Essay Example on Chinese Opera: Its Origin & Impact Since 1280

Introduction

Since the time of the Mongol invasion and the commencement of the Yuan dynasty in 1280, Chinese opera has been one of many changes (Scott, 28). Its origin, however, is of a combination of three factors: (1) arias and recitatives of China's storytelling culture; (2) singing and dancing from ritual performances for religion and festivals; (3) puppet shows. When emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty commemorated his 18th birthday in the capital of Beijing, Peking (Beijing) Opera was birthed. Before this special occasion, Xipi singing was the most popular style in Beijing at the time. However, during the events of the fete, the Sanqing Opera Troupe from Anhui province introduced the erhuang singing style. Modern-day Beijing opera has evolved to mirror the combination of these two unique singing styles. The performances at the emperor's celebration were so well received, such that by the mid-1800s on, operas troupes were granted imperial patronage, which in turn elevated its status to nationwide fame. Beijing Opera stems its name from both its geographical position and its language, Mandarin, which evolved to become the national language of China (Scott, 34).

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According to (Streng, 52), the categorization of roles in the Beijing opera is broken down into four main types. Sheng, standard male characters; Dan, standard female characters; Chou, comic characters who are usually male; and Jing, painted-face male characters. The personification of a particular character lies heavily with their gender and personality traits. However, costumes, headdresses, makeup, and vocal presentation (the manner of laughing and crying, and melodies being sung) also give substantial clues to distinguish the different roles in a play.

Acting in Peking Opera is acknowledged through specific motions and developments attributed to the job type and passionate status of a particular character (Scott, 26). For instance, there are various gestures such as lashanbang where the actor stands with both arms outstretched, one hand pushing and the other one holding a fist, and qiyunshou where the actor's hands overlap as if they are holding a ball, making circular movements on stage. The fight scenes are categorized in terms of kaida, which involves a duel, and qida which involves group fights. The fighting styles, on the other hand, include barehand combat and armed combat. No real fighting is involved as all combat forms are choreographed into a dance-like way. This choreographed struggle is often accompanied by music, which fast and exciting, and some sort of somersaulting known as fangendou. Fangendou is a series of stylized movements of leaping, flying, jumping, and may also include the movements of animals such as cats or dogs. Hutiao qianpu, for example, requires the actor to roll his body like a ball when he spins in the air, and fall stably like an upright thread (Streng, 54). In old-time opera circles, 'Precise somersaults and straight steps' was a saying that signified the importance of a solid start and precise fall in somersaulting.

The stage in traditional Peking Opera is almost desolate and requires the imagination of the audience. The old stage was square, with two poles on either side at the front and the audience seated on three sides. The curtain only existed at the back of the stage instead of the usual front. Music was used to signify the beginning and the end of the show. The acting was very symbolic, and the audience had to imagine actions such as opening a door and going through it, riding a horse, or even rowing a boat. In the modern theatres, however, it is now customary to draw the curtains to show the start and the end of the scene, act, or play. (Fercility).

Unlike the stage design, the costumes, the headgear, and the makeup are far more complex, visually attractive, and artistic. All the costumes are designed based on the clothing in the Ming dynasty, and each outfit is designed to match and present the personality, gender, and role of its character. For example, aristocrats always wear a yellow robe. The length of the male dresses is to the toes, but the range of the female robes is just above the knee height. There is a dragon on the male robes and a phoenix on the feminine dresses. The robes for government officials have a square patch of some animal patterns on the chest and the back areas. Other martial arts characters that are not official generals will have two plumes of a pheasant tail attached to their helmets. A black robe with multiple colored patches is worn by a character that is currently poor but will be rich in the future. Male shoes are tall wedges, while female shoes are embroidered flats (Streng, 56).

Makeup makes the actors' and actress' faces look like the character they portray, both in reality and symbolically. The most complex makeup is for a jing-the painted face. This is because it was developed over the centuries from masks used in ceremonial dances. In contemporary Peking Opera, it has two main features: color and design. The combination enables the audience to identify the character immediately and to discern something about his or her personality. The clowns have a white patch over the nose and around the eyes, although the shape of the patch may vary to portray the clowns' temperament, as is the case with jing. For sheng and dan roles, it is enough to just apply powder and rouge to the face instead of painting it. For the female characters, however, the lips and eyes are reddened.

