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| The Development of Chinese
Traditional Opera |
Chinese traditional opera is a
comprehensive performing art which combines singing,
music, dialogue, acrobatics, martial arts, and pantomime.
It represents the culmination and distillation of two
thousand years of Chinese civilization.
Chinese traditional opera has a long history. As far
back as the third century, simple plays were performed
as part of court entertainment. In the twelfth century,
during the Southern Song Dynasty (1271-1368). The Yuan
zaju is a landmark in the development of traditional
drama. It took social life as its main subject matter
and was very popular at that time. Guan Hanqing is considered
the greatest Yuan dramatist. One of his plays, The Wrongs
Suffered by Dou E, is still appreciated by today's audiences.
In the later years of the Yuan Dynasty, Yuan zaju was
gradually replaced by nanxi, a kind of southern opera.
By the middle Ming Dynasty, a combination of Yuan zaju
and nanxi, known as poetic drama, apperaed. The Romance
of drama, was written by Tang Xianzu who is considered
the "Chinese Shakespeare". (TOP)
During the late Qing Dynasty, a new type of traditional
drama-Beijing Opera-came into being. In 1790, some troupes
of Auhui Opera went to the Imperial Palace in Beijing
to offer birthday congratuations to the emperor and
other members of the royal family. They remained inBeijing
and perfirmed for the ordinary citizens. Because of
their efforts to learn artistic techniques from other
local operas and to the taste of the Based on Anhui
Opera,Beijing Opera, Beijing Opera took shape as an
independent opera form between 1840 and 1860. Having
incorporated the merits of many other local drama,Beijing
Opera not only appeals to Chinese audiences but is warmly
received by people all over the world.
In the course of the development of the development
of Chinese traditional opera, mutual borrowing has taken
place among various types of local opera and new forms
have appeareed contioually. Recent surveys show there
are 368 different forms of opera throughout the country.
Eath variety takes its name from the place where it
originated and is popular. The use of local dialects
and unique melidies distinguish the different types
of opera. Among the best known forms are Beijing Opera
(actually a national form), Pingju (popular in the north),
Shaoxing opera (popular in Zhejing Province and Shanghai),
Yuju (a kind of Henan Opera), Kunqu (Kunshan Opera,
popular mainly in Jiangsu Province), Qinqiang (Shaanxi
Opera), Chuanju (Sichuan Opera), Hanju (Hubei Opera),
and Yueju (Guangzhou Opera).
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Famous Performers
Mei Lanfang-the Great Master of Beijing Opera
Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), the great master of Beijing
OPera, made outstanding contributions to the development
of the opera and the spread of the beauty of Chinese
theatre all over the world. Mei was born in Beijing
Opera performers. He started to learn the art of opera
when he was a little boy. He made his debut at the age
of eleven and became well-known before he reached twenty.
Mei not only inherited the fine traditions of Beijing
opera, but improved it with his own creations. In his
actor's career of fifty years he played more than one
hundred roles which included emperor's concubines, daughters
of noble families, women generals, and goddesses. In
his performances, he demonstrated the different characters
and personalities of thesse women. He was the first
to change the tradition that female characters paid
attention only to the art of singing, dancing, expression,
and martial arts to develop comprehensive roles.
Mei designed various kinds of dances to help express
the character of the role he played. In the opers Conqueror
Xiang YU Parts with His Concubine, he used a sort of
sword dance. Through the gentle yet forceful movements
of the sword dance. Through the gentle yet forceful
movements of the sword, the audience saw the heroine's
bravery, gentleness, and loveliness. For the opera The
Fairy Scattering Flowers, he designed a sick-ribbon
dance based on ancient Buddhist grotto frescoes. With
two colourful ribbons tied to his body he danced with
the elegance of a fairy flying in the sky. In addition,
he created a plate dance, a horsetail whisk dance, a
feather dance, and a floral sickle dance. The repertory
of the Mei Lanfang school includes Conqueror Xiang Yu
Parts with His Concubine, The Drunken Beauty, A Startling
Dream of Wandering through tha Garden, Beauty Defies
Tyranny, Mu Guiying Takes Command, The Fisherman's Revenge,
and Phoenix Raturns to Its Nest.
