Types of China Opera

China's six major dramas are Beijing Opera, Yue Opera, Huangmei Opera, Pingju Opera, Henan Opera and Qin Opera.

There are about 360 kinds of traditional operas and tens of thousands of traditional plays in ethnic minority areas in China. After the founding of New China, many traditional plays have been adapted, and new historical plays and modern plays that express the theme of modern life have been warmly welcomed by the audience. The more popular and famous operas are: Kunqu Opera, Cantonese Opera, Sichuan Opera, Huai Opera, Jin Opera, Han Opera, xiang opera Opera, Chaozhou Opera, Fujian Opera, Qi Opera, Puxian Opera, Hebei Bangzi Opera, Hunan Opera, Shandong Opera, Ancient Painting Opera, Anhui Opera and Shanghai Opera.

Characteristics of China Traditional Opera

Beijing opera

The old Peking Opera Girl is one of China's operas, which originated in Beijing in the middle of19th century and gained unprecedented prosperity in the Qing court. Its accent is mainly Xipi and Huanger, accompanied by huqin and gongs and drums, which is regarded as the quintessence of China. In the 55th year of Qing Qianlong (A.D. 1790), four Huizhou classes from the south of China successively entered Beijing. The first Huiban who went to Beijing was Sanqing, who mainly sang Huang Er tune. Because of its rich tunes and various tracks, it gradually overwhelmed the Shaanxi opera prevailing in Beijing at that time. Many Shaanxi opera actors transferred to Anhui opera class, which formed the fusion of Anhui opera and Shaanxi opera. Subsequently, three other Hui classes, Sixi, Chuntai and Hechun, also came to Beijing, which led to the gradual decline of Kunqu opera, which had been popular for many years, and most Kunqu opera actors were transferred to Hui classes. During the Daoguang period in the Qing Dynasty, Hubei actors went to Beijing and brought Chu tunes (Han tunes and Xipi tunes), which led Xipi and Huang Er to merge in Shi Jing and Huiban, forming the so-called "Pihuang Opera". At this time, the Pihuang opera, which was formed in the capital, was influenced by Beijing pronunciation and accent and had the characteristics of "Beijing dialect". Later, because they often performed in Shanghai, Shanghainese called this kind of Pihuang drama with Beijing characteristics "Peking Opera", also called "Peking Opera". Because of the rapid development of Beijing Opera in Beijing, its artistic level ranks among the best in China's operas, and then it is popular all over the country, so it is also called "National Opera".

Peking Opera is one of the traditional operas formed in Beijing with a history of nearly 200 years. On the basis of Anhui Opera and Han Opera, it gradually evolved by absorbing the advantages and specialties of some operas such as Kunqu Opera and Shaanxi Opera. Huizhou Opera entered Beijing in A.D. 1790 (the 55th year of Qing Qianlong). The earliest Huizhou Opera Troupe entered Beijing was the prestigious "Sanqing Class" in Anhui. Later, there were four classes in Beijing, such as "Four Happiness", "River Lip" and "Chuntai", which were collectively called "Huizhou Class Four".

The formal formation of Peking Opera was about twenty years in Daoguang (1840). At this time, various aria formats of Beijing Opera have been preliminarily established, the language characteristics of Beijing Opera have been formed, and the role of Beijing Opera has also undergone new changes. A number of plays with the characteristics of Peking Opera have appeared, and the first generation of Peking Opera actors have also appeared: Yu Shengsan, Zhang Erkui and Cheng Changgeng are called the "three Ding Jia" of old pedants, and there are also old actors and Peking Opera. Cheng Changgeng is a representative figure in this period. He made more efforts than other Peking Opera actors in the same period in integrating Han Hui tune and absorbing Kunqu opera to transform and improve it. He made a great contribution to the formation of Peking Opera performance art and played a great role in the development of Peking Opera in later generations.

Peking Opera music belongs to the banqiang style, and the lead singers are Huang Er and Xipi, so Peking Opera is also called "Pihuang". Other commonly used vocals in Beijing Opera are Nanbangzi, Siping Tone, Gaobazi and Chui. There are more than 1000 kinds of traditional operas in Beijing Opera, and more than 300 kinds are often performed. Among them, besides Anhui Opera, Han Opera, Kunqu Opera and Shaanxi Opera, quite a few of them were created by Beijing Opera artists and folk writers. Beijing opera is good at expressing political and military struggles with historical themes, and most of the stories are taken from historical romances and novel scripts. There are not only the whole drama, but also a large number of passbook dramas, in addition to some series.

