Peking Opera

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Peking Opera mask
Performance of a Peking Opera

The Peking Opera ( Chinese  京劇  /  京剧 , Pinyin Jīngjù ) is a form of Chinese opera . She mixes many artistic elements such as singing, dancing, acrobatics , performing games and martial arts . The stage equipment is emphasized sparse - originally it consists of a table and two chairs. In general, Peking Opera works with symbolic rather than purely aesthetic means. In contrast to other forms of Chinese opera, it is not a regional variety of opera, but is performed by theater groups across China.

In 2010, Peking Opera was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity .

history

Despite the name, the Peking Opera was not created in Beijing , but in the provinces of Anhui , Hubei and Shaanxi . In 1790 imperial inspectors discovered young actors who were touring the provinces through the villages. They invited the artists to the capital . On the 80th birthday of Emperor Qianlong , the art form achieved great success. The most successful theater groups stayed in the capital to maintain the court. The Peking Opera became so popular that traders buy their children from village families in order to sell them to theater groups and opera schools as new trainee artists. Some operas lasted several days and ran over 100 acts. The opera Shengping baofa (Precious Raft to a Peaceful World) consists of 240 acts. The Peking Opera often changed its repertoire to avoid censorship because of its immoral or subversive character.

A well-known artist of the time was Cheng Changgeng . He was born in Anhui in 1811 and trained in the art of drama by his uncle. His most famous role was that of Wu Zixu . His success was so great that Emperor Xianfeng awarded him the rank of high official. Cheng Changgeng became a member and later director of one of the four largest theater groups: the San Qing ("Triple Happiness") group. In 1880 he died and his ensemble fell apart.

In 1900 the first great era of Peking Opera came to an end with the Boxer Rebellion . It was not until the 1920s that the Peking Opera was revitalized by Mei Lanfang (1894–1961) until it disappeared from the scene again during the Second Sino-Japanese War 1937–1945. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, it was revived again. As an experiment, topics of modern life were also included in the demonstrations, which can be traced back to the 1930s.

At the time of the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), all traditional Peking operas were banned and only eight operas newly conceived according to political guidelines were performed. Emperors, kings, generals and chancellors, scholars and beauties were banned from the stage, in their place were workers, peasants and soldiers, who were stylized as heroes and were to serve as role models for the people. Of course, these could not be represented with traditional costumes and traditional make-up techniques. The music, the instruments, the singing and the dance were also adapted to the new image of China.

After the Cultural Revolution, Peking Opera gradually recovered. The traditional pieces have since been played again and developed. Yet it seems to be in crisis in that the audience is getting older and most young Chinese are no longer interested in it. Probably also because of the cultural revolution, the young generation did not have the opportunity to grow up with this tradition. This is how the ancients understand this complex art form best. Nevertheless, there are still more than 30 different schools in which children are already trained for the Peking Opera.

Forms and content

Peking Opera brings together a variety of arts. Singing , playing instruments, acting , pantomime , dance , acrobatics and fighting techniques are shown on the stage. This colorful mixture has its origins in the various local operas. Not all of these arts are shown in every Peking Opera. Their weighting varies depending on the subject.

The subjects of traditional Peking operas can be divided into three categories. Myths occupy the most important place. Their representation often consists of acrobatic fight scenes. In addition, stories from prehistoric times to the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties are presented.

The myths, legends and ancient stories on which most Peking operas are based are well known in China, such as Grimm's fairy tales in our country . In them emperors and their mistresses, kings, generals, ministers, wives and daughters of rich families and young men play the main roles, but also supernatural beings such as gods and spirits play important roles. Ethical values ​​are often expressed, such as respect for parents and love for the fatherland, but friendship and love are also frequent topics.

Since many of the stories are very long and well known to the audience, an entire opera is rarely shown at a performance. Usually a potpourri with different scenes from different operas is offered so that the performance is varied. The shape was created in various local operas over the centuries before the Peking Opera. It has changed little since then. Performances aimed at a western audience have been shortened to a length of 60 to 90 minutes in order to adapt to the habits of tourists.

Stage and props

The architecture of the Peking Opera has its origins in the tea houses. There was an entertainment program here for drinking tea. The entrance fee was included in the price of the tea. Even today people sit at tables in the stalls and serve tea and snacks. It is generally more informal than in a European theater. The audience can express their opinion on the presentation at any time with applause and shouts.