Mei Lanfang was the first to introduce er hu, a two-stringed
musical instrument, into the Beijing Opera orchestra.
Today more than sixty years since the introduction,
er hu has becme one of the main orchestral instruments
were also used in the accompaniment for Beijing Opera.
His other stage innovations included changes in hair
styles and colour of the costumes used in the opera.
Mei was the first person to introduce Beijing Opera
to foreign countries. With his troupe, Mei visited Japan
three times. Duing his first visit in 1919, he was praised
as an "outstanding performer of the Oriental art".
In 1929, Mei and his troupe toured the United States.
In spite of the Great Depression, all the tickets for
the two-week premiere were sold out in only three days.
Mei's performances were a great success. Justin Brooks
Atkinson, the drama critic, said in the New York Times:
"You may feel yourself vaguely in contact, not
with the sensation of the moment, but with the strange
ripeness of centuries". During his stay in the
United States, he met with the famous motion-picture
actor Charles Chaplin and the American singer Paul Robeson.
Six years later, Mei introduced Beijing Opera to the
Soviet Union. There he had the chance to meet the theatre
greats Konstantin Stanislavaski, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenlo,
and Vsevolod Meyerhold as well as other artists. They
all felt that they could learn from the superb acting
forms in Beijing Opera.
Although Mei Lanfang is dead, his art is well-remembered,
and his impact on Beijing Opera still remains.
Yan Fengying-a Versatile Huangmei
Opera Performer
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Beijing Opera
Among the hundreds of forms of opera throughout the
country, Beijing Opera has the greatest influence and
is therefore regarded as a national form.
Beijing Operais a comprehensive performing art that
combines music, singing, dialogue, pantomime, acrobatics
and martial arts. Hence an actor or actress in Beijing
Opera has to meet more requirements than that in other
forms of performing art. He or she has to be a performing
artist, a singer, and a dancer at the same time. It
usually takes the student more than ten years of training
to learn singing and acrobatic skills. Thus, it is difficult
to be a qualified performer in Beijing Opera.
Symbolism prevaols in Beijing Opera. The stage of Beijing
Opera knows mo limit in space or time. It can be the
setting for any action. The performer's acting is mostly
pantomine. Footwork, gestures, and various kinds of
body movements can portray and symbolize the actions
of opening a door, climbing a hill, going upstairs,
or rowing a boat. When a girl is doing needle work,
she has neither a needle nor thresd in her hands. When
a lady is riding in a carriage, the performer actually
has to walk flanked on each side by a flag with coloured
tassels represents riding a horse. Four generals and
four soldiers represet an army of thousands. In a word,
each action of a performer of Beijing Opera is highly
symbolic.
The music of Beijing Opera combines the er huang tune
form Anhui Opera, the xi pi tune from Hanju (Hubei Opera),
and tunesand musical accompaniment of Kunqu (Kunshan
Opera). Typical Chinese musical instruments are used
in a Beijing OPera orchestra. The two-stringed fiddles
jing hu and er hu are two of the main instruments. Other
instruments include sheng (reed pipes), Yue qin (moonshaped
mandolin, pi pa (the Chinese lute), suo na (the Chinese
clarinet), drums, bells, gongs, and hardwood castanets.
(TOP)
Springing in Beijing Opera consists of a score of melodies
based on xi pi and sorrowful feelings. Spoken dialogue
is done in two forms: yun bai, which sounds like the
HUbei and Anhui dialects, and jing bai, which sounds
like the Beijing dialect. The former is used by main
and serious characters and the latter for minor and
frivolous roles.
The character roles in Beijing Opera are divided into
four main types according to the sex, age, social status,
and profession of the character. Sheng refers to male
roles. Shengis subdivided into lao sheng (middle-aged
or old men), xiao sheng (young men )and wu sheng (men
with maritial skills). Dan refers to female roles. Like
sheng, dan is also subdivided into various types. Qing
yi is a woman with a strict moral code; hua dan is a
vivacious young woman; wu dan is a woman with martial
skills and lao dan is an elderly woman. Jing refers
to the roles with painted faces. They are usually warriors,
heroes, statesmen, or even demons. Jing can be further
divided into wen jing (civilian type) and wu jing (warrior
type ). Chou, or clown, is a comic character and can
be recognized at first sight for his special make-up
(a patch of white paint on his nose). Chou is subdivided
into wen chou (civilian clown)and wu chou (clown with
martial skills).
