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| This card shows a role in Peking opera. |
Peking opera or Beijing opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre
which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance, and acrobatics.
It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and
recognized by the mid-19th century. The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south. The art form is also preserved in Taiwan, where it is known as Guoju (國劇; pinyin: Guójù). It has also spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.
Peking opera features four main types of performers. Performing troupes
often have several of each variety, as well as numerous secondary and
tertiary performers. With their elaborate and colorful costumes,
performers are the only focal points on Peking opera's
characteristically sparse stage. They utilize the skills of speech,
song, dance, and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive,
rather than realistic. Above all else, 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. The music of Peking opera can be divided into the Xipi (西皮) and Erhuang (二黄) styles. Melodies include arias, fixed-tune melodies, and percussion patterns. The repertoire of Peking opera includes over 1,400 works, which are based on Chinese history, folklore, and increasingly, contemporary life.
Peking opera was denounced as 'feudalistic' and 'bourgeois' during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, and replaced with the eight revolutionary model operas as a means of propaganda and indoctrination. After the Cultural Revolution, these transformations were largely
undone. In recent years, Peking opera has attempted numerous reforms in
response to sagging audience numbers. These reforms, which include
improving performance quality, adapting new performance elements, and
performing new and original plays, have met with mixed success.
Thank you, Xinyu !
Received on: March 10, 2014
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