Chinese Opera Contents Introduction Varieties Peking Opera Introduction

Chinese Opera 中国戏曲

Contents Introduction Varieties Peking Opera

Introduction ----- Chinese Operas l Chinese Opera has been acknowledged as one of the greatest ancient dramas in the world, paralleling the Comedies and Tragedies of Greece and the Sanskrit （梵文） Drama of India. l The Chinese opera is a traditional form of stage entertainment, weaving together elements of mime, dance, song, dialogue, swordplay, and acrobatics into one fluid continuous flow. Gestures, movements and expressions incorporated within each performer's script come together to bring forth an impressive performance.

Introduction ----- Chinese Operas • In contrast to Western stage entertainment, which is subdivided into different categories such as opera, drama and sketches（幽默短剧） , Chinese opera has remained faithful to its original format over the centuries. • Their origin can be traced back to primitive society but the prototype(雏形) for Chinese opera actually appeared in the Song dynasty about 800 years ago.

Introduction ----- Chinese Operas Although sharing a common ancestry, Chinese opera boasts over 300 various distinct forms - taking their names from their places of origin. These forms are generally discernible（可是别的） by their use of local dialects and distinct 'melodies'. Beijing opera is considered by most to be the most refined. Also widespread are Pingju Opera, Kunqu Opera, Shaoxing Opera, Henan Opera, Sichuan Opera, Shanxi Opera, Huangmei Opera, Huagu Opera and Yangko Opera. Some Chinese ethnic minority groups have some local form of operas.

Varieties l Northern l l l Beijing opera 京剧 Errenzhuan 二人转 (Northeast China) Hebei bangzi 河北梆子 (Hebei) Jiju 吉剧 (Jilin) Lüju 吕剧 (Shandong) Pingju 评剧 (Hebei) Puju 蒲剧 (Shanxi) Qinqiang/Qin dynasty opera 秦腔 (Shaanxi) Shandong bangzi (Shandong) Shanxi bangzi (Shanxi)

l Southern (main ) l Cantonese opera (Guangdong) l Chaozhou opera l Ganju/Yiyangqiang (Jiangxi) l Huju (Shanghai) l Kunqu l Liyuan opera l Puppet opera l Shaoxing opera/Yueju (Zhejiang) l Suzhou opera (Suzhou) l Taiwanese opera l Wuju (Jinhua)

Varieties of Chinese Opera Over 300 types all together Beijing Opera （京剧） Yue Opera（越剧） Huangmei Opera （黄梅戏） Yu Opera（豫剧） Ping Opera（评剧） Kun Opera（昆剧） Hebei Clapper Opera（河北梆子） Chuan Opera（川剧） Yue Opera（越剧） Lu Opera(吕剧）

Beijing Opera （京剧） l Beijing Opera, once called 'Peking Opera', is the most influential and representative of all operas in China and has a history of over 200 years. l Beijing Opera is noticeable for four highly systemized categories of singing, acting, reciting and acrobatic fighting.

The Four roles in Beijing Opera

Famous Plays in Beijing Opera l l l l The Gathering Of Heroes《群英会》 The Empty City《空城计》 The Orphan of the Zhao《赵氏孤儿》 The Female Generals of the Yang《杨门女将》 Red Lantern《红灯记》 The Sparks in Reed Marshes《芦荡火种》 To Take the Weihu Mountain by Strategy《智 取威虎山》

Yue Opera越剧 l Yue Opera is a local opera popular in the southern regions of the Changjiang River. Yue Opera has a history of nearly 100 years. The famous performer Yuan Xuefen（袁雪芬）, contributed significantly to the reform of this opera. Well known plays include The Butterfly’s Love《梁山伯与祝英台》, The Dream of Red Mansions《红楼梦》and The West Chamber《西厢记》.

Huangmei Opera黄梅戏 l Huangmei Opera, once called 'Huangmei Tune' （黄梅调）, is a local opera in Anhui Province, was basically derived from the 'Caicha Tune'（采茶调, tea-picking tunes） of Huangmei county. The Huangmei Opera uses the talents of the well-known performer, Yan Fengying（阎凤英）, and the traditional plays are The Heavenly Maid and the Mortal 《天仙配》and Female Son-in-Law of the Emperor《女驸马》。

Yu Opera豫剧 l Yu Opera, also called 'Henan Clapper Opera'（河南梆子）or 'Henan High Tune' （河南高调）, is a major local opera in Henan Province and enjoys nationwide popularity. There are more than 600 traditional plays in the repertoire of Yu Opera, among them are Playing Short Spears《对花枪》and The Beheading of Chen Shimei 《铡美案》. The most famous performer is Chang Xiangyu（常 香玉）.

