《呦呦鹿鸣》穿透心灵
2017-12-09刘慧
刘慧
2015年12月10日,身着一袭玫红色礼服的中国科学家屠呦呦在瑞典首都斯德哥尔摩音乐厅从瑞典国王卡尔十六世·古斯塔夫手中接过2015年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖证书、奖章。这是中国科学家在本土进行的科学研究首获诺贝尔科学奖,是中国科学界的一个历史性时刻。
2017年10月9日,由宁波市演艺集团出品的民族歌剧《呦呦鹿鸣》在杭州上演。海政文工团青年歌唱家、国家一级演员吕薇在剧中扮演屠呦呦,以一流的演技再现了这位宁波籍女科学家的精神风貌。
精湛技艺 演绎科学家风采
“青青的小草,水塘边默默地长,蕴含生命的美好;青青的小草,任凭那风吹雨打,任凭那兽嚼虫咬,彰显生命的骄傲……”10月9日晚,浙江省迎接党的十九大优秀作品展演剧目、民族歌剧《呦呦鹿鸣》在杭州唱响,能容纳1600多人的杭州剧院座无虚席。
帷幕拉开,灯光渐起。舞台上,一头短发,一副眼镜,一身白大褂,女科学家屠呦呦的形象是那么打动人心。
“呦呦鹿鸣,食野之蒿。我有嘉宾,德音孔昭。呦呦就是我的名字,从《诗经》中走来。”海政文工团青年歌唱家、国家一级演员吕薇在剧中扮演屠呦呦,以精湛的技藝展现了这位宁波籍女科学家的风采。吕薇用一句话概括了她对屠呦呦思想境界的理解:虽不能至,心向往之;知行合一,尽力为之。
《呦呦鹿鸣》讲述了宁波籍女科学家屠呦呦发明青蒿素的故事,是首部以女科学家为主要人物形象的民族歌剧。虽然屠呦呦是诺贝尔奖获得者,但她的故事真实地发生在我们身边,她追求梦想的执着和努力攀登的精神是我们学习的榜样。歌剧从屠呦呦的生活和工作细节入手,通过父女、夫妻、同事之间的对唱、重唱,展示出老一辈科学家追求理想和对事业的执着,让音乐深入揭示人物之间的情感及矛盾冲突,使整个故事更有张力和感染力。
该剧汇聚了国内一流创作团队,由作曲家孟卫东作曲,咏之、郭雪编剧,中央戏剧学院副院长廖向红导演,中央歌剧院常任指挥朱曼指挥,空政话剧团国家一级舞美设计师戴延年任舞美设计,中央戏剧学院舞台美术系教授胡耀辉任灯光设计,国家大剧院副院长邓一江为艺术监制。
“以闻名全球的真人真事作为创作素材,难度还是挺大的。要真实地反映生活,展现屠呦呦的人生经历,更重要的是反映其心路历程,把她的精神面貌体现出来,比如她是如何树立人生理想的。”廖向红介绍说,剧本完成后,他找了很多演员,发现吕薇的气质、形象与屠呦呦的精神风貌很契合,最后决定请吕薇来主演这部大戏。
清丽的嗓音、姣好的面容、曼妙的舞姿,从《呦呦鹿鸣》中,观众们欣赏到吕薇清淡如菊的演出。
吕薇出生于美丽的杭州,灵秀的江南赋予了她典雅的气质、婉转的歌喉。“我爷爷是宁波人,能为宁波的文化建设尽自己的一分力量,备感骄傲。”屠呦呦的饰演者吕薇说,接到剧本的那一刻她非常高兴,能够饰演屠呦呦这位伟大的科学家,也特别珍惜这一机会。屠呦呦的求真情怀,对党忠诚、对祖国热爱、对事业忘我追求的精神,应该让更多人知道。
吕薇对记者说,屠呦呦是一位了不起的女性,饰演这样一个伟大女性,自己非常有压力。为了解、体验中医药工作者的日常生活,她和剧组全体演员不但阅读了大量书籍、报刊,还专门去宁波市药品检验所参观体验,实地了解做实验、采标本的过程,为正式演出积累了大量第一手素材。
在歌唱家吕薇心中,屠呦呦为了梦想不怕失败,为了梦想以身试药,为了梦想,她宁愿牺牲小家为大家,把自身事业追求与国家富强、社会进步、人民幸福结合起来,以报国奉献为最高追求。在她身上,体现了“科学梦”与“中国梦”的水乳交融,我们应该大力弘扬老一辈科学家的崇高精神。
锻造精品 展现艺术新魅力
民族歌剧《呦呦鹿鸣》分两幕,前一幕主要讲述屠呦呦的出生、立志、成婚,起铺垫作用,后一幕选取了两段情节,成功提取青蒿素和以身试药。帷幕一拉开就是高潮,屠呦呦领导的科研小组陷入了困境,经历了190次实验的失败,合唱声此起彼伏,显示疟疾病魔肆虐为患,最后因为坚持,才获得了成功;屠呦呦以身试药的经历也极富感染力和震撼力。