The role of Beijing opera is divided into seven lines: health, Dan, purity, ugliness, martial arts and fashion (walk-on), and then into four lines: health, Dan, purity and ugliness.

Since the formation of Beijing Opera, a large number of outstanding actors have emerged. They have contributed to the innovation and development of Beijing Opera in singing, performance, repertoire and character modeling, and formed many influential schools. Such as Cheng Changgeng, Yu Sansheng, Zhang Erkui, Tan Xinpei, Wang Guifen, Sun Juxian, Wang Xiaonong, Liu Hongsheng, Wang Hongshou, Yu Shuyan, Gao Qingkui, Yan Ju Peng, Zhou Xinfang, Ma Lianliang, Yang Baosen, Tan Fuying and Li Shaochun. Xiao Sheng, Xu Xiaoxiang, Cheng Jixian, Jiang Miaoxiang and Ye Shenglan. Present were, Huang Yueshan,,, Shang, Li, etc. Dan Jiao Mei Qiaoling, Yu Ziyun, Tian Guifeng, Mei Lanfang, Cheng, Xun Huisheng, Shang Xiaoyun, Feng, Xiao Cuihua, Gong Yunfu, Li Duokui, etc. Jing Jiao Mu Fengshan, Huang Runfu, He Guishan, Qiu Guixian, Qiu et al. Clown Liu Gansan, Yang Mingyu (originally Kunqu Opera, joined Beijing Class), Wang Changlin, Xiao Changhua, etc. In addition, there are famous pianists such as Sun, Mei Tian,,, and so on. Famous drummers include Hang, Bai and Wang.

Classic tracks:

Farewell My Concubine (Mei Pai), Legend of White Snake, Dingjun Mountain, Drunken Guifei (Dan Jiaozi), Qunyinghui, Borrowing Dongfeng (Xu Sheng), Yutangchun (Cheng Pai), Jiujue, Wen Zhaoguan, Wangjiangting, Xu Ce Running City, Yuanmen Kitchen Knife, Shiro Tanmu, Red Bristle Fierce Horse (all), and Lock Linnang. ......

Ju Ping

Xuantongyuannian (1909) was formed in Tangshan, so it is also called "Tangshan Luozi". In the 12th year of the Republic of China (1923), when Shi Jing Drama Club, which founded this kind of drama, performed in Tianjin, it was renamed as "Pingju" because of its new ideas of "punishing evil and promoting good", "warning the people" and "commenting on the past and discussing the present". In 25 years of the Republic of China, Bai, a famous actress, filmed a film version of Begonia Red in Shanghai, and the name of Pingju was published in Ta Kung Pao. Since then, the name of Pingju has been widely circulated throughout the country. Pingju originated from the folk song and dance "Yangko" in eastern Hebei Province. Yangge is one of the main forms of the new orthodox flower festival in the folk lunar calendar. It consists of two people dressed in colorful clothes, singing and dancing, singing and dancing in groups, playing gongs and drums, suona or silk and bamboo with the piano, and singing folk life stories, historical figures and four seasons scenery as the main content.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many people sang Yangko, and the tunes they sang were mainly lotus. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, Yangko absorbed the shadow play and drum calligraphy of Laoting, and then evolved into a "dancing play" with local characteristics in eastern Hebei. There were two small plays (once ugly) in the early days, including singing and dancing; There are more than 100 scripts, which run through certain storylines and characters, and the narrative third person is its main feature. Musically, it is also a form of transition to board cavity. Because the songs sung by the dancers are mainly lotus, and bamboo boards (festival boards) are used to make knots, there are mixed names of jumping and lotus. The form of performance begins with the group chorus "Four Happy Songs" and then leads to the main play. Twenty years after Daoguang (1840), more and more farmers learn to dance for a living, and a large number of artists sing and dance. Due to the differences in dialects and artists' activity areas, east, west and north roads have been formed. During the sixth and twenty-sixth years of Guangxu (1880- 1990), many semi-professional and professional class clubs appeared. Excellent dancers in the class club communicate with each other and learn from each other in the competition, thus promoting the continuous development of dancing and dancing, and pushing two plays to the stage of three plays (that is, breaking up the play). The actor of the play changed from three to the first person, and the script changed from rap to the first person narrator, so there appeared a small drama with stage style, and a simple division of foot color and lines began in the performance. In addition to maintaining the traditional yangko movements to a certain extent, some dramas began to introduce realistic movements that simulated real life, and at the same time began to imitate the program movements of big dramas. However, it is not bound by strict procedural norms, and the action is more free.

