On the Other Side of the Stage: Chinese Opera
Most people think of Opera as a Western stage performance art. This type of performance is a form of theatre, set up with music, and can be accompanied by a small band, or a complete orchestra. Usually, operas are composed of sections called an aria, recitative, chorus, prelude, interlude, and dance scenes. Western Europe is most thought of for opera however, opera is also a treasured traditional Chinese art form, and the mention of opera should inevitably include Chinese opera. Eastern and Western forms of opera are completely different but both styles of opera intertwine musical elements with a captivating storyline.
Traditional Western opera began in Western Europe in the late 16th century in Florence, Italy, and over time opera spread to other European countries. Composers of the 16th-century opera include Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) who is generally regarded as the first major opera composer by helping make opera a commercially viable form. w Famous works include L'incoronazione di Poppea and Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, two of the earliest operas in the present-day operatic repertoire.
Since the formation of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), the Chinese opera art form has been celebrated by traditional culture. After several centuries of glory in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, with its unique regional characteristics and vivid artistic expression, it has revealed the common life feelings and aesthetic experiences of generations of Chinese people. Chinese operas are considered Chinese National art treasures.
The evolution of the script in Chinese Opera
Chinese opera does not 'imitate' life, but expresses life; it does not put the natural form of life on the stage, but mainly makes it a standardized form through the two treatments of selection and decoration. Selection and decoration are the two processes of making a script, and throughout it is the imagination and beautification of art. Therefore, the script performance on the stage of the opera has changed the natural state of life and has been sublimated into a beautiful realm through poetry, musicalization, dance, and decoration. This stylized drama vocabulary is no longer a simple simulation and reproduction of the phenomenon of life but focuses on its essence and characteristics. It can be said that the stylized skills of Chinese opera performances transform the emotions that are naturally revealed in the life and even difficult to express in logical language into a vivid and sensible stage image.
Western drama master Stanislavsky said after watching the performance of Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang: 'The performance of Chinese drama is a kind of free movement with rules.' 'The free movement with rules' can be said to be programmatic. The program is gradually explored, accumulated, and summed up by the opera artists of the past generations in the performance of the performance, and formed a series in the long-term stage performance. In Chinese opera, everything that is expressed on the stage is included in certain program specifications.
It can be said that there is no Chinese opera without a script. The script is always evolving. Each generation of actors always makes changes and creations to the passed down program according to the trend of their own times. Mei Lanfang once said with deep feeling: 'The actors need to use the program flexibly and cannot be tied up by the program. If necessary, under the principle of uniform style, the program can be broken at any time.' An accomplished performance artist, It is always possible to 'freely move in a regular manner' in strict laws and regulations, so as to create a free creation of beauty. Of course, the use and evolution of the script must follow certain rules and conform to the laws of artistic creation.
Mei Lanfang believes that the use and change of the script must first be based on life, which is the root cause of the drama program being widely loved by the audience. Secondly, the application and change of the program must first be stable, the second is to change, and there must be a step-by-step development. Mastered the script, was able to use the script and gradually changed. The change of the script can't exceed a certain category: no matter how it changes, it is always a script, not a non-program. Scripts can only be better and more systematic in development, and they cannot be non-stylized. Because the scripts were abolished, the characteristics of Chinese opera were also canceled, which is equivalent to the cancellation of Chinese opera. The opera script is crystallized from life and has the characteristics of simplicity and clarity. It is more concentrated, more vivid, more expressive, and more formal than the original state of life.
History of Chinese Opera
The Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) is when traditional Chinese opera first appeared in its mature form. The origin of Chinese opera is ancient, it has already sprouted in the songs and dances of the primitive society of ancient times, but its development process is very long, the formation of Chinese opera can be traced back to the Tang Dynasties (618 - 907).
Chinese opera is passed down by oral tradition and is not created by composers and librettists, which is very different from Western Opera. Chinese opera is based on the traditional existing tunes for adaptation or improvisation, and there is no precise notation like Western opera, but it remembers a fixed melody line and adds its own story to perform, which is called collective composition.
