the predecessors.”
It is reported that while curating and arranging exhibitions offline, Shanghai Art Research Center also recorded a ten-minute exhibition guide and built an online "cloud exhibition" platform. The parallel interaction with the virtual space is expected to allow more Shanghai citizens and even the people of the whole country to experience the charm of "Yu School Art" and appreciate the style of a generation of masters through a digital cultural platform that can participate, experience and feel.

New Media Phantom Imaging "Ching Feng Sheng Qing"

Many collections are meeting the audience for the first time
This exhibition displays more than 110 precious objects, plus a large number of photos, photocopies and other image materials, as well as a number of precious audio and video, a total of more than 300 exhibits. The exhibition is supported by many old students, disciples, friends and collectors of Yu. Most of the exhibits are from their collections, including many precious photos, and many of Yu's calligraphy and painting ink, which are the first time they meet the public.
Among them are the calligraphy and painting fan trays collected by Yue Meiti, a disciple of Yu Zhenfei and a performer of Kunqu Opera.

In 1978, Xie Peizhen painted peony, and Yu Zhenfei wrote Li Bai's poems on a fan. Collection of Yue Meiti.

There is also a poem gifted by Mr. Yu from the collection of Cai Zhengren: "Zuanyi has many teachers and Gutong, always maintaining elegance and spring work. Lansaohui has some long-term careers, only in the process of inheriting the past and leading the future." What he did for Cai Zhengren expressed his expectations for his younger generation.

In 1982, Yu Zhenfei presented Cai Zhengren's Seven Wonders.

There are also many paintings and calligraphy written by Yu Zhenfei in the exhibits, from which you can feel the "booklike spirit" of the "Yu School". For example, on May 11, 1949, Yu Zhenfei's hand-written Peking Opera "The Peacock Flying Southeast" sings a single piece (that is, the sing-song of the play's niche). The whole text is natural and smooth, and the brush and ink are round, showing Yu Zhenfei's elegant calligraphy skills. This exhibit was provided by Mr. Tang Jihui and is the first complete display.

May 11, 1949 Yu Zhenfei's handwritten Peking Opera "Peacock Flying South East" single piece text page

On May 11, 1949, Yu Zhenfei's handwritten Peking Opera "The Peacock Flying Southeast" sings the first page

Also on display is a fan basket painted by Yu Zhenfei as a gift to his close friend Liu Xinwan in 1940. The above title is five musts: "I don't feel the autumn feeling, the breeze blows the guest clothes. The water goes on the cross, and the sunset returns from the crow's back." Mr. Yu Zhenfei Junior At that time, he studied painting from the famous painter Lu Lianfu in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, but his paintings are rare. As a middle-aged work by Yu Zhenfei, this painting is very precious. The fan tray is provided by Shanghai Library.

The fan basket painted by Yu Zhenfei for Liu Xinwan in 1940

As one of the organizers, the Shanghai Art Research Center brought out the rare Kunqu Opera scores in the exhibition, such as the “Qi Shuanghui” score released during Mei Lanfang’s comeback performance from November to December 1945, and "Sulu Music Score" is divided into "Thorn Tiger" and so on.
Wu Xinlei, a professor at Nanjing University, donated a reprint proof and a reprint of the preface to the center for this exhibition. This was made by Yu Zhenfei in 1962 for the Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House's plan to reprint "Sulu Music Score". Due to various reasons, the reprint was stranded, and most of the relevant materials were destroyed in the fire in the Cultural Plaza in 1969. Only the reprint proofs and reprint prefaces collected by Professor Wu are The only surviving copy is made public for the first time at this exhibition. In addition, the manuscript of "Sulu Music Score" written by Xu Boqiu, which teacher Yue Meiti provided to the exhibition, is also a rare treasure.

In 1962, the Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House reprinted the proof and reprinted the foreword of "Sulu Music Score". Professor Wu Xinlei donated this surviving copy to the Shanghai Art Research Center for this exhibition.

The exhibition also displayed many precious manuals collected by the Shanghai Art Research Center. For example, in November 1956, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Drama Association jointly hosted the Kunqu Opera performance manual, and the newly compiled Kunqu Opera "The Wall Head" in 1959. "Right now" manual, 1959 new Kun Opera "Horse on the Wall" manual in Russian, 1960 Beijing Film Studio produced the opera art film "Journey to the Garden" poster, 1962 Shanghai Youth Jingkun The special issue of the troupe's performance, etc., witnessed Yu Zhenfei's contribution to the cause of Beijing-Kunming in New China.

"A Dream in the Garden" movie poster

In addition to the scores and playlists, four extremely exquisite Kunqu Opera Xiaosheng costumes are highlighted in the exhibition. The four costumes are Li Bailan's official uniform in Kunqu Opera "Taibai Drunken Writing", Zhao Chonghong in Peking Opera "Qi Shuanghui·Writing", and Zhou Yumang and Tau Shoulder in Peking Opera "Quanyinghui", all of which are copies of old Yu's costumes The product is very delicate; and Pan Bizheng's orange-pink male pleats in Kunqu Opera "The Jade Hairpin: Qin Pick" are the original Yu old costumes donated by Mrs. Yu Zhenfei Li Qianghua, which are quite precious.

Four Kunqu Opera Xiaosheng costumes on display