The Beijing Opera stage set is sparsely furnished. The orchestra sits on one side of the stage, the back wall of the stage is adorned with a richly decorated curtain. Usually there is only one table and two chairs on the stage. The rest of the time is left to the imagination, and it is up to the actors to use a few props and pantomime to depict everything beyond that. Different symbols are used to represent different situations. If the table is in the middle of the stage and the chairs are on either side, this indicates that the scene is taking place inside a house. If one of the two chairs is at the stage entrance or exit, it symbolizes that the scene is being played outside of a building or a tent. The chairs can also represent mountains, for example. If an actor climbs over it, it means that he is crossing a mountain.

Props include all kinds of artificial weapons, such as spears, knives, broadswords, and hammers. In addition, paddles are used, for example, to indicate a boat trip and riding crops to represent riders. Various flags are also used. For example, to represent the sea, there is a flag with a wave pattern. A black flag means storm; yellow flags with a wheel painted on them symbolize a carriage. In order to give the symbols more expression, the performers support them with certain gestures. Depending on how the actor is standing and holding the riding crops in his hand, it can be shown, for example, whether he is riding, mounting the horse, dismounting it, or whether he is leading it. The use of many symbols makes it difficult for laypeople to follow the plot.

facial expressions and gesturing

As already mentioned in the previous section, facial expressions and gestures play a central role in the Peking Opera. They are highly stylized and can mostly only be understood by an initiated audience. The gestures are differentiated into hand, sleeve and arm gestures. Further body expression comes from the hip, leg and foot movements. Everything together is united in certain dances. The Qiba can express, for example, how generals prepare for a campaign. The opening and closing of a door is perhaps only represented by gestures, as there is no real door on the stage due to the few props.

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The gestures don't always have to be in connection with dance. Also individually or together with the facial expressions they can give quality to the expression of a performer. Relationships between people are also expressed through facial expressions and gestures. Kalvodova gives an example of expressing dislike for a person who is about to be banned from the scene: “Describe a circle with your hand and throw your sleeve violently at the person you want to drive away. Look angrily at her and then turn your head to show that you do not want any company with her. ” This is also an example of one of the many sleeve gestures that are performed with the water sleeve ( Shui Xiu ). Many of the costumes have long, white silk sleeves. They give the wearer more grace. They can also be used to perform many different gestures.

Gestures and facial expressions must be practiced again and again by the Peking Opera actors until they are perfected. The roles or characters are very different, so the actors are divided into certain subjects. Exaggeration plays a special role.

Role types

Performance at the Taipei Opera School

Fundamental to the Peking Opera are stylized and well-defined roles based on tradition. An actor is trained for only one type of role and tries to perfect it during his long training period of about ten years. In addition to gestures and facial expressions, each type of role has a specific vocal color, posture and gait.

The four most important roles are:

  • Shēng ( 生 , male lead)
  • Dàn ( 旦 , female lead)
  • Jìng ( 净 , spirited role with a painted face that corresponds to the role)
  • Chǒu ( 丑 , clown)

The names of the roles express opposites: Shēng means “strange” or “rare”, but actually this role represents someone very familiar. Dàn means “morning” or “male”, but the character is female. Jìng means "clean". But the make-up makes an unclean, albeit colored, impression. Chǒu stands for the ox that is phlegmatic and calm. The clown character, on the other hand, is turned up, talkative and hectic.

The four role types can be further subdivided:

  • Shēng : Lǎo Shēng (old man), Xiǎo Shēng (young man) and Wǔ Shēng (military).
  • Dàn : Qíng Yì ("black dress", virtuous woman, graceful and elegant, even from a poor background. Such a role is represented with a lot of singing and little movement), Lǎo Dàn (old woman), Huā Dàn (young woman, lively and funny, mostly girls from simple backgrounds or maids) as well as Wǔ Dàn ( woman well versed in the art of war ).
  • Jìng : Tong Chui ("big painted face", a role with emphasis on singing), Jia Zi ("second painted face", a role with emphasis on gesture) and Wǔ Jìng (military with a painted face, roles with emphasis on Fight and acrobatics). The colors with which the faces are painted give the audience clues as to the character in question.
  • Chǒu : Wén Chǒu (civil comic role) and Wǔ Chǒu (military comic role).

These subcategories can also be further subdivided, for example Wǔ Shēng into Lǎo Wǔ Shēng (old warrior) and Xiǎo Wǔ Shēng (young warrior). The types differ in costumes and masks, which have symbolic character.

In the past, women's roles were also played by men. This tradition is dying out more and more. There are still some male Dàns, but they often complain about a lack of commissions because the Chinese public now prefers to see women in female roles. Women, on the other hand, have sometimes also played male roles, although that is now rarely seen.