In the Peking Opera Orchestra, nearly a dozen percussion instruments are used. The five main ones include (1) Danpigu. This is a one-sided drum that produces a sharp, dry, and cracking sound and is drummed by a person known as the Gulou. The Gulou is the bridge between the theatrical and musical elements of the opera. (2) Daluo and xiaoluo, which are similar gongs in construction and nature, but the xiaoluo have a higher and brighter sound than the daluo. The daluo is used when civilian officials or military officers enter or exit the stage, as well as to represent the sudden change of mood or fighting scenes. The xiaoluo, on the other hand, is used when scholars or ladies enter or exit the stage, as well as when some gentle actions occur. (3) Ban, which are bamboo sticks, and (4) Jingbo, a set of Chinese crash cymbals that provide a link between the daluo and xiaoluo. The opera has two main singing styles: the xipi style and the erhuang style. The xipi singing style is more vivacious, quicker, and higher. It is thus, more suitable and used for happier, more light-hearted, courageous, and more exhilarated moods. Erhuang melodies are more graceful, sedate, profound, simple, lower, and slower than the xipi tunes. It is believed to be more suitable for expressing sad moods and used in more severe circumstances (Streng, 60). The plays are very educational and have their sources from history, politics, romance, and psychology.

Noh

Noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama and is the oldest surviving form of traditional theater. It combines music, dance, and acting to communicate Buddhist themes. The Noh theater found its shape in the fourteenth century and continues in much the same form, with many of the same plays, in present-day Japan. Noh started as a form of popular entertainment known as sangaku during the Nara period between 710-794, imported from China. Sangaku underwent numerous changes to become Saragaku. From the Nambokucho period through to the Muromachi period, Noh transformed into two categories; Sarugaku noh based on mimetic movements and dengaku Noh characterized by symbolic gestures. Later, Kanami adopted a form of storytelling from sarugaku known as kusemai. This kind of dance was inherited by his son Zeami and underwent further changes borrowed from the techniques of Zeami's rivals (the-noh.com). Following his death, Noh continued under the guidance and protection of the Tokugawa Shogunate and Meiji period and continues to refine and spread to this day.

While today Noh can be seen in a variety of settings, traditional Noh was performed in open fields, often in the service of a temple ceremony or a festival. Similar to the classical Beijing Opera, no curtain was placed between the playing area and the audience. The modern noh theatre, though being indoors, has, however, retained the idea of performing outdoors by designing a complete stage with details such as a bridge with a handrail, a roof, and a pine tree painted on the back of the wall to represent a neutral element. Lighting and sound are also arranged in a way to appear natural (the-noh.com). For instance, sizeable empty clay jars are placed under many noh stages to amplify the sounds of the shite's stamping, the musical instruments, and the choir.

According to the-Noh.com, Noh costumes are known as noh shozoku. During the time of Kanami and Zeami, costumes were just as ordinary as everyday clothes. However, as the ruling class began to favor Noh, finely crafted kimono costumes started becoming the norm. An example is karaori, which is an exquisitely embroidered, traditional woman's kimono. It is considered as one of the most beautiful theatrical costumes in the world. The suits do not necessarily portray the characters they are representing. However, if an audience knows enough about the combinations of costume pieces, one can decode the age, gender, personality, and the occupation of a particular character. In female costumes, for instance, if there is red in the costume, it is said to be iroiri. If red is non-existent, it is said to be ironashi, adorned by middle-aged and older women, while the iroiri is worn by younger women. The shite, who is the main character, owns the ultimate decision as to which costume they would like to wear, thus showing the great room for personal expression compared to the Beijing Opera costumes, which are very specific.

Noh theatre is about minimalism. Gestures are far more stylized and simplified, such as a slight step back or a tilt of the head. Such simple gestures have more significance and are more expressive. The movements are also slow in order to show emotions rather than move a plot forward. Actors, thus, focus on adding emotion to each movement, making the action become slower and slower. Unlike in Beijing Opera, where the actors wear makeup, Noh actors wear masks made of wood. Worn only by the shite, the masks are vital as they amplify ordinary actions and freeze them in time. Before the actor puts on the mask, he will look at it until he feels that he has absorbed the emotion within himself. Once the mask is on, the actor puts away with his individuality and depicts nothing but emotion (AFE).

Conclusion

At the rear of the stage sits four musicians. Three play Japanese drums, which give a very hollow thud, and one plays a flute made from bamboo, which gives an eerie whistling sound that draws out the first actor onto the stage. A choir then sits to the side of the stage and often echoes the words of a character. As nothing on the Noh stage is improvised, the chorus says the lines of either the principal or secondary characters strictly according to the script (AFE). The intensity of the play to express emotions such as jealousy, rage, or sorrow often means that words are often inadequate. However, as each play progresses, dance and poetry are used to express a tortured heart.

Works Cited

Asia For Educators. Noh Drama. Columbia University. 2009. [Online] Accessed at http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1000ce_noh.htm

Fercility. How the Stage of Beijing Opera is Set Up. China Highlights. 2018. [Online] accessed at https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/beijing-opera/stage.htm

Scott, A., C. The Classical Theatre of China. Barnes and Noble. New York.

Streng, H., Isabelle. The Relationship between Traditional Peking Opera and Contemporary Western Percussion Music in Mu Kuei-Yin in Percussion by Chien-Hui Hung.