Chinese Opera 中国戏曲

Contents

Introduction

Varieties

Peking Opera

Introduction ----- Chinese Operas

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.

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.

VarietiesNorthern 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)

Southern (main )

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

Wind or Blowing Instruments 吹奏乐器

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 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

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

筝

琵琶

阮

三弦

扬琴

Percussion 打击乐器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.

Percussion 打击乐器

青铜编钟

编磬

锣 钹

鼓 木鱼

Peking Opera

History of Peking Opera

Roles of Peking Opera

Facial masks

Brief Introduction

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.

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

Beijing opera is not actually a monolithic< 单块的 > form, but rather a coalescence < 联合>of many older forms.

Development

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.

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 1870s. 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

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.

Sheng falls into three sub-groups: Laosheng, Xiaosheng, Wusheng

Sheng

老生 / 《甘露寺      》 小生 / 《柳荫记》

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.

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.

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.

DanDan 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)

Nowadays, the Dan roles are subdivided into Zhengdan (or Qingyi),Huandan, Wudan and Laodan

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，在表演上注重做工和念白，例如《红娘》中的红娘 .

Dang

青衣 / 《贵妃醉酒 》 花旦 / 《拾玉镯》

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.

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

Laodan usually represents aged women. She sings in their natural voices, in a style similar to that of Laosheng but in milder tones.

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。

  武旦 / 《穆桂英 》 老旦 / 《秦香莲》

Jing 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.

" 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

Jing

武净 / 《战宛城 》 铜锤 / 《打龙袍》

" 末 "也属老生类，但在年龄上应更老，思维糊涂，生活在底层的老人。由于化妆时在鼻梁上抹以小块白粉而俗称 " 小花脸 " ，又同净角的大花脸、二花脸并列而俗称 " 三花脸 " 。

ChouThe 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

the Chou roles are divided into two categories: Wenchou (civilian) and Wuchou (martial).

Chou

文丑 / 《群英会   》 武丑 / 《连环套》

Wuchou requires not only a good command of the martial arts or acrobatics, but also the ability to deliver the lines both clearly and fluently. The movements should be light and powerful.

武丑扮演的经常是一些机警风趣、武艺高超的人物，象绿林好汉、侠盗小偷等等。 " 文丑 "经常扮演花花公子、狱卒、酒保、更夫、老兵等。不管文丑或武丑，虽有文武善恶、身份高低之分，在剧中都是幽默、滑稽的喜剧人物，也并不都是反派。

Beijing Opera facial masks

京剧脸谱

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.

•Beijing opera types of facial makeup in operas are based on certain personality, temperament or some special types of figures for the use of certain colors.京剧脸谱，是具有民族特色的一种特殊的化妆方法。由于每个历史人物或某一种类型的人物都有一种大概的谱式，就像唱歌、奏乐都要按照乐谱一样，所以称为“脸谱” . 关于脸谱的来源，一般的说法是来自假面具。根据某种性格、性情或某种特殊类型的人物为采用某些色彩的 。

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 .

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

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 .

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 Cao, Zhao Gao. 白色的脸谱一般表示奸臣、坏人，如曹操、赵高等

曹操

Gold and silver are used on faces of deities, spirits and demons.金色 / 银色：用于佛祖和神仙一类人物以及一些比较有法力的精怪，如如来佛、二郎神

京剧脸谱：如来佛二郎神

Classic Works

京剧经典

"Farewell, My Concubine”

霸王别姬

" Mu Guiying takes command"

梅兰芳晚年编演的

《穆桂英挂帅》

导入

《玉堂春》剧照

京剧《昭君出塞》

尚小云扮演的王昭君

Zhaojun Left the Fortress

Qin Xianglian

京剧《秦香莲》剧照 张君秋饰演的秦香莲

" Three forks"

经典京剧《三岔口》中，表现出黑夜搏斗的场面

Top Scholar as Matchmaker

京剧《状元媒》谭孝曾饰宋王、王蓉蓉饰柴郡主

导入

《秋江》

童芷苓（左）饰道姑陈妙常，

王泗水（右）饰艄翁

《秋江》剧照

导入

荀慧生《红娘》

京剧《红娘》剧照

Uproar in Heaven

《大闹天宫》剧照

《大闹天宫》中的一个场面（ 1961 年摄）

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)

the Romance of the West chamber

西厢记

The Drunken Beauty

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

The Fairy Scattering FlowersA Startling Dream of Wandering

Through the GardenBeauty Defies Tyranny 宇宙锋Mu Guiying Takes CommandThe Fisherman’s Revenge 打渔杀Phoenix Returns to its NestThe Red LanternThree Kingdoms ambition

天女散花

三国志

红灯记

凤还巢

游园惊梦

穆桂英挂帅

Famous Artists

His life in art was full of fragrance ( 芳 ) when the flowers ( 梅 plum, 兰 orchid) blossom

Secret of the name梅 mei, plum (flower)兰 lan, orchid (flower)芳 fang, fragrance

“The Four Gentlemen” - plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo ( 梅兰菊竹 ).

Mei Lanfang Queen of Peking Opera 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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