全剧与“民族歌剧”这一艺术形式高度吻合,充分彰显了民族音乐、民族语言、民族表现形式、民族审美标准、民族艺术情趣的深远魅力。从《百草歌》《要高考了》《别来无恙》到《今夜星光灿烂》《我不太灵光》以及主题曲《青青的小草》等唱段,朴实无华而又清新隽永,将主人公的个性充分表现出来,犹显韵味深长。地方小曲马灯调、药行街的繁华街景以及奉化芋头、泥螺等宁波元素的巧妙“植入”,也使民族歌剧这一高雅艺术更接地气,使观众倍感亲切。
“要知道,这不是一台戏曲。”作曲家孟卫东说,歌剧被誉为“艺术皇冠上的明珠”,融汇文学、戏剧、美术、音乐、舞蹈等各种艺术门类,是复杂程度最高、最具综合性的舞台表演艺术。也就是说,一流的演员、一流的交响乐、一流的合唱团、一流的舞美设计与制作,缺一不可。
此次,参与演出的合唱队员就有60余人,其中来自宁波大学、宁波教育学院的同学们此前几乎没有上过舞台。早在排练时,导演廖向红、艺术监制邓一江、浙江工商职业技术学院合唱指挥樊洁,如同教小学生般地,从吐字咬字、声音调整、情绪处理等方面逐一训练;出生于杭州萧山的吕薇也没有一点大牌架子,只要有时间就加入辅导行列。通过两个多月排练,这支合唱队迅速成熟。
刚刚成立一年多的宁波交响乐团,也是第一次参与歌剧演出,不但要完整表达出作曲者对曲目的意图,还要将导演要求、演员的表演充分融入到音乐中。一次次夜以继日的排练,一次次推倒重来,没有一个人请过假,没有一个人有过抱怨。这个刚刚起步的交响乐团汇集了世界各地的音乐演奏家,在向世人展现高水准艺术的同时,也彰显了其过硬的团队素质。endprint
來自宁波大学音乐学院的教师孙铭澧,在剧中担任钢琴伴奏。这位毕业于美国曼哈顿音乐学院的音乐博士,每次排练就是好几个小时,一遍又一遍,重复再重复,坐在钢琴边不知疲倦。他对音乐的执着、对艺术的严谨,使他成为演员群中被点赞最多的人之一。
且歌且行 开拓歌剧新天地
演出现场,来自省内外的戏剧专家谈数个“想不到”:一个由各方力量组成的“业余合唱团”竟基本达到导演所要求的艺术效果,让人想不到;宁波竟会有这样一支优秀的交响乐团,让人想不到;由孙丹、谢进联等戏曲演员演绎的角色,在歌剧中竟让人一点儿也感觉不到这不是他们的本行,让人想不到。
仅仅由地方文艺院团创排的剧目《呦呦鹿鸣》何以让专家和观众都认同?当晚演出前,宁波市演艺集团董事长邹建红回顾了该剧从酝酿、论证、筹备、排练、首演、修改再到巡演一路走来的历程。
“当初我们真是没想到,一部再现科学家的歌剧能这么火。”邹建红说,屠呦呦是浙江人的骄傲。宁波作为屠呦呦的故乡,有责任和义务来宣传这位优秀科学家,展现科学大师的光辉业绩和崇高精神,弘扬我国科学界的优良传统。2015年12月,宁波市演艺集团有限公司受邀赴瑞典为屠呦呦领奖之行系列活动演出,见证了中国科学家的荣耀。2016年初,宁波市演艺集团赴北京专题研究2016年度精品剧目的选材和创作策划,与专家达成一致意见,决定以屠呦呦为原型,创作民族歌剧《呦呦鹿鸣》。
自今年5月30日起,《呦呦鹿鸣》在宁波首轮演出3场后,获得专家和观众的高度赞誉。6月30日至7月3日,为庆祝中国共产党成立96周年,《呦呦鹿鸣》又连演4天,并邀请省党代会代表、全市市级以上优秀党员等免费观看,受到广泛欢迎,门票供不应求,不得不从4场加演至6场。
谈及“想不到”,邹建红笑着说:“我们自己也有三个‘想不到:想不到在宁波两轮演出演了10场,上座率都达到90%以上;想不到刚刚创排完成,就入选十九大献礼剧目并在上海国际艺术节演出;最想不到的还是在短短一年半时间里,就创作出了一台原创民族歌剧,让宁波的女儿屠呦呦走上舞台,并成为一部精品歌剧。”
“民族艺术、传统文化值得认真梳理和挖掘,完全可以结合当下的接受方式,进行现代生活的转化。”在邹建红看来,民族歌剧也要立足当下,致力挖掘优秀传统文化、传承民族精神,才能发扬光大。
演出结束时,观众们起立,热烈的掌声,是送给女科学家屠呦呦真挚的感谢,同时也是送给民族歌剧《呦呦鹿鸣》的最好礼物。
Tu Youyou (1930-) is a Chinese pharmaceutical chemist and educator. She is best known for discovering artemisinin (also known as qinghaosu) and dihydroartemisinin, used to treat malaria, and which has saved millions of lives.