Nianbai is based on Tangshan local language, which rhymes a bit. Musical singing began to take the form of banqiang. Use adagio, Erliu board, small sad sound, lock board, etc. Accompanied by piano, mainly banhu, suona and flute are also used; The percussion instrument removed the bamboo board and replaced it with jujube bangzi, borrowing the gong sutra of Hebei Bangzi. At the beginning of the Qin dynasty, the conductor band accompanied the Qin dynasty with the seal of the banhu player. There is only one table, two chairs and "old-fashioned" stage facilities, and nothing else. There are more than 100 kinds of drama programs, most of which come from two plays, or movies and bangzi scripts. The other part takes folk real life, current affairs rumors, ancient and modern legends, historical novels, Zidishu Guci and so on as the theme. During the drama-breaking period, in the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty, due to the successive deaths of Guangxu and Cixi, the Qing government banned entertainment activities for 100 days, which led to the paralysis and disintegration of all classes of drama. In the autumn of the same year, some artists established the Chun Qing Society. In order to prevent the authorities from blocking the performance, a comprehensive transformation was carried out, imitating the mode of drama, and a large number of bangzi boards and gongs and drums were absorbed, so that the play of the bullet took shape. After the reform, the dance opera was named "Pingqiang Bangzi Opera". In Xuantongyuan, Yongsheng Tea Garden flourished in Tangshan, and Chun Qing Society was invited to open a performance, which was warmly welcomed by workers and audiences. Since then, Chun Qing Society has gained a firm foothold in Tangshan. In order to consolidate the position of bungee jumping in the city, the artists of the class club have made great efforts to create and arrange new plays. By the first year of the Republic of China, more than 30 large-scale plays had been created, adapted and transplanted. At the same time, the performance industry has also improved, and the system of singing and accompanying piano has also been improved, thus giving bungee jumping a brand-new artistic style. At this point, the folk opera bred in the mother body of Yangko finally stood out with a new attitude in the early years of the Republic of China. At that time, it was called Tangshan Xia Zi, and later it was called Pingju. Modern dramas such as "Yang Sanjie complained" and "An Zhonggen stabbed Ito Bowen" faced the real life of society and took current affairs news as the theme, which was very influential at that time. 1 949 65438+1October1After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), under the guidance of the party's policy of "letting a hundred flowers blossom and bring forth the new", Pingju has shown a prosperous scene; Many provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have established Pingju art groups, and Pingju has since become a national drama. Complaining, also known as shooting high. Based on a true story. In the seventh year of the Republic of China, Gao, the son of rich gentry and rich chapter, married a rogue poor girl and committed adultery with his eldest sister Pei and his fifth sister. The second sister advised her husband to turn over a new leaf and held a grudge. The adulterer conspired to kill the second sister. YueYang, the third sister, found some doubts in her mourning, but went to Luanxian to complain, and the magistrate took bribes, which led to the third sister losing the case. The third sister refused to accept the appeal and appealed to the general's office in Zhili (Tianjin), and the struggle finally won. Gao was shot. In the eighth year of the Republic of China (19 19), the play premiered in Harbin Qingfeng Theatre. The first part of the script is "The Grand View of Pingxi" published by Cheng Xin Bookstore 1929. China Drama Publishing House, February edition 1957 "Selected Plays" also accepted the play. For the story about flowers, see Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio-Parasitism. Wang Junqing and his cousin Li Yuee fell in love, but Yuee's father refused to get married, and Jun Qing became lovesick. Mother Ruan, the matchmaker, chose Zhang Wuke and planned a blind date in the garden. Zhang and Wang fell in love at first sight. On the wedding day, Yuee's mother took advantage of her husband's absence to send Yuee to the Wangs, and Jun Qing married two wives. In the third year of the Republic of China (19 14), the play was first performed in Tangshansheng Tea Garden by Chun Qing Pingqiang Bangzi Class. Later, it was included in the second episode of Pingju Daquan. The famous artists of Yue Opera Pingju are Xin He and Zhao.