In Beijing Opera facial painting, which is applied
to jing roles only, shows the characer's age, profession
and personality by using different colours. Each colour
symbolizes a certain characteristic; red for loyalty
and uprightness, black for a rough, stern or honest
nature, yellow for rashness and fieriness, white for
a cunning and deceitful character, gold and silver for
gods and demons. In Beijing Opera, over one thousand
painted facial patterms are used. Each pattern lies
in his ability to make subtle and interesting changes
within the fixed facial pattern.
The costumes in Beijing Opera impress the audience
with their bright colours and magnificent embroiidery.
Some of the costumes used in the present performances
have a resemblance to the fashion of the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644). The use of colours indicate different social
status -yellowfor the imperial family,red for high nobility,
red or blue for upright men, white for old officials
and black for each role. A student usually wears a blue
gownla general wears padded armour; an emperor wears
a dragon robe. Besides gorgeous clothes and headdresses,
jewelles girdles for men and hair ornaments for women
are also used in Beijing Opera.
Since Liberation, much has been achieved in reforming
this traditional opera. Efforts have been made to eliminate
the feudal aspects, to improve stageecraft, and to widen
the subject matter. A new generation of young actors
and actresses have emerged and are making new achievements
on the basis of the traditional schools.
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Yue Opera
Yue Opera, originated in the area of Sheng County in
Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province in the early period of the
century, is a rapidly developed local opera with a short
history in China. It was named "Yue Opera"
because it has its origin in part of Yue State in the
Spring and Autumn Period dating back about 2,000 years
ago.
Known as "Xiaogeban" or "Diduban"
(Small Singing Group), the opera was circulated first
among the country folk in its early period of development.
At that time Yue Opera was simple as it had developed
from folk talk and singing. Later it moved into Hangzhou,
shanghai and other parts of the country. By now, many
years' development has made it a most important opera
style next to Beijing Opera in China, taking its theme
from fairy tales, literary classics and historical stories.
The voices of Yue Opera are soft and beautiful, and
easy to learn. Different voices from various schools
were developed which led to the emergence of large numbers
of fans devoted to each school. The famous and heart-rending
Chinese violin concerto Butterfly's Love drew
its musical materials from Yue Opera. The film of Yue
Opera from the same play won an award at an international
film festival in the music category. The male role in
a Yue Opera play is always played by women and the characters
appear exceptionally charming, natural and unrestrained.
Yue Opera as a folk opera style has its origins in
Hangzhou. Yue Opera lovers would meet regularly and
sing. If you come to Hangzhou and stroll along the lakeside
in the early morning, you will certainly hear opera
lovers heartily singing Yue Opera. The resident Yue
Opera companies in Hangzhou are the Zhejiang Yue Opera
Troupe and the Hangzhou Yue Opera Troupe. The "Xiaobaihua"
Performing Group of the Zhejiang Yue Opera Troupe is
best known in Hangzhou and very influential across the
country, and in Hong Kong and Macao. Yue Opera lovers
coming to Hangzhou may have the fullest chance to enjoy
various performances and Yue Opera styles given by different
Yue Opera schools in the city.
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Huangmei Opera
Huangmei Opera was formed in the 18th century, when
Chinese local operas were flourishing. Originally it
was a combination of local folk songs, dances and some
widely spread ancient operas. Bordering on Anhui Province,
Huangmei in Hubei is a count famous for its tea and
tea-picking songs, from which Huangmei Opera got its
original name, "tea-picking tunes" or "tea-picking
opera".
