What exactly are Peking Opera and Sichuan Opera? How to understand it?

The following two types of dramas are introduced separately. You can analyze them yourself and hope to meet your requirements.

The Origin of Peking Opera

Peking Opera is the quintessence of our country and one of the important operas popular throughout the country. It has a history of more than 200 years. In the 55th year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1790), four Anhui tune troupes, namely Sanqing, Sixi, Chuntai and Hechun, which were originally performing in the south, came to Beijing to perform one after another, cooperating with Han tune artists from Hubei and influencing each other. , it also accepted some repertoires, tunes and performance methods of Kun Opera and Qin Opera, as well as some folk tunes, and gradually integrated and evolved into Peking Opera. Its music basically belongs to the ban tune, and the singing tune is mainly Erhuang in Hui tune and Xigua in Han tune, so it was called "Pihuang" in the old days. There are also Xipi anti-dialect (i.e. "anti-Xipi"), Erhuang anti-dialect (i.e. "anti-erhuang"), as well as Nanbangzi, Sipingdiao, blowing tune, high plectrum, Nanluo and other singing tunes. The main accompaniment instrument is Jinghu, supplemented by Erhu, Yueqin and Sanxian. Some singing and music are accompanied by suona, flute, etc. Percussion instruments include single-leather drums, sandalwood boards, large gongs, small gongs, cymbals, tangs, xingzi, etc. Peking Opera performance pays equal attention to singing, reading, acting and fighting, often using virtual movements, emphasizing the blending of scenes and the blending of voices and emotions. Since its birth, Peking Opera has had many names, such as "Luantan", "Huangdiao", "Jinghuang", "Jing Erhuang", "Erhuang (Erhuang)", "Daxi", "Pingju" (Beijing (formerly known as Peking Opera), Beijing Opera, etc. There are thousands of traditional Peking Opera plays, among which the popular ones include "The Harmony of Generals", "The Meeting of Heroes", "The Empty City Strategy", "The Drunken Concubine", "Sanchakou", "Jade Bracelet Picking Up", "Fishing and Killing", etc.

The formation of Peking Opera

The formation of Peking Opera takes about 150 years. In the fifty-fifth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1790), the famous Hui Troupe "Sanqing Troupe" from the south of the Yangtze River came to Beijing to celebrate the 80th birthday of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty (Emperor Qianlong). Anhui troupe refers to a troupe that performs Hui tunes or Hui operas. It was very popular in the south in the early Qing Dynasty. Following this, many Anhui troupes came one after another, the most famous of which are Sanqing, Sixi, Chuntai, and Hechun, which are known as the "Four Anhui troupes". They each have their own characteristics in performance. Sanqing is good at performing the entire drama; Sixi is good at Kunqiang opera; Chun Tai is mostly young child actors; and He Chun Wu Opera is outstanding.

After 1828, a group of Han opera actors entered Beijing one after another. Han Opera, also known as Chu Diao, now known as Han Opera, mainly uses Xipi and Erhuang tunes, with an emphasis on Xipi. It is a local opera popular in Hubei. Since the Hui and Han operas are closely related in terms of vocals and performances, most of the Han opera actors participated in the Anhui troupe's collaborative performances after coming to Beijing, and some became the main actors of the Anhui troupe, such as Yu Sansheng. The Hui tunes are mostly Erhuang tune, Gaobizi, blowing tune, Siping tune, etc., and occasionally Xipi tune, Kun tune and Yi tune; while Han tune actors perform Xipi tune and Erhuang tune. The Hui and Han troupes cooperated, and the two tunes merged. After a period of mutual integration and absorption, coupled with the Beijing accent, and constantly absorbing nutrients from Kun Opera, Yi Opera, and Qin Opera, a new opera type - Peking Opera was finally formed. The first generation of Peking Opera actors matured and was recognized around 1840.

Peking Opera has had many names since its inception. The categories include: Luantan, Huantiao, Jinghuang, Jingerhuang, Pihuang (Pihuang), Erhuang (Erhuang), Daxi, Pingju, Old Opera, Chinese Opera, Peking Opera, Peking Opera, etc.

The origin and development of Sichuan Opera

Sichuan Opera is a major feature of Sichuan culture. Chengdu is the hometown of drama. As early as the Tang Dynasty, there was a saying that "Sichuan opera is the best in the world". During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, on the basis of local car lantern opera, it absorbed and blended the local dialects of Su, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hubei, Shaanxi and Gansu to form a Sichuan dialect singing style including Gaoqiang, Huqin, Kunqiang, Lantern Opera and Danxi. "Sichuan Opera". Among them, Sichuan Opera has rich high-pitched tunes, beautiful and moving singing, and the most local characteristics. It is the main singing form of Sichuan Opera. The accompaniment of Sichuan Opera includes leading, chorus, chorus, accompaniment, and duet singing, etc., which are meaningful and fascinating. The language of Sichuan Opera is lively, humorous, full of distinctive local colors, full of life flavor and has a broad mass base.