Shaoxing opera

Its predecessor was "singing the earth book" popular in Shengxian County, Zhejiang Province, and gradually developed into "women's Shaoxing wenwan" in the 1930s.

In the early forties, women's Yueju opera flourished in Shanghai, absorbing the nutrition of Kunju opera and drama in art and gradually maturing. The older generation of artists, represented by Xu Yulan, Wang and Yuan Xuefen, were cared by the producers of China earlier, and made bold reforms in system and art. The performance of the newly edited Yue Opera Xianglinsao was a "milestone" in the development history of Yue Opera. It is this group of old artists who dare to reform and actively innovate. On the basis of inheriting the tradition and according to their own conditions, they created their own unique style and gradually formed various schools of Yue Opera with artistic characteristics.

Since the founding of New China, under the guidance of the Party's literary and artistic policies, Yue Opera has entered a golden age of great development, and has successively created such world-renowned works as Butterfly Lovers, A Dream of Red Mansions, The Romance of the West Chamber, such as Detective, Chasing Fish, Biography of Spring Fragrance, Meng Lijun, Peacock Flying Southeast, He Wenxiu and Desert.

In the mid-1980s, Zhejiang Xiaobaihuayue Opera Troupe was established in Hangzhou, which was followed by the remarkable "Hua Xiaobai" phenomenon in Zhejiang. A large number of excellent "little flowers" have emerged. For example, Mao and Zhou Yunjuan, winners of Plum Blossom Awards, represent a new generation of Yue Opera artists. They are competing to bloom in the Hundred Flowers Garden, which indicates the further prosperity and development of Yue Opera.

The main theaters and troupes are Shang Yue, Zhebai, Baishao, Fanghua and Nanyue.

Huangmei Opera

Huangmei Opera A Dream of Red Mansions is the main local opera in Anhui. Huangmei Opera, formerly known as Huangmei Tune or Tea-picking Opera, is a folk drama that was formed in the Piling area of Anhui, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces in the late18th century. One of them gradually moved eastward to Anqing, centering on Huaining County, Anhui Province, combined with local folk arts, and sang and spoke in the local language, forming its own characteristics, called "Huaiqiang" or "Huaidiao". This is the predecessor of Huangmei Opera today.

In terms of repertoire, it is known as "36 major dramas, 72% off small dramas". The play mainly shows the people's dissatisfaction with class oppression, the disparity between the rich and the poor and their yearning for a free and beautiful life. For example, The Story of Buckwheat, Guan, Tian Xianpei, etc. Traditional Chinese operas mostly show the life segments of rural laborers, such as ordering barley, spinning cotton yarn and selling buckets.

After liberation, a number of traditional plays such as Fairy Descent, Ma Xu, Roper, Half Scissors, Zhao, Mother's Tears, Three Searches for the Kingdom, Nine Clothes and so on have been adapted successively, and fairy plays The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and historical plays have been created. Among them, Fairy Descent, Female Xu and Cowherd and Weaver Girl have been put on the screen one after another, which has had a great influence at home and abroad. Yan Fengying, Wang Shaofang, Wu Qiong, Malan, Yang Jun and Han Zaifen are famous actors in Huangmei Opera.

Troupes mainly include Anhui Huangmei Opera Troupe, Anqing Huangmei Opera Troupe and Hubei Huangmei Opera Troupe.

Huai opera

Huai Opera "Tooth Marks" Huai Opera, also known as Jianghuai Opera, is popular in Jiangsu, Shanghai and parts of Anhui. Huai Opera is an ancient opera with a history of more than 200 years. As early as the middle of the Qing Dynasty, there was a popular form of door-screaming rap in Yanfu (Yancheng, Funing) and Qinghuai Fort (Huai 'an, Baoying) in Jiangsu Province, which was developed from Jia Min's chant and Tian Ge's thunder tune and rice planting tune. The form is a solo or two duets, just clapping with bamboo boards. Later