Famous works
There are many works of Chinese opera, the first iconic work is the Peking Opera called ‘Drunkened Concubine’, created in the Qing Dynasty (1636 - 1911). Through works, tunes, lyrics, and superb performances, the story tells about the history in the Tang Dynasty where an emperor who married his son's wife because of her indulging beauty and sealed him as a noble. He was finally abandoned by the emperor and thus squandered himself on wine. The second Chinese opera is also the treasure in Peking Opera, called ‘Farewell my concubine’, the costume details are very demanding, telling a tragic love story of the king of the Western Chu, Xiangyu whose failure in the war separated him from his lover in pain during the Qin Dynasty. The third one is the ‘White Snake Legend’, it is based on a traditional Chinese legend that has been adapted in many films. It tells a love story between a woman who was a white snake but was transformed into a human, and a young man named Xu Xian. The last one is the treasure in Yue Opera, called the 'butterfly love'. It is China’s fascinating oral heritage art and national intangible cultural heritage, and the only Chinese folklore that has a wide influence in the world. The theme of the famous violin concerto ‘Butterfly Lovers’ uses the tunes of the Yue opera. The development of Chinese opera is dependent upon the support of the audience. If the audience is lost, it will lose the value and foundation of the existence of opera art.
The five main Chinese operas
Each city has its own special opera; according to statistics, there are more than three hundred kinds of Chinese operas. Among them, Peking Opera, Yue Opera, Huangmei Opera, Ping Opera, and Yu Opera are successively referred to as the five major Chinese operas.
Peking Opera
Peking Opera started from the fifty-five years of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (the 1750s) and was used in the form of performance on the birthday of the emperor. It is a form of performance composed of a variety of musical elements and techniques, accompanied by a variety of traditional Chinese musical instruments, such as Jinghu (leading instrument), Yueqin, Pipa, etc. Gradually, this kind of performance also attracted many civilians and became an art form for the public to appreciate. These performers have absorbed some local folk tunes, and through continuous exchanges and integration, finally formed a Beijing Opera. At first, only men had the right to perform on stage, and it was not until the stage of the Beijing Opera in 1870 that women appeared. Despite this, the interpretation of male actors has been widely sought after by the audience. On November 16, 2010, Peking Opera was listed in the 'list of intangible world heritage by UNESCO.
Yue Opera
Yue Opera is known as the second-largest Opera in China and was born in 1906. It has a long history of about 80 years, and it has a good reputation overseas. It has won wide acclaim and is the most influential local Chinese Opera and its style is very graceful. At first, it was a chorus based on a minor tune, but all the performers at the time were all male actors. Later, as time went by, women also had the right to perform. In 1942, Yue opera was reformed. The performance was roughly anti-feudal, exposing the darkness of society and promoting patriotism. In the organization of the tunes, through the changes of melody, each genre has different techniques and styles. In particular, the change between the mode and the difference in the vocal, the repetition of the melody, and the changing tone are the core and key to the characteristics of the genre. Throughout the singing, actors use their own unique personalities to play the changes of the decoration through unique vocalizations to form different charms. At the same time, it also includes the nuances, tries to meet the audience's mind, and presents a better stage effect.
Huangmei
Huangmei Opera was called Huangmei Tone in the old days. Its origin can be traced back to about fifty years (the 1780s) of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Its main tune comes from Huangmei County, Hubei, hence its name. The early forms of performance were mostly performances in the form of quyi, mostly for the peasants to entertain themselves during leisure. With the passage of time, Huang Mei Opera had its first theater class in 1896. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the government attached great importance to the development of Huangmei Opera. In 1953, the first Huangmei Drama Troupe was established. With the efforts of a group of performing artists who worked hard for Huangmei opera, Huangmei opera was quickly accepted by the local people and the people around the world.
Ping Opera
Ping Opera has a long history which is more than 70 years, as popular as Peking Opera, originated from the northern part of China, is very popular in Beijing, Tianjin, and North and Northeast China. It is one of the operas that people like most, which borrowed the tunes and acting style of Beijing Opera to develop its own style---a folk say-and-sing art. Since moving from the rural areas into the cities, it has produced many new scripts under the influence of modern drama and Beijing Opera. Ping Opera features beautiful singing, songs are enunciated clearly and the librettos are easy to read and understand. Ping opera performances are rich in the flavor of life similar to folk tunes and its form is lively and free. Besides, it is especially good at reflecting urban people's life as it has accessible text, speech-like tunes, easily understandable articulation, and a rich flavor of life, thus gaining great favor of the people in rural and urban areas.
Yu Opera
Yu Opera from Henan Province is also known as Henan ‘Wooden Clapper’, and Yu is the shortened form of the name of the province. Henan Opera is famous for its strong and sharp voices and it is welcomed in regions along the Yellow River in northern China and some parts of Xinjiang and Tibet. The history of Yu Opera traces to the late Ming Dynasty or early Qing Dynasty. Originally, the opera was sung by human voices without any musical accompaniment. It was easy to sing so that it had been very popular in central China. The origin of the Chinese opera genre was either from Qinqiang Drama in Shanxi Province or from northern folk songs. However, many Chinese believe that Yu Opera was developed from local ancient singing arts because, during the late Ming Dynasty, Henan folk songs had been very popular.