Tus discovery of artemisinin and its treatment of malaria is regarded as a significant breakthrough in 20th century tropical medicine and an important health improvement for people of tropical developing countries in South Asia, Africa, and South America. For her work, Tu received the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with William C. Campbell and Satoshi ?mura. The night of awarding ceremony on December 10, 2015 became a new milestone in the science history of China.
Tu is the first Chinese Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine and the first female citizen of the Peoples Republic of China to receive a Nobel Prize in any category, as well as the first Chinese person to receive the Lasker Award. October 9, 2017 saw the debut of a national opera starring famous singer and actress Lyu Wei, in Hangzhou. Crafted by Ningbo Performing Group, the opera recounts the life stories, the pride, dreams of the dauntless scientist, who is a Ningbo native.
The theatre curtain opened to reveal a short-haired, bespectacled Tu Youyou in her white lab uniform. The show started with a concise, poetic monologue that introduced the literary roots of the scientists unusual name ‘Youyou (the deers call).endprint
The heart of the opera was the discovering of artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin that took a lifetime of dedication of a scientist who is also a woman, a wife and a mother. Music added powerfully to the emotion and tension of the stage presentation that draws the talent of a first-class team that includes famous composer Meng Weidong, Liao Xianghong, Vice-president of Central Academy of Drama, famous conductor Zhu Man representing the China National Opera House, and Dai Yannian, representing the countrys first-tier stage designer community.
“Using such a sensational, true story of a real person for operatic adaptation was quite a big challenge, because everything had to be rooted in the real life and the mentality of Tu Youyou. The key, as well as the most difficult part, of the script writing, was to find a way to demonstrate the spirit of the scientist. We auditioned a lot of candidates for the ideal person to do justice to the scientists unusual willpower, and luckily we found what we wanted in Lyu Wei,” Liao Xianghong recalled.
“I was born in Hangzhou, but my grandfather is from Ningbo, the hometown of Tu,” Lyu Wei shared, “Knowing that I was going to play the leading role to pay tribute to such a great woman made me feel electrified. I couldnt wait to try my best to share her stories with more people.”
“Pride and pressure came at the same time,” Lyu Wei confessed. To get ready for playing the role, she spent a lot of time talking to TCM specialists and workers for as much firsthand experience as possible, and read extensively.
“Her stunning determination and courage to risk her health and even life to test the effect of compounds moved me, making me understand what ‘China Dream really means.”
The opera is divided into two chapters, with the first recounting the personal life of Tu Youyou and the second highlighting the lab work of Tus team and culminating in a scene that shows Tu volunteering to be the first human subject of the medicine.
With the developing of singing sessions flavored by Ningbo local folk music and signature Ningbo cultural elements, the protagonists personality built up. More than 60 students from Ningbo University and several other schools in Ningbo acted as the chorus. None of them had performing experiences before, but everyone achieved a perfect stage debut.
“The sensational success of the opera far exceeded everyones expectation,” said Zou Jianhong. In December of 2015, Ningbo Performing Group was invited by the awarding committee of the Nobel Prize to share the moment of national pride in Sweden. Back in Ningbo, the delegation did not hesitate to use the story of the Nobel laureate as a model for the production of ‘the show of the year 2016.endprint