The bulk of Beijing operas date from imperial times and involve characters from Chinese history, legend, and myth a compilation of Beijing opera stories published in 1980 includes more than 1,220 items.3 Beijing opera performances often consist of famous scenes excerpted from several different stories rather than illustrating a single narrative plot. īeijing opera traditionally features singing actors and actresses wearing magnificent costumes reminiscent of Ming dynasty (1368–1644) dress, although modern operas-those created since 1912, when imperial rule ended-may call for modern dress. History and Context Mei Lan Fang in The Drunken Concubine. It is also disseminated via DVD/video and audio recordings, Chinese television broadcasts, and youTube (naturally!), among many Internet sources.2 It is highly prized by the Chinese in general as an artistic, historically significant, representative art form. Nevertheless, Beijing opera is commonly performed for tourists in China, at festivals for Chinese audiences, and on tours worldwide. This may simply indicate that a taste for Beijing opera is often developed over several decades of a person’s life, as is often the case for the Western operas, such as those written by Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner, and others. Many modern Chinese do not enjoy Beijing opera at all like Western opera, it seems to be both an acquired taste and a genre mostly appreciated by older Chinese. The UNESCO website features short introductory videos narrated in English for each of the four types of Chinese opera inscribed on its list (that also includes Tibetan opera). Four Chinese opera types are now inscribed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” Beijing opera was added to this list in 2010.1 A grasp of some aspects of Beijing opera will enable the casual listener to begin to appreciate not only Beijing opera, but Kunqu and Yuefu opera as well these southern opera types (also inscribed in UNESCO’s “Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage”) employ some sonic and visual characteristics that are parallel to, or reminiscent of, Beijing opera. (Photo by Steve Hyndman, used by permission.)īeijing opera (known as jingju, or opera of the capital in mainland China) is one of more than three hundred types of traditional Chinese opera, and it is probably the best-known. Photo of male and female warriors (front line), painted face roles (middle line) and soldiers (rear). The goal here is to present an introduction to Beijing opera that provides insight for teachers and students approaching the art while avoiding excess specialized terminology. This essay attempts to provide useful basic information about Beijing opera as well as selected helpful details sometimes absent from elementary guides to the art. Each of these parameters is the fruit of a system several centuries old, presented as living art through the work of highly trained performers. The art might be best thought of as a confluence of stylized patterns of dress, makeup, action, staging, text, and music (instrumental and vocal). A quintessentially Chinese art form, its elaborate costumes and makeup, gestural and acrobatic stage movements, highly symbolic and stylized content, and unique musical style amaze and intrigue audiences. ©1993 Miramax Films.īeijing opera is a colorful, spectacular performance art that dazzles, fascinates, and often puzzles foreigners.
Chinese opera singers pdf#