Chinese opera dates back to ancient times. Traditional Chinese operas performed by professional actors can be traced back to the era of Emperor Xuan Zong (712-756)of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, in the capital city Chang’an (now Xian) there was a place called Liyuan, literally “Pear Garden”, where young actors were taught singing and dancing. Today, traditional Chinese opera actors and actresses still call themselves Liyuan pupils, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang is regarded as the founder of traditional Chinese opera. There is still a great variety of styles of traditional Chinese opera performed in China today, with the following styles being some of the most common.
Beijing Opera gradually developed out of the traditions of Hui Opera and Han Opera, blending the language and customs of Beijing with the essence of other regional operas. It had its heyday between the 1920s and 1940s, becoming recognized as “China’s national opera”. Today it is considered to be a representative example of the whole genre of Chinese opera, with nationwide influence and widespread popularity with audiences across China. The classification of performers and roles in traditional Chinese opera is called hangdang. The roles on the Beijing Opera stage fall into four major types sheng, dan, jing and chow. There used to be a type of role called mo, which is now included under the category of sheng. Sheng consists of laosheng (a middle-aged or old male role) and xiaosheng (a young male role). The sheng actors who perform mainly with singing and speaking are called wensheng (a gentle male role); the sheng actors who can perform martial arts are called wusheng (a male role good at martial arts). Dan refers to any female role, including qingyi (a virtuous and elegant young or middle-aged woman), huadan (mostly a lively unmarried young girl), wudan (a female role good at martial arts), daomadan (a female marshal or general) and laodan (an older female role). These female roles can also be played by actors. The four great dan actors that emerged in Beijing in the 1920s and 1930s (i.e. Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Shang Xiaoyun and Xun Huisheng) are all male dan actors. Jing, also called hualian, refers to a male role whose face is painted in different colors to form a facial mask. This role is called jing, which literally means “clean”, to mean just the opposite. Chou (a male clown role), also called xiao hualian or sanhwalian, is usually a comic character with a lively personality. Such a role may be a kind-hearted character or a crafty and mean character.
There is a wide repertoire of different Beijing operas, but those performed today usually fall into one of three categories: traditional operas, new historical operas and modern operas.
Kunqu, also known as Kunju, is an ancient type of Chinese opera. It originated in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, and evolved to its mature form at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. It was in its prime in the period of more than 200 years, from the era of Emperor Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty to the era of Emperor Qian long in the Qing Dynasty, during which time all the legendary operas were performed in the Kunqu style. Kunqu is characterized by its delicate melodies and mellow voices, as well as its lyrical expressions and movements. It involves strict patterns of movements, with simultaneous singing and dancing. Kunqu is seen as representative of classical Chinese opera, with famous examples including The Peony Pavilion, The Romance of Xishi and Fifteen Strings of Coins.
Pingju was formed from lianhua laozi, a kind of xiaoqu (little melody) that was popular in the eastern Hebei Province in the late Qing Dynasty. Later, it was spread to Tangshan and developed into Tangshan Laozi. Around the 1920s, it became popular in Northeast China. After that, it gradually matured under the influence of Beijing Opera, HebeiBangzi and other types of Chinese opera. It is still popular in North China and Northeast China, with famous operas such as Lin Ciao’er, Flowers as Matchmakers and Qin Xianglian.
Qinqiang, also known as Bangziqiang, appeared in the Qin Dynasty and reached maturity in the Ming Dynasty, and is still popular in Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai,Xinjiang and some other areas. It is characterized by its unpretentious and unconstrained performance and high-pitched, loud, and rather exaggerated singing, at times almost like shouting, making it most suitable for tragic plots. The roles on the Qingiang stage fall into four major types and thirteen subtypes–sheng (laosheng, rusheng, riaosheng, yousheng), dan (laodan, zhengdan, xiaodan, huadan, wudan, meidan), jing (dajing, maojing) and chow. Its repertoire includes famous operas such as The Butterfly Chalice, An Excursion to Tortoise Hill, and Three Drops of Blood.
Yuju, also known as Henan Bangzi, came into being in the middle and late Ming Dynasty and is now popular in Henan Province and the surrounding areas. The melodies of Yuju vary: some high-pitched and energetic, some sad and sentimental. The roles in Yuju are classified into three major types: sheng, dan, and hualian, each with four subtypes, respectively. Famous examples include Hongniang, Saga of Mulan, and Mu Guying Takes the Command.
Yueju, formerly known as Xiaogeban, Shaoxing Opera, Shao Opera, etc., originated in the Shaoxing area of Zhejiang Province. On September 17, 1925, it was called”Yue Opera” for the first time in an advertisement of its performance in Shenbao, a newspaper in Shanghai at the time. After 1938, most troupes adopted the name Yue Opera. It was only officially given the name “Yue Opera” after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It is now popular in Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province, and Shanghai. Well-known Yue operas include Dream of the Red Chamber, The Jade Hairpin, The Romance of Li Hua, and The Pearl Pagoda.
Shadow play, also called shadow puppetry or light shadow play, is a form of ancient story-telling and entertainment which uses figures cut out of animal skin or cards, which are then illuminated from behind to produce a projected image on a screen. The plots and melody of shadow plays are usually similar to those of local operas. In a shadow play, actors operate shadow puppets while speaking and singing, accompanied by music. The most famous types of shadow play are those popular in Tangshan and the surrounding areas in Hebei Province, with puppets made of donkey hide, as well as the plays in Northwest China, where puppets are made of cowhide.
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