Chinese opera
The Chinese opera ( Chinese 戲曲 / 戏曲 , Pinyin Xìqǔ ) developed during the Tang Dynasty (618–906) from pre-forms of musical theater . In contrast to the European opera tradition, however, it has been a popular form of art and expression since the beginning; only later did the higher classes and the nobility take a liking to it. For a long time, music and text were passed on orally or from performance practice. Textbooks and scores have only been produced since the early 20th century (see Drama (China) ).
In contrast to other forms of musical drama (in Europe, India or Japan), Chinese opera combines forms of expression of music, song, drama, dance and acrobatics in typical local forms. Thematically, it is mostly about well-known legends and myths, on the basis of which social, political and spiritual aspects are presented, which in the past were often very topical.
Chinese opera dates back to the Tang dynasty , when Emperor Xuanzong (712–755) founded the pear orchard (líyuán; 梨园), the first known opera company in China, which mainly performed for the emperor's own amusement. The term “pupil of the pear orchard” (梨园 子弟), which is still used today for actors, goes back to them.
In the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368), forms such as the zájù (杂剧, vaudeville) found their way into opera, based on certain rhyme schemes as well as the newly introduced specialized roles such as “ Dàn ” (旦, female), “ Shēng ” (生, male) and “ Chǒu ” (丑, clown).
The opera of the Yuan Dynasty lives on today as a Canton Opera . It is generally believed that it was imported from northern China and slowly migrated to the southern province of Guangdong by the end of the 13th century . In the 12th century there was a form of theater called Narm hei (南,), also known as Nanxi (Southern Opera), which was performed in the public theaters of Hangzhou , the capital of the Southern Song . After the Mongol invasion , Emperor Gōng (恭帝) fled to Guangdong Province in 1276 with hundreds of thousands of Song supporters. These included Narm hei artists from the north, who laid the foundation for what would later become the Canton Opera. Many of the operas still performed today, such as The Purple Hairpin and Rejuvenation of the Red Plum Blossom, have their origins in the Yuan dynasty , and their texts are traditionally written in Cantonese . Until the 20th century, women's roles were also traditionally played by men.
The best known form of Chinese opera is of course the Peking opera . It developed from the Kunqu opera (昆曲kūnqǔ ), which was regarded as an art form of national importance in the 16th century. Opera ensembles from the province of Ānhuī in particular enriched the Kūnqǔ tradition with acrobatic body play and colored choreography in the 19th century. From this came the form of Peking opera, also known as jīngjù (京剧).
Chinese opera experienced its heyday from around 1830 to 1960. During the Cultural Revolution, it was frowned upon, at least in the People's Republic of China, and there were no performances. Instead, heroic revolutionary epics were performed, and naturalism dominated performance practice. It was not until 1977 that the first official performance took place again. Today it is enjoying greater popularity again, at least among traditional and often older audiences.
literature
- Wolfgang Kubin : The traditional Chinese theater . From Mongolian drama to Beijing opera. In: Wolfgang Kubin (Ed.): History of Chinese Literature . tape 6 . KG Saur, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-598-24543-5 .
- Astrid Bernicke: The Chinese opera: history and genres. A manual in text and pictures. Schott Music, Mainz 2008, ISBN 978-3795701284
- Rudolf M. Brandl: Introduction to the Kunqu. Classical Chinese opera from the 16th to 19th centuries Century . Cuvillier Verlag, Göttingen 2007
- Terence Chong: Chinese Opera in Singapore: Negotiating Globalization, Consumerism and National Culture. In: Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 34, No. 3, October 2003, pp. 449-471
- Martin Gimm : Chinese music theater. In: Ludwig Finscher (ed.): Music in the past and present . Supplementary volume, Kassel, Bärenreiter 2008, Sp. 112–123
- Siu Leung Li: Cross-Dressing in Chinese Opera. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong 2003
- Jo Riley: Chinese Theater and the Actor in Performance. (Cambridge Studies in Modern Theater) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1997, ISBN 0521570905
- Siu Wang-Ngai, Peter Lovrick: Chinese Opera: Images and Stories. University of British Columbia, Vancouver 1997