Problems facing Chinese Opera
Decreasing audience
At present, the outstanding problem facing Chinese Opera is the decrease of the audience. The degree of appreciation of the opera by the contemporary people is not consistent. As a result, the box office of the opera art has fallen sharply, the performers have difficulty in operating, and even some Chinese Operas are on the verge of extinction. The golden era of Chinese opera has long gone, and with the development of times, Chinese opera has been separated from people's aesthetic needs, and it is difficult to be accepted by people again. The ‘National Centre for the Performing Arts’ is a very famous Opera House in China, and the performances are much richer than those of other cities. However, the schedule of the Chinese Opera is the least in the music types, and the performances are not traditional and famous. It can be seen that Chinese opera is disappearing, and talents in the field of learning Chinese Opera are gradually missing.
Cultural Revolution in China (1966)
The golden age of Chinese opera became the mainstream of people's spiritual culture after the middle period of the Qing Dynasty. However, this glory has not been maintained for a long time, because the Chinese political movement, the Cultural Revolution, ruined the Chinese Opera, and a large number of them were prohibited to appear. After the period of reform and opening up, it is also the transition period of China's economy. Therefore, people's entertainment culture is not only limited to opera, but other entertainment cultures are also present in front of people. People accept this new entertainment mode and bring a great influence to the Chinese Opera. On the other hand, the older generation of artists can't continue to train young artists, which leads to the fact that modern people majoring in opera are almost zero. It can be seen that the trauma caused by the Cultural Revolution to Chinese Opera is almost deadly.
Peking Opera has experienced many changes in Chinese society, including stagnation and decline. However, new policies after the revolution introduced by the Communist Party and the People’s Government meant Peking Opera was able to prosper into a golden age. The Communist Party of China and the People's Government should adopt similar measures to create good conditions for the benefit of the Opera in the other four regions. Peking Opera has gone through a long and tortuous development path along with the changes in Chinese society. In the more than one hundred years before liberation, the art of Peking opera kept developing, and the prosperity of genres and celebrities basically ruled Beijing and swept the whole of China. In the meantime, opera also experienced a halt and decline. After the establishment of the artist, the Chinese government attached great importance to the art of Chinese opera, formulated a new policy to bring Chinese opera to life, and also adopted a series of measures to create various favorable conditions for the development of Beijing opera art. It is just like this that the development of Beijing opera art has entered the golden age of Chinese opera. All performance groups actively participated in the performance, showing the prosperity of Chinese opera. But unfortunately, the Cultural Revolution destroyed such a prosperous situation, and all performers banned all singing. Such historical changes have intensified the audience, and Beijing opera is also on the verge of extinction during the Cultural Revolution.
Research and suggestions for longevity
The study of drama in the first half of the 20th century has received much attention from the academic circles and is a new and important academic growth point in the study of Chinese drama history. In particular, some in-depth studies of specific time periods and phenomena are clearly trying to break through the blind spots of the original research. The opera matured in the Song and Yuan Dynasties (1279-1368). After the Ming Dynasty, it spread to various parts of the country through multiple paths and formed a colorful and multi-system local scene.
For many years, Peking Opera research has always been the most dynamic and fruitful field in the field of Chinese traditional drama research at home and abroad, and this trend will continue in the foreseeable future. In addition, Kunqu and local operas have new academic achievements in the field of research. Compared with the huge research object of Chinese drama, the work of collecting and sorting data is actually limited. However, in recent years, there has been significant progress in this area of work, and the results are very significant. The study of the excavation and organization of drama relics is also one of the highlights of recent drama research. In the study of drama disciplines, the most lagging behind is the study of foreign dramas including European and American dramas. In other words, as the focus of most drama scholars shifts to national and traditional dramas, the existence of dramas, and historical studies in other countries, It is regrettable to be a forgotten corner. Over the years, although we have become more open to the world, the drama research community has been in the opposite direction, and the academic interests of scholars have quickly returned to the mainland.
Chinese opera fades out of youth, young people's circle, mobile phone, the progress of the times, the development of science and technology, the aesthetics of art is reduced or not understood at all, so the style needs to change, to add more popular elements to the opera, although it has a long history, it must have certain artistic characteristics to attract youth.
The form of performance needs to approach modern life. Other themes besides myths should be explored, so the form of performance is not hard to be accepted by the public; it is necessary to increase the popularity of the public, improve the artistic training of Peking Opera to gain more audiences, or popularize more background historical stories of people, without understanding that it is better to appreciate.
