Chinese opera

Traditional Chinese opera, or Xiqu, is a special kind of musical theatre in China. It started a long time ago. It mixes music, singing, dancing, martial arts, and beautiful costumes and makeup. Performers train for many years to learn about their characters. The colorful costumes help the audience know who they are.

There are many kinds of Chinese opera. One of the most famous is Peking opera, often called the "national theatre" of China. Others include Yue opera, Cantonese opera, Yu opera, kunqu, qinqiang, Huangmei opera, pingju, and Sichuan opera. Even though they have different music and styles, they often tell similar stories.

For many years, Chinese opera was very popular with people all over China and among Chinese people living far away. But in the second half of the 20th century, it became less popular because of big changes in society. Many older forms of Chinese opera are now rare, and only a few are still performed. Even so, it is still loved by many people as a special part of China's culture and history.

History

Early Chinese opera started with simple performances like Canjun Opera, a funny play from the Later Zhao Dynasty. It had just two people: a silly officer and a jester. Over time, more exciting stories with singing and dancing developed.

During the Tang dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong started the "Pear Garden", the first school for actors and musicians. By the Song dynasty, opera grew more complex with special roles. In the Yuan dynasty, actors began singing in everyday language.

By the Ming dynasty, all characters could sing, and plays became very popular. Beijing opera became the most famous form, using traditional Chinese instruments. Today, Chinese opera is still performed in special theaters and festivals. In 2001, Kunqu opera was named a special cultural treasure by UNESCO.

Costume and make-up

In Chinese opera, face paint is very important. It helps show who the actor is playing by using different colors and patterns. Each color can tell us something about the character.

• Red means bravery, truth, and loyalty.
• Black can show someone who gets angry quickly or who might be a bit rough.
• White might be used for someone tricky or not trustworthy.
• Blue can show strength or a wild nature.
• Yellow might hint at someone clever but possibly up to no good.
• Purple often shows respect and loyalty.
• Green can mean bravery or a mean spirit.
• Gold and silver are used for gods, spirits, or magical beings.

Musical characteristics

In Chinese opera, music is very important. It works together with the voices and movements of the actors. Musicians and actors work as a team. They move and make sounds together, making the performance smooth and exciting. Musicians often learn the music by heart and can change it a little during the show.

The orchestra in Chinese opera used a special five-note scale at first. Later, during the Yuan Dynasty, they added two more notes. This made it similar to some western music with extra notes called accidentals in western notation.

Instruments

The instruments in Chinese opera are split into two groups:

• wen – string and wind instruments: these make soft, gentle sounds and are used when actors are singing.
• wu – percussive instruments: these help with dancing and movement. A big drum leads the whole orchestra. Gongs tell the audience when to sit down and signal special moments.

String

Traditional Chinese string instruments used in Chinese Opera include:

• Gaohu
• Erhu
• Pipa
• Sanxian
• Yangqin
• Yueqin
• Jinghu
• Jing erhu
• Banhu
• Erxian

Percussion

Traditional Chinese percussion instruments used in Chinese Opera include:

• Paiban
• Bo
• Bangu
• Daluo
• Xiaoluo

Woodwind

Traditional Chinese woodwind instruments used in Chinese Opera include:

• Dizi
• Suona
• Sheng
• Guan

Regional genres

Recognize mutually (相認)

This is a Cantonese opera song sung by two women, Yam Kim Fai and Bak sheut sin. Yam Kim Fai uses her voice to sound like a man. Only traditional Chinese instruments are used.

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Eighteen miles away (十八相送)

This is a Huangmei opera song by Ivy Ling Po with Jenny Tseng.

In popular culture

The Peking opera is shown in the 1988 play M. Butterfly. In this story, a spy pretends to be a woman performer named Song Liling. The spy has a long relationship with a French official who does not know that men play all the female roles.

In January 2022, the game Genshin Impact added a story quest. In this quest, the character Yun Jin performs a musical number in the style of Chinese opera. This piece is called The Divine Damsel of Devastation. The game’s developers created it, and it introduced many people worldwide to Chinese opera for the first time.

In the 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once, one of Evelyn’s counterparts from another version of reality becomes a talented Chinese opera singer. She lost her sight as a child. She uses her opera training to help herself stay calm and control her breathing. Later in the movie, different versions of Evelyn work together to fix and save a performance.