Ping Opera评剧 l Ping Opera is a traditional opera widely popular in Beijing, Tianjin, North and Northeast China. It is especially good at reflecting life of urban people and has gained great favor from people both in rural and urban areas. Classic plays include Flower, a Matchmaker《花为媒》and Du Shi Niang《杜十娘》, to name just a few. Representative performers are Xiao Bai Yushuang（小白玉霜）and Xin Fengxia（ 新风霞）.

Kun Opera昆曲 l Kun Opera, also called 'Kunshan Qiang' ( 昆山腔)', originated in the Kunshan region of Jiangsu Province. It is one of China's classical operas with a history of more than 600 years. The traditional plays of Kun Opera include The Injustice to Dou E 《窦娥冤》, The West Chamber《西厢记 》, The Peach Blossom Fan《桃花扇》, The Peony Pavilion《牡丹亭》and Palace of Eternal Youth《长生殿》. The representative performers are Yu Zhenfei （俞振飞）and Hong Xuefei（洪雪飞）.

Hebei Clapper Opera河北梆子 l Hebei Clapper Opera is a local opera which originated in Hebei Province, yet also became very popular in Beijing, Tianjin and some regions of Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Shandong Provinces. Representative plays include The Generals of the Yang《杨家将》, Lotus Lantern《宝莲灯》and Qin Xianglian《秦 香莲》.

Chuan Opera川剧 l Chuan Opera is one of the oldest local operas in China, mainly prevalent in Sichuan province and parts of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. There are some unique and rare features of Chuan Opera used to depict（描绘） certain characters. For example, the actors with a third eye on their forehead can suddenly open it and have an insight into the past and the future; some actors can change their facial make-ups with a quick swing of the head; and some are proficient at jumping through burning hoops or hiding swords. They are perfectly integrated with the plot of the play, the mood and the personality of the characters.

Yue Opera 粤剧 l Yue Opera is a major opera prevalent in areas where people speak Guangdong dialect, such as Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, Hong Kong, Macao and overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Its orchestra(管 弦乐队) has adopted Western instruments such as violin, saxophone, cello(大提琴) and double bass(大贝斯或低音提琴), in addition to Chinese traditional instruments like Erhe（二胡）, Gaohu （高胡）, Sanxian（三弦）, and Yueqin（月琴）. In acting, stage scenery and lighting, the techniques of modern drama and Western opera have been integrated. A leading actress is Hong Xiannu（红线女）

Chinese Musical Instruments l wind instruments (吹奏乐器) l bowed string instruments(拉弦乐器) l plucked string instruments (弹拨乐器) l percussion instruments. (打击乐器)

Wind or Blowing Instruments 吹奏乐器 l The wind instruments are mainly made of bamboo or wood and are in the form of a pipe. They can produce smooth and sonorous (调子高的，响亮的)sound by wind blowing through the pipe. There is a variety of wind instruments used in Chinese music, among them are the Dizi, Xiao and Sheng. These play a key role in various musical ensembles（重 奏）.

Wind or Blowing Instruments 吹奏乐器 笛 箫 笙 唢呐

Bowed String Instrument拉弦乐器 l The bowed string instruments produce from the vibration of the strings sweet sound and rich tone colors. Most of Chinese bowed string instruments belong to the Huqin（胡 琴）group, such as the Erhu, the Gaohu and the Banhu, the former two have sounding membranes(薄膜) made of python(蟒蛇) skin, while the later one has a wooden sounding board. They can express profound feelings and display exquisite(精湛 的) skills of the performer.

Bowed String Instrument拉弦乐器 二胡 京胡 板胡

Plucked String Instrument弹拨乐器 l The plucked string instruments are played by plucking the strings with fingers or plectrums(弦拨). There are various kinds of plucked string instruments made of different forms. The group of the plucked string instrument mainly includes the Guqin, Zheng and Pipa.

Plucked String Instrument弹拨乐器 阮 扬琴 筝 琵琶 三弦

Percussion打击乐器 l The history of percussion instruments in China is longer than any other category of traditional instruments. The character of 'drum' was first found in the inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty. China has an enormous variety of percussion instruments and the more popular ones are the Gu, Zhong, Bo and Luo, which can make sounds full of appeals and local color.

Peking Opera History of Peking Opera Roles of Peking Opera Facial masks

Brief Introduction l Beijing opera or Peking opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics<杂技>. The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. It has also spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.

