Tan Xinpei
Chinese Peking opera artist (1847-1917)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tan Xinpei (23 April 1847 – 10 May 1917) was a Chinese Peking opera artist who specialized in sheng roles. A disciple of Cheng Changgeng, Tan Xinpei was undoubtedly the most important Peking opera performer of his generation. Some of his audio recordings have survived. He was also the only actor in China's earliest film Dingjun Mountain (1905).
Tan Xinpei | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tan in a surviving still of Dingjun Mountain (1905) | |||||||
| Born | April 23, 1847 | ||||||
| Died | May 10, 1917 (aged 70) Beijing, China | ||||||
| Occupations | Peking opera artist, actor | ||||||
| Years active | 1905 | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 譚鑫培 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 谭鑫培 | ||||||
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A native of Wuhan, Hubei, Tan lived and worked for most of his life in Beijing after moving there with his family at the age of 10.
More than 40 of his family members have, over seven generations, worked as Peking opera performers,[1] including his grandson Tan Fuying.[2]
In popular culture
In the 1993 TV series Niu Zihou and Fu Lian Cheng (牛子厚與富連成), Tan Xinpei is portrayed by Peking opera artist Li Fuchun (李甫春). In the 2000 film Shadow Magic, the character Tan Linmei is clearly based on Tan Xinpei. He is played by Peking opera artist Li Yusheng (李玉声). In the 2005 film Dingjun Mountain (定軍山), Tan Xinpei is portrayed by his great-grandson Tan Yuanshou, Tan Fuying's son and a notable Peking opera artist in his own right.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1905 |
Dingjun Mountain | Opera Lord | first Chinese film |
| Chang ban po | |||
