Liu Yiran (Photography/Chen Qiang)
Young singer Liu Yiran is a young opera singer at the Central Opera House. Since he was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music at the beginning of the new century and studied vocal music with the famous vocal educator Professor Zhao Dengying, he has quietly planted the seeds of his dream of singing Chinese and foreign operas in his heart. Eleven years ago, when the National Center for the Performing Arts was just completed, the father and son were chatting at home. They mentioned that the Grand Theater had a concert hall, a theater, and an opera house. Liu Yiran couldn't help but excitedly said that this was built for us opera singers. Yes! The simple father immediately interrupted his son's "ranting". He felt that his son, who had just graduated from the Conservatory of Music two years ago and was still singing in the chorus of the Central Opera House, was not modest enough and low-key enough to speak like this.
Liu Yiran played the protagonist Siegmund in Wagner's opera "Valkyrie" (Photo/Fei Bin)
In fact, when Liu Yiran was still studying at the Central Conservatory of Music, she participated in the Japanese Four Seasons conducted by world conductor Seiji Ozawa. Puccini's classic opera "Madama Butterfly" was performed in the theater. Although he only sang the chorus at that time, the inspiration and motivation he received in it remained fresh in his memory. At that time, when the opera was selecting chorus members in China and Japan, Liu Yiran was selected and performed this world classic opera in China and Japan. What made him even more unforgettable was the celebration reception after the performance. Everyone took photos with Seiji Ozawa, and Liu Yiran also came over. Unexpectedly, after taking the photo, Seiji Ozawa patted Liu Yiran on the shoulder and said in Chinese Say, very good! Although Liu Yiran knew that this was just an encouragement from the master to young people, he was deeply inspired by this precious and kind encouragement, and he has always used it to spur and motivate himself.
Liu Yiran played the role of company commander Wang Yong in the national opera "The Red Army Is Not Afraid of Difficulties in Expedition" (Photo/Fei Bin)
It is natural for a young vocal music student to work as a chorus singer in the National Opera House after graduation, but Liu Yiran did not He did not give up on his opera dream. In the second year after graduation, Liu Yiran played the role of the poet Manrico in "Il Trovatore" for the first time at the Orbera Opera Art Center founded by Italian-Chinese Mr. Lin Xuwei. Later, Liu Yiran played the protagonists poet Rodolfo and rich boy Ernesto in the operas "La Bohème" and "Don Pasquale" produced by the Oberla Opera Art Center. Liu Yiran, a chorus member of the Opera House, gradually emerged on the opera stage.
Liu Yiran played the role of the poet Manrico in Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" (Photo/Guo Hongsong)
In 2010, the Central Opera House rehearsed Puccini's opera "Turandot", in which Ping, Pang and Peng The important role of Peng in The Minister was originally chosen by a colleague from the Opera House, but that colleague had other things to do, so Peng became Liu Yiran's first role on the opera stage of the Central Opera House. It seems that opportunities always come to those who are prepared. In 2011, the Central Opera House began to tour the concert version of "Road to Renaissance" across the country. When the Opera House arrived in Taiyuan and was about to hold the first concert of the tour, a singer from an outside troupe arrived in Taiyuan to perform "The Passage". The audition of the lead singer of "Snowy Mountains and Grasslands" ultimately failed to satisfy the opera house, so this task was placed on Liu Yiran's shoulders. Liu Yiran also won the Outstanding Performance Award for Outstanding Repertoire of the National Art Academy issued by the Ministry of Culture that year for her outstanding performance of this vocal work.
Liu Yiran leads the singing of "Crossing the Snowy Mountains and Grasslands" in the concert version of "Road to Renaissance" (Photography/Fei Bin)
The Central Opera House created and performed the original national opera "Dream of the Mountains and Forests" in 2012 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Opera House. ", Liu Yiran plays the male protagonist Shangui in the play. During the casting process for "Mountain Dream", the director told Liu Yiran that he felt his voice and performance were both qualified for the role. Liu Yiran, who played the leading role for the first time in an opera at the Central Opera House, lived up to high expectations and successfully created this highly personalized role with his outstanding singing and performance.That night, Liu Yiran's mentor, Professor Zhao Dengying from the Central Conservatory of Music, came to watch the performance. When he saw Liu Yiran's accurate and vivid interpretation of the role in the audience, he felt that he had made a subversive discovery.
