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Chinese Opera Arts |
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Dramatic performance was a powerful art that could capture audiences and stir the emotions, thereby influencing the attitudes of the people. China was known for its rich variety of dramatic performances as regular public entertainment. People enjoyed watching stage shows, regarding them as a desirable pastime.
Of the variety of Chinese dramas, which were distinguished by different ethnic or provincial characteristics, Beijing Opera was ranked above all others because of its unique integration of dialogue, singing, dancing, music and martial art.
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The flourish of the Chinese drama began with the Yuan dramas. In the Yuan Dynasty, there were over eighty known playwrights, who composed more than five hundred dramas, on fourth are still retained now. Among the playwrights were the four great Yuan dramatists: Guang Hanqing, Bai Pu, Ma Zhiyuan and Zheng Guangzu. The representative of the Yuan dramas were the “Injustice Done to Dou E” by Guang Hanqing and “The Western Chamber” by Wan Shifu. Also, in the Yuan dynasty, the performing art matured.
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Singing, reading, doing and fighting are the four manners and also four basic skills of Beijing opera performance. Singing means to sing the lyrics, reading means to read a musical dialogue – the two complement each other, constituting one of the two elements of Beijing Opera," Song"; doing means physical movement of dance, fighting means martial and tumbling arts – the two are closely combined, constituting the other element of Beijing Opera, "Dance". Opera actor receives the training of the four aspects of skills from an early age. Although some actors are good at singing, some are good at playing, and some are masters of martial arts, it requires that each actor must have strong singing, reading, doing, fighting four kinds of basic skills in order to fully represent the opera’s features as a musical art performance, and to better describe various characters in the play. |
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| Opera roles have strict discrimination among each other. In early days, there are Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou, Wu Hang, Liu Hang totally seven roles; later, it develops into four great categories - Sheng, Dan, Jing, Chou, in each there are further detailed division of labor. "Sheng" is the general term of men, except the clown painted face male role and the clown, and can be subdivided into Lao Sheng (old man),Xia Sheng (young man), Wu Sheng (man mainly performs martial arts), etc. " |
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"Jing", commonly known as the painted face, mostly refers to males with specific characteristics in characters, morality, or looking, and usually uses cosmetic facial makeup. "Jing" is divided into the singing-based Big Painted Face (such as Bao Zheng), and doing-based Second Painted Face (such as Cao Cao). "Chou", literally means ugly, are to play as comedy roles. It is because a small piece of white powder in the nose that “Jing” is commonly known as Small Painted Face.
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| Styles of Opera in Recent China |
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In the period which saw the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the birth of the Republic of China (1875-1920), a large number of local operas sprang up, such as Pingju Opera, Yueju Opera, Yuju Opera of Henan Province, Huangmei Opera, Tea-picking Opera of Jiangxi Province, Flower-Drum Opera of Hunan Province, Huadeng Opera of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.
From the 1930s to the 1960s, many other types of opera appeared, such as Luju Ppera of Shandong Province, Huju Opera of Shanghai, Quju Opera of Beijing, Pingxian Opera of Qinghai Province, Qianju Opera of Guizhou Province, Jiju Opera of Jilin Province and Longjiang Opera of Heilongjiang Province. In 1982, when the Gazette of the Chinese Theater was compiled, China had more than 390 types of local operas.
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| The Setting of Chinese Opera |
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| Originally, Chinese opera was performed before a simple backdrop, with the other three stage sides remaining open and empty. The setting itself was also extremely simple; but over centuries, actors or actresses have developed a set of sophisticated stylized stage symbolism. This includes a table, which might stand for an official’s cable, a hill or a bridge. The action is based on illusion. Gestures, footwork and other body movements express actions such as riding a horse, rowing a boat, opening a door, going upstairs, climbing a hill or travelling. In a word, each action of a performer is highly symbolic. |
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What appeals to foreigners most might be the different styles of facial make-up, which is one of the highlights of Chinese opera and requires distinctive techniques of painting. Exaggerated designs are painted on each performer’s face to symbolize a character’s personality, role, and fate. This technique may have originated from ancient religions and dance. Audiences who are familiar with opera can know the story by observing the facial painting as well as the costumes. Generally, a red face represents loyalty and bravery; a black face, valor; yellow and white faces, duplicity; and golden and silver faces, mystery. Besides color, lines also function as symbols. For example, a figure can be pained either all white on his face, or just around the nose. The larger the white area painted, the more viperous the role.
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| The Attraction of Chinese Operas |
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Of all the theatres in the world, the Chinese audiences enjoy the most freedom. They can play the operas as amateurs; and they can give whatever comments. They share the dreams of the dramas. “The world is a big stage; the stage is a small world.”
Although the traditional Chinese dramas have passed their prime period, many Chinese still attach their interest to them, on account of their elegance and sentimentality as well as on account of the optimism and leisurely entertainment they provide.
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