Music and way of speaking

Percussion instruments herald the start of the opera. Then an actor enters the stage and performs a quatrain. Then the piece begins with an alternation of arias , recitatives (the so-called stretched word ) and - depending on the piece - dance, acrobatics, martial arts, etc.

Instruments:

  • Erhuang, Huqin, Xipi (two-string fiddles )
  • Whistle
  • Sheng (mouth organ)
  • Yueqin (four-string moon guitar)
  • Pipa (chinese lute)
  • Suona (a kind of clarinet)
  • Drums, different types of bells, cymbals and pair cymbals, gongs, a wooden beaters ( idiophone )

There is no conductor. The percussionist conducts the orchestra, otherwise the skills of the musicians, like those of the performers, unfold in interplay on the basis of fixed forms with many ornaments. Highlights of the musical plot are accompanied by the pressing 16th notes of the percussion, which in the course of the process sometimes break down into rhythmic motifs, parallel to the actions of the actors, without losing their tension. Ritardandi and Accelerandi are common here. The 16th note game is sometimes suddenly resumed for a while. Appearances and exits are accentuated like the pantomimes. The cymbals used have the characteristic of glissandi upwards and downwards, thanks to a Doppler effect , thanks to a special touch technique . Vocal passages are accompanied by string or wind instruments, with spoken text being presented in advance. The characters, when they introduce themselves at the beginning of an opera, like the rhythmically spoken dialogues, are not accompanied musically. Dramaturgy and representations of affect are also the main concerns of music. The proximity to the spoken language is expressed in the imprecise pitches, the voices are based on amateur voices and voices from the people and exaggerate the roles. Amateur musicians are in demand in China as performers of Peking Opera roles. Each role has a specific style of singing. Conventional singing and falsetto are equally used. Recitatives relate to the story, vocal passages convey feelings. The singing is often used in an alienating manner in relation to the texts, also in juxtaposition, and the prosody is also adapted to the rhythm in the spoken passages. The dialogues, where they are not free, are commented on by the percussion in between. The musicians are recruited partly from actors who could not qualify for roles. The music is strictly pentatonic . Dramaturgical effects to support the tension arcs are often used. Almost repetitive motif designs on the respective keynote, especially during the acrobatic performances, deepen the listening experience again and again into the almost hypnotic. To accompany the vocal passages, the instruments are held halfway parallel to the singing.

literature

  • Huo Jianying: The Art of Peking Opera. China Today, Beijing 1997, ISBN 7-5072-0850-8 .
  • Dana Kalvodová, Vladimír Sís, Josef Naniš and others: Pear Garden Students - The Chinese Singspiel. Artia, Prague 1956, DNB 452301092 .
  • Günter Kleinen: Unknown, exotic world of the Peking Opera - an approach. In: Frank Nolte (Hrsg.): Bremer Jahrbuch für Musikkultur. Temmen, Bremen 3/1997, pp. 118-122.
  • Günter Kleinen (Ed.): Music of the World - China. Lugert, Marschacht 2006, ISBN 3-89760-806-5 .
  • Kuan-wu Lin: Western spirit in the eastern body ?: "Medea" in the intercultural theater of China and Taiwan. On the universalization of Greek antiquity Transcript, Bielefeld 2010, ISBN 978-3-8376-1350-6 .
  • Rolf W. Stoll: Music in China - on non-European music in lessons. Bosse, Regensburg 1987, ISBN 3-7649-2234-6 .
  • Yi Bian: The Peking Opera - Essence of Chinese Culture. Foreign Language Literature Publishing House, Beijing 2006, ISBN 7-119-04159-2 .
  • Cecilia SL Zung: Secrets of the Chinese Dram - a complete explanatory guide to actions and symbols as seen in the performance of Chinese dramas. Benjamin Blom, New York 1964.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Official homepage of UNESCO
  2. ↑ Huo, 1997; P. 9
  3. ↑ Stoll, 1987; Pp. 90-91
  4. ↑ Huo, 1997; P. 21
  5. ↑ Little ones, 2006; P. 32
  6. ↑ Alley, 1984; P. 13
  7. ↑ ibid .; P. 14
  8. ↑ Zung, 1964; Pp. 3-4
  9. ↑ Huo, 1997; P. 77
  10. ↑ ibid.
  11. ↑ Zung, 1964; Pp. 77-127
  12. ↑ Huo, 1997; P. 35
  13. ↑ ibid.
  14. ↑ Kalvodova, 1956; P. 9
  15. ↑ Zung, 1964; Pp. 77-81
  16. ↑ Stoll, 1987; P. 78
  17. ↑ Stoll, 1987; P. 73

Web links

Commons : Peking Opera  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files