Liu Yiran plays the poet Rudolf in Puccini's opera "La Bohème" (Photo/Fei Bin)
In Zhao Dengying's impression, Liu Yiran is introverted and kind, does not fight for anything, and is never ostentatious. How come he is so good at acting? Where is this vivid and funny mountain ghost? Although Zhao Dengying always warns students in class to use their voices to meet the requirements of the role on stage instead of caring about how to express their own voices, it is still hard to believe that Liu Yiran's performance of Mountain Ghost in front of her is like this. Will Liu Yiran sing like this? Act? That night, as Yue Dengying was driving home, he couldn't help but feel that he had been teaching for decades, and this evening, he really felt a sense of accomplishment. "Dream of the Forest" has also become a successful breakthrough in the opera career that Liu Yiran has been striving for. Scientifically using one's own voice according to the character requirements of the character in the play, and using a unique voice to express and shape the characters in the play - this is what "Mountain Dream" brought honor to Liu Yiran and gave him something more precious than honor. reward.
Liu Yiran plays the role of Vulcan Rogge in Wagner's opera "Daiss Rheingold" (Photo/Fei Bin)
In 2013, when the world commemorated the bicentenary of the birth of the opera master Wagner, the Central Opera House, under the leadership of its president, artistic director, With the dedicated efforts of the famous conductor Yu Feng and all the staff of the Opera House, the opening of the second part of Wagner's musical drama tetrad "The Ring of the Nibelung" "Die Walküre" marks the beginning of Chinese artist performances and independent productions of "The Nibelung". The first step in the play "The Ring of Roots". Liu Yiran plays the lead role of Siegmund in "Valkyrie". The demands of Wagner's operas on actors who use their voices to express depth and express passion are almost daunting, so much so that there are not many actors in the world who are qualified for the special heroic tenor of the "Wagner Tenor." This difficult challenge was placed in front of Liu Yiran. In more than four hours of theater performance, Liu Yiran perfectly performed Siegmund, a famous role on the world opera stage.
Liu Yiran played the hero Siegfried in Wagner's opera "Twilight of the Gods" (Photo/Fei Bin)
When Liu Yiran and all the actors stood on the stage of the National Center for the Performing Arts to receive warm cheers from the audience, the stage Music experts below also praised this rare "Wagnerian tenor" among Chinese tenors. For her outstanding performance in "Valkyrie", Liu Yiran once again won the Outstanding Performance Award for Outstanding Repertoire of the National Art Academy from the Ministry of Culture. Subsequently, the Central Opera House continued to rehearse the remaining three parts of Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelung", "Siegfried", "Twilight of the Gods" and "Das Rheingold" at the rhythm of one performance per year. Liu Yiran successively played the roles of the cunning dwarf Mime, the indomitable hero Siegfried, and the sinister fire god Logue on the surface. He used his very shaping voice to perfectly interpret the contrasting personalities of these characters. Different roles.
Liu Yiran played the protagonist Siegfried in Wagner's opera "Twilight of the Gods" (Photo/Fei Bin)
In 2017, Liu Yiran independently produced and performed Puccini's classic opera "Boheme" at the Central Opera House In "People", he plays the protagonist Rudolf, the poet. Having played the leading role in the national opera "Dream in the Woods" and performing the heroic tenor in Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung", Liu Yiran has different stage experience and successful practice in Eastern and Western operas. This time, she turned to The role of lyric tenor in the world's classic operas made Liu Yiran seriously think and ponder in different opera ways, how to adjust and transform the opera way that she was already familiar with, to interpret and shape Rudolf, a young man who was down-and-out but still full of ideals. Poet character. In many years of stage practice, the transformation of artistic roles has always tested and witnessed Liu Yiran's artistic skills and creative talents.
Liu Yiran played the role of the poet Manrico in Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" (Photo/Guo Hongsong)
In recent years, the Central Opera House has produced excellent national operas one after another, and has created and performed original national operas "Manas", "The Red Army Is Not Afraid of Difficulties in Expeditions", "Beichuan Lanhui", "Red Detachment of Women", and in the latest national opera "Border Town" recently rehearsed based on Shen Congwen's original work "Border Town", Liu Yiran was once again entrusted with the important task of playing the role The protagonist in the play is Nuosong. The drama of this opera is not strong, but the emotional drama is extremely delicate and rich, which raised new topics and challenges for Liu Yiran. Starting from her role as the poet Manrico in "Il Trovatore" the year after graduation, the young Liu Yiran has had twelve years of rich experience and successful practice in playing leading roles on the opera stage and playing different types of roles in Eastern and Western operas. , he still clearly remembers teacher Zhao Dengying’s teachings on using voice to create characters. Another new opera character created by Liu Yiran is coming to us... (Chen Qiang)
Liu Yiran (Photography/Chen Qiang)
Source: Art Travel Notes