Development Beijing opera was born when the "Four Great Anhui Troupes" brought Anhui opera, or what is now called Huiju, to Beijing in 1790, for the birthday of the Qianlong Emperor. Beijing opera was originally staged for the court and came into the public later. In 1828, some famous Hubei troupes came to Beijing. They often jointly performed in the stage with Anhui troupes. The combination gradually formed Beijing opera's melodies. Beijing opera is generally regarded as having fully formed by 1845. Although it is called Beijing opera (Beijing theatre style), its origins are in the southern Anhui and eastern Hubei l Beijing opera is not actually a monolithic<单块的> form, but rather a coalescence <联合>of many older forms. l

l Performers utilize the skills of speech, song, dance, and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive, rather than realistic. The skill of performers is evaluated according to the beauty of their movements. Performers also adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production. The layers of meaning within each movement must be expressed in time with music. Beijing opera are based on Chinese history, folklore, and, increasingly, contemporary life.

l Beijing opera was initially an exclusively male pursuit. The Qianlong Emperor had banned all female performers in Beijing in 1772. The appearance of women on the stage began unofficially during the 1870 s. Female performers began to impersonate male roles and declared equality with men. By 1894, the first commercial venue showcasing female performance troupes appeared in Shanghai. This encouraged other female troupes to form, which gradually increased in popularity. As a result, theatre artist Yu Zhenting俞振庭 petitioned（请愿）for the lifting of the ban after the founding of the Republic of China in 1911. This was accepted, and the ban was lifted in 1912.

●The roles on the Chinese opera stage fall into four categories: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. ●These roles have the natural features of age and sex, as well as social status, and are artificially exaggerated by makeup, costume<戏服 > and gestures. ●京剧在塑造人物方面有其独特的造型语言。它把不 同性别、性格、年龄、身份的人物划分为不同的行当， 一般说来有"生、旦、净、丑"四大行当。由于京剧人 物造型形象鲜明、风格多样，有强烈的剧场效果，常 常更易于激起观众的欣赏兴趣。

Sheng l a male role, usually a leading one, dates back to Southern Drama of the Song and Yuan Dynasties (960 -1368). This role appears in operas in all historical periods. l Sheng falls into three sub-groups: Laosheng, Xiaosheng, Wusheng

Laosheng is meaning bearded men, because the actors wear artificial beards, and they are middle-aged or elderly men. Most are upright(正直) and resolute（刚毅） characters. They sing in their natural voices, and their actions are serious ones. l Xiaosheng represents young male characters. They don't wear artificial beards. They always sing in their real voices, while in Kunqu and Pihuang operas the singing mixes natural and falsetto voices. l l

Sheng • Wusheng stands for all of the male characters who appear in battle scenes. They always wear helmets and thick-soled boots. The generals always carry long pikes or short-handled weapons, . Wusheng roles call for sturdy and vigorous actions, with resounding (洪亮的）declamations. The movements of the waist and legs are powerful, and a high level of martial arts skills is demanded in these roles.

Dan l Dan is the general term in Peking Opera for female roles. As early as in the Song Dynasty (960 -1279), the Dan role appeared. Southern Drama and Northern Zaju, which developed during the Song and Yuan Dynasties (960 -1368) l Nowadays, the Dan roles are subdivided into Zhengdan (or Qingyi), Huandan, Wudan and Laodan

l Zhengdan role was the main Dan role in the Northern Zaju. Zhengdan refers to young or middle-aged women with gentle and refined dispositions. Most of Zhengdan 's lines are delivered in song, and even the spoken parts are recited in rhythmic style. Always dressed in a blue gown, Zhengdan is also called Qingyi (blue clothes). 饰演大家闺秀和 有身份的妇女称为"正旦"，正旦在京剧中俗 称"青衣"，这就是因为正旦所扮演的角色常 穿青色的长衫而得名青衣的表演庄重娴静， 秀雅柔婉，以唱功为主，一般说来，青衣的 唱腔旋律优美，细腻婉转。

Dan Huadan is a role for a vivacious maiden, a young woman with a frank and open personality, or a woman of questionable character. 旦行中的"花旦"，多扮演天真活泼或放荡泼 辣的青衣妇女，在表演上注重做 和念白， 例如《红娘》中的红娘.