Before 1949, rivers and lakes often flooded, and the
displaced victims had to seek refuge in neighbouring
provinces. Thus Hubei's Huangmei Opera was brought to
Anhui by victims of flood and famine. It developed from
folk tunes to short operas and complete dramas. Nowadays,
the lively short operas, called "everyday shows",
are still performed frequently. Even "big plays"
are almost always about folk life. The performers manage
to infuse simple humour into plays about the privileged,
so that audiences see a down-to-earth way of life in
all the 72 short plays and 36 full-length dramas that
have accumulated. (TOP)
From the time when Huangmei Opera earned its initial
popularity in the rural areas, it had a long way to
go from recreational activity there to professional
performances in the cities. It began as a diversion
acted by and for peasants and artisans, usually at festivals
and special solar times (the 24 weather-oriented divisions
of the year).
As time went by, seasonal, semi-professional groups
appeared, and they had to perform together with troupes
specializing in more popular forms like Beijing Opera
and Anhui Opera. Not until 1926, 140 years after its
advent, did the Huangmei Opera manage to reach Anqing,
then the capital of Anhui Province. It appeared in Shanghai
in 1934, but only on the cheap stages of the city's
poor quarters, where it was denounced as "bawdy
entertainment" and where its unfortunate performers
were harried by the local authorities.
Since 1949, with the support of the government, the
Huangmei Opera has bloomed like a wildflower. In particular,
the Anhui Provincial Huangmei Opera Troupe's "The
Heavenly Maid and the Mortal" began a new epocj
in its history. Though the play was a traditional favourite,
the troupe revised the script, music and make up.
The opera tells how the Jade Emperor of Heaven has
seven daughters, the youngest of whom, the ravishingly
beautiful Seventh Fairy Maiden, daringly flees down
to the world in search of a love of her own choosing,
and marries Dong Yong, an honesr, kind-hearted serf,
in defiance of her father. She makes the cruel landlord
shorten Dong Yong's three years' indenture to 100 days,
but just as they are leaving to set up their own home,
the Jade Emperor has her snatched back to heaven, breaking
up the happy couple. Pregnant and indignant, she writes
a letter in her own blood to Dong, vowing, "When
next spring comes and the flowers bloom, your son shall
be yours beneath the scholar trees." (TOP)
The moving plot, beautiful music
and excellent singing made the play a household work.
It was filmed in 1956, when there were few opera films,
and given 150,000 domestic showings, also travelling
to a dozen or so places abroad, so that the obscure
wildflower became a masterpiece admired by thousands.
The success owed much to the work of renowned performers,
among them Yan Fengying, a country girl from Luojialing
in Tongcheng County, Anhui Province. A versatile performer
who played a variety of roles, she died young, a great
loss to the profession. Anqing City put up a statue
of Yan Fengying as Seventh Fairy Maiden in one of its
parks.
The music of Huangmei Opera is its essential attraction.
Three kinds of music are used: coloratura, character
songs and basic tunes. The 104 coloratura tunes are
taken from folk songs, tea-picking songs and other ditties.
A short opera usually has its own features, whose name
is often the title of the piece, which may owe most
of its popularity to the tune. The music of Huangmei
Opera is light and lyrical, so a good performer must
have facility in this style. Singing is not only the
main approach to characterization but also makes Huangmei
Opera distinctive stylistically and musically.
Huangmei Opera is easy to understand and learn, thanks
to its lyrical tunes, simple words and literary tradition.
Like other Chinese local operas, Huangmei Opera also
used local dialect, in this case that of Huangmei and
Anqing, where the opera originated and matured. The
language is a mixture of northern and southern and therefore
easy for others to imitate while remaining pleasant
to native ears. This was conducive to the spread of
Huangmei Opera. Its local flavour and folk style are
most vividly revealed in its original and lively dialogue,
both spoken and sung.
Passion, natural and simple, is what makes Huangmei
Opera an enduring drama appreciated by all.
During the First China Shakespeare Festival in 1986,
audiences both at home and abroad watched with respect
and inteest an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Much
Ado about Nothing" presented by the Anhui Provincial
Huangmei Opera Troupe. British Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher sent a message of congratulation to Cao Yu,
chairman of the Chinese Dramatists' Association, suggesting
that Shakespeare would have been greatly amused by the
imaginative representation.
(TOP) |