There are hundreds of repertoires commonly seen on the stage, including singing, acting, reading and playing, with humorous witticisms and instrumental music to support the performance. "Face Changing", "Fire Breathing" and "Water Sleeves" are unique, plus the freehand stylized movements are implicit. Endless delicious flavor... Sichuan Opera is loved by the world and spread across the world. The famous Sichuan Opera play "The Legend of White Snake: Jinshan Temple" is widely spread at home and abroad. Sichuan Opera is popular in Sichuan Province and parts of Yunnan and Guizhou. The five vocal arts of Kunqu, Gaoqiang, Huqin (Pihuang), Tanxi and Sichuan folk lantern opera that originally flowed in from other provinces were all performed separately in various places in Sichuan. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1736-1795), these five vocal arts were often performed together. The performances in Taiwan gradually formed a unique style over time. In the late Qing Dynasty, they were collectively called "Sichuan Opera" and later renamed "Sichuan Opera".

Gao, Kun, Hu and Dan Deng each have their own circumstances in the process of integrating into a unified Sichuan Opera. Kunqiang originated from Jiangsu, flowed into Sichuan, and evolved into "Sichuan-Kunming" with local characteristics. High-pitched accent plays an important role in Sichuan Opera. Originated from Yiyang Opera in Jiangxi Province, it flowed into Sichuan in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and was called "Qing Opera" between Chu and Shu. On the basis of maintaining the tradition of "one person sings and the others join in harmony, there are also tight and slow rhythms", it also draws a lot of nutrients from Sichuan Yangge, chants, divine songs and recitals

to enrich the and developed the characteristics of a close combination of "helping, playing, and singing", forming Sichuan Gaoqiang with local characteristics. Huqin tune, also known as "Si Xianzi", originated from Anhui tune and Han tune, and also absorbed elements of Shaanxi's "Hanzhong Erhuang". It has been combined with Sichuan dialect and Sichuan opera gongs and drums through "making and singing Huqin" and stage performances. It has undergone many changes in connection with music, forming a Huqin tune with Sichuan flavor. Danxi, also known as Luantan, is also called "Gaibanzi" or "Sichuan Bangzi". It is named after the use of the covered Huqin as the main instrument and the use of Bangzi to beat the knots. It originated from Shaanxi's Qinqiang Tongzhou Bangzi. After Qin Opera flowed into Sichuan, it has been closely associated with lantern opera and Gao Opera in northern Sichuan for a long time. They integrated with each other and adopted the Sichuan language, gradually forming a unique style of Sichuan Bangzi - Dan Opera.

As the above-mentioned four foreign vocal arts became popular in Sichuan, they were successively combined with Sichuan pronunciation and people’s appreciation habits, and gradually evolved into the five vocal tunes of Kun, Gao, Hu, Dan and Deng in later Sichuan Opera.

Sichuan Opera has gradually formed some schools due to the popular regions of various tunes and the teacher-teacher relationship between artists. Among these schools, except for the Xiangdan Xinghuan (Flower Immortal) School, Chouxing Fu (Sangan) School, Cao (Junchen) School, etc., which are named after outstanding artists, they are mainly divided into four schools according to popular regions: First, " The Western Sichuan School, which includes counties in the Wenjiang region centered on Chengdu, mainly plays Huqin, forming a unique "Bei Diao"; the second is the "Ziyang River School", which includes Zigong and Neijiang districts and counties, and mainly uses high-pitched tunes. The artistic style is the most rigorous; the third is the "Northern Sichuan School", including parts of Nanchong and Mianyang, which mainly sings and plays opera, and is influenced by Qin Opera; the fourth is the "Eastern Sichuan School", including the eastern Sichuan area centered on Chongqing , because Chongqing is the commercial center of Sichuan, many foreign operas are performed here. It is characterized by a variety of opera styles and diversified voices.

Sichuan Opera has a wide range of repertoire, and it has long been said that "three thousand in the Tang Dynasty, eight hundred in the Song Dynasty, and countless other countries". Among them, the Gaoqiang part has the richest heritage and the most significant artistic features. The traditional plays include "Five Pao" ("The Story of the Green Pao", "The Story of the Yellow Pao", "The Story of the White Pao", "The Story of the Red Pao", and "The Story of the Green Pao"). "), "Four Pillars" ("Pengtian Pillar", "Crystal Pillar", "Pao Brand Pillar", "Five Elements Pillar"), and "Eighteen Books of Jianghu", etc., as well as the "Four Major Characters" recognized by the Sichuan Opera circle ("Pipa Chronicles", "Golden Seal", "Red Plum Chronicles", "Tou Notes"), many of which are lost plays of other types of dramas. After 1949, after sorting out, a number of outstanding Sichuan Opera repertoires appeared, such as "The Story of the Willow Shade", "The Story of the Hosta", "The Story of the Colorful House", etc.

The performing art of Sichuan Opera has a profound foundation in life and has formed a perfect performance routine. The script has high literary value, the performance is realistic and delicate, humorous and interesting, and has a rich flavor of life, which is loved by the masses. Some actors have also created many stunts, such as lifting, opening eyes, changing faces, walking through fire rings, hiding knives, etc. They are good at using stunts to create amazing characters.