1. "Farewell My Concubine" (Yu Ji)
"Farewell My Concubine" is one of the most important plays in Peking Opera. This play was originally called "The Conflict between Chu and Han" and was compiled based on the Kun Opera "The Story of a Thousand Golds" and "Historical Records: The Chronicles of Xiang Yu". Total *** four books. In 1918, it was premiered in Beijing by Yang Xiaolou and Shang Xiaoyun. On February 15, 1922, Yang Xiaolou cooperated with Mei Lanfang. Qi Rushan and Wu Zhenxiu revised "The Conflict between Chu and Han" and renamed it "Farewell My Concubine".
2. "The Drunken Concubine" (Yang Yuhuan)
The Drunken Concubine is also known as "The Baihua Pavilion", which originated from the Peking Opera repertoire of a local drama "The Drunken Concubine Yang" during the Qianlong period. The play is one of the classic representative repertoires of the Mei School. This script mainly describes Yang Yuhuan's self-admiration of her youth after being drunk, highlighting Yang Yuhuan's tenderness towards the emperor.
In the 1950s, Mei Lanfang eliminated the bad and retained the essential, starting from the emotional changes of the characters, and corrected its non-artistic tendencies from an aesthetic perspective. Some sources say that this play originated from Kunqu opera, which can be seen from its libretto structure. Especially the opening Siping tune is a Peking Opera treasure.
3. "Universe Front" (Zhao Yanrong)
"Universe Front" is a traditional Chinese opera, and Mei Lanfang (Peking Opera), Chen Suzhen (Yu Opera), Chen Bohua (Han Opera) ) The "Universal Frontiers" of the three masters are collectively known as the "Three Frontiers of the Universe".
Mei Lanfang said: "I admit that among the plays I have sung in my life, "Universal Frontier" is the one that I have worked hardest on." Mei Lanfang transformed the reality of life into the rhythm of opera, pursuing the beauty of imagery expressed in opera. Seeing Mei Lanfang pretending to be crazy on the stage, throwing up his sleeves, turning right, pulling out his left sleeve, raising his shoulder behind his back, and running quickly into the arena, this gave the audience great psychological expectations.
4. "The Phoenix Returns to the Nest" (Cheng Xue'e)
The Peking Opera "The Phoenix Returns to the Nest" was adapted by Mei Lanfang based on the "Cycle Preface" collected by the Qing Dynasty. It was originally called "The Yin and Yang Tree", and also Named "The Ugly Match", it premiered in Beijing in 1929. The plot of this play is clever and the plot is complete. It is similar to the legendary play "The Kite" of the Qing Dynasty. Several sections of Xue'e's singing are gorgeous, unique, lively, ups and downs, and cantabile. They are widely circulated famous singing sections of Mei School.
5. "Anti-Golden Soldiers" (Liang Hongyu)
"Anti-Golden Soldiers" is a new play written and performed by Mei Lanfang in Shanghai in 1933 to inspire fighting spirit against the enemy. Adapted from the traditional drama "The Women's Army", it is also known as "Battle at Jinshan" and "Huang Tiandang". It was originally a Wudan opera. Mei Lanfang adapted and performed the original work and filmed it, and Ouyang Yuqian adapted it again, titled "Liang Hongyu".