Yu Zhenfei (1902-1993)
Calligraphy, 1987
Ink on paper, hanging scroll
Inscription: Ten new plays are written on scattered sheets, transmitted through the marvelous brush of the master of Lanxi. I, too, have taken the stage to sing these theatrical texts; the errant kite has not thwarted a happy marriage. The romantic drama Fengzheng Wu, one of Li Liweng's Ten Plays, continues to be performed on the Kunqu stage. I also performed it in former days. In the summer of the dingmao year (1987), at the request of my fellow artist Shusen and the esteemed Guiling, with the hope of their kind correction. Disou, Yu Zhenfei, aged eighty-six.
Seals: Seal of Yu Zhenfei, Yu the Fifth of Jiangnan
{Image size: 23 3/4 x 14 5/8 inches (60.3 x 37.1 cm)}.
{Overall size: 47 3/8 x 18 inches (120.3 x 45.7 cm)}.
Yu Zhenfei was a celebrated performer of both Peking opera and Kunqu, particularly renowned for his xiaosheng, or young male, roles. In 1945, he joined Mei Lanfang's troupe, appearing with Mei in productions including Qi Shuang Hui, Chun Qiu Pei, and Luo Shen. He became principal of the Shanghai Opera School in 1957, toured Western Europe with a Chinese opera ensemble in 1958, and was appointed director of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe in 1978.
The inscription recalls Fengzheng Wu, The Kite Misunderstanding, a romantic comedy by the Qing playwright Li Yu, also known as Li Liweng. A kite bearing a poem by the young scholar Han Shixun lands in the courtyard of Zhan Shujuan, who adds a responding verse. Further exchanges lead to mistaken identities involving her elder sister, Aijuan. After a series of misunderstandings, Han eventually discovers that his bride is indeed Shujuan, the woman whose poetry first captured his affection.
Yu's reference to his own performances gives the inscription a personal theatrical resonance. A surviving recording of the Hou Qin scene, made during the September 1956 Kunqu gathering in Suzhou, features Yu as Han Shixun, Xu Lingyun as Zhan Aijuan, and Zhu Chuanming as Zhan Shujuan. Held from September 22 to 29, the gathering brought together leading Kunqu performers from northern and southern China, with Yu regularly appearing in the closing performances.
The dedication names Shusen and Guiling, both prominent figures in San Francisco's Chinese Peking opera community. Written in Yu's later years, this work connects his memories of the Kunqu stage with the Chinese theatrical traditions sustained by the Chinese community in San Francisco.
Provenance: Collection of a longtime Chinese collector in San Francisco.
Michaan's Auctions is honored to present this work with the generous support of the collector.
俞振飞（1902-1993）
书法，1987年
纸本水墨，立轴
题款：新词十种写零笺，此是兰溪妙笔传。我亦临场吟爨本，风筝未误好姻缘。李笠翁《十种曲》之《风筝误》传奇，昆剧舞台至今流传。余昔亦演之。丁卯（1987）之夏，应树森艺友，贵苓大嫂之属，并希莞正。涤叟俞振飞时年八十有六。
钤印：俞振飞印、江南俞五
画心：23 3/4 x 14 5/8英寸（60.3 x 37.1厘米）。
全卷：47 3/8 x 18英寸（120.3 x 45.7厘米）。
俞振飞为中国著名京剧、昆剧表演艺术家，尤以小生艺术著称。1945年加入梅兰芳剧团，与梅兰芳合作演出《奇双会》《春秋配》《洛神》等剧目。1957年任上海戏曲学校校长，1958年随中国戏曲歌舞团赴西欧访问演出，1978年任上海昆剧团团长。
本作题咏清代剧作家李渔，号笠翁，所编传奇《风筝误》。剧中，韩世勋题诗的风筝落入詹淑娟院中，淑娟和诗相答，由此引出一段姻缘。其后风筝误落入姐姐詹爱娟院内，双方假借姓名相约，造成重重误会。韩世勋成名后迎娶淑娟，起初误以为新娘是此前见过的爱娟，待真相揭晓，方知所娶正是心仪之人，遂成佳偶。
题款中余昔亦演之一语，将诗文与俞振飞本人的舞台经历相连。1956年9月苏州昆剧观摩演出期间留存的《风筝误·后亲》实况录音，由俞振飞饰韩世勋、徐凌云饰詹爱娟、朱传茗饰詹淑娟。该次大会于9月22日至29日举行，汇集南北昆剧名家，俞振飞多次担纲大轴演出。
上款中的树森艺友与贵苓大嫂，均为旧金山华人京剧界名人。本作写于俞振飞晚年，既寄托其对昆剧舞台的回忆，也见证了他与旧金山华人戏曲界的交往，为中国传统戏曲在海外的传承留下了一份珍贵记录。
来源：旧金山资深华人藏家收藏。
Michaan's Auctions 荣幸得到藏家的慷慨支持，推出此件作品。