Wudan refers to female characters skilled in the martial arts and can be subdivided into Daomadan and Wudan, according to the social positions and skills represented. Daomadan is good at using pikes and spears, and at riding horses. Wudan always wears short robes and the role emphasizes acrobatics. Wudan plays gods and ghosts and has excellent fighting skills. l 武旦"和"刀马旦"相当于生行中的武生，扮演的是擅 长武艺的青壮年妇女，装扮和武生差不多，也扎靠 服，她们多在剧中扮演女侠、女将甚至女仙、女妖 等。武旦和刀马旦的表演往往还伴随着热闹的锣鼓 点，烘托场上的气氛 l

l Laodan usually represents aged women. She sings in their natural voices, in a style similar to that of Laosheng but in milder tones. l 老旦指在剧中扮演老年妇女的角色行当。为 突出老年人的特点，走路迈一种沉稳的横八 字步，服装色调为色彩偏暗的秋香色、墨绿 色，演唱用真声表现。

Jing refers to painted-face roles, known popularly as Hualian. The different colors and designs on the faces represent males with different characteristics. Some are bold and vigorous and some are sinister< 邪恶的>, ruthless, crude and rash(鲁莽). The voice is loud and clear, and the movements are exaggerated. The roles represent men of high social standing and good behavior, often court ministers. l "净"角脸部化妆最为丰富彩。"净"因面部化妆要用各种 色彩和图案勾勒脸谱，所以又俗称"大花脸"。一般扮演 品貌或者性格有特点的男子，在京剧中多为将军或有 一定社会地位的人 l

Chou l The Chou is one of the main roles in Peking Opera. The eyes and nose are surrounded by a white patch, so Chou is also known as Xiao Hua Lian (partly painted face). The Chou roles originated in Southern Drama of the Song and Yuan dynasties (960 -1368)剧中的"丑"角演员 又称为"小花脸"。"丑"行的化妆虽与大花脸有点 相象，可是他的表演风格却完全不同，有点像 夸张的漫画。丑角的出场常会带来满堂的笑声 l the Chou roles are divided into two categories: Wenchou (civilian) and Wuchou (martial).

Beijing Opera facial masks 京剧脸谱

l The facial makeup in Chinese opera, is a special feature of a national cosmetic. As each historical figure or a certain type of person has an approximate spectral type, like sing, play music to the music, so called “types of facial makeup in operas”. On the types of facial makeup in operas sources, the general view is from mask.

Red has expressed his Warriors of strong types of facial makeup in operas such as Guan Yu, Jiang Wei and Chang Yuchun. 红色有脸谱表示忠勇士义烈，如关羽、姜维、 常遇春.

l Black said the types of facial makeup in operas ming criticized people, integrity, bravery and even reckless, such as Zhang Fei, Li Kui黑色的脸谱 表示刚烈、正直、勇猛甚至鲁莽，如包 拯、张飞、李逵等 张飞

l Yellow types of facial makeup in operas that vicious brutality, such as Yuwen Chengdu, and Dian Wei. 黄色的脸谱表示 凶狠残暴，如宇文成都、典韦.

l Blue or green types of facial makeup in operas that some of the figures represented irritable, such as Dou Ambassador, Ma Wu. 蓝色或绿色的脸谱 表示一些粗豪暴躁的人物，如窦尔敦、马 武等. 窦尔敦

General treacherous court official said the types of facial makeup in operas white, bad guys, such as Cao, Zhao Gao. 白色的脸谱一般表示奸臣、坏人， 如曹操、赵高等 曹操

Classic Works 京剧经典

l "Farewell, My Concubine” 霸王别姬

The Drunken Beauty 《贵妃醉酒》

央视: Madam White Snake 常规译: Legend of the White Snake 白蛇传

鸿门宴 Hongmen Banquet (a feast or meeting set up as a trap for the invited)

西厢记 the Romance of the West chamber

The Drunken Beauty

赵氏孤儿“Sacrifice”（牺牲） The Orphan of the Zhao

l The Fairy Scattering Flowers 天女散花 l A Startling Dream of Wandering Through the Garden 游园惊梦 l Beauty Defies Tyranny 宇宙锋 l Mu Guiying Takes Command 穆桂英挂帅 l The Fisherman’s Revenge 打渔杀 l Phoenix Returns to its Nest 凤还巢 l The Red Lantern 红灯记 l Three Kingdoms ambition 三国志

Famous Artists

Secret of the name 梅 mei, plum (flower) 兰 lan, orchid (flower) 芳 fang, fragrance l “The Four Gentlemen” - plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo (梅兰菊竹). l His life in art was full of fragrance (芳) when the flowers (梅plum, 兰orchid) blossom

Mei Lanfang Queen of Peking Opera l Traditionally only men performed Peking Opera, including the female roles — and Mei Lanfang was the master. During his stage life, Mei embellished traditions of the past with his own creations, shaping a style of his own, and gave birth to “The Mei Lanfang School. ” He was also the first artist to introduce Peking Opera to an overseas audience, winning international recognition across the globe.

Homework Do you know any other minority characters? Please introduce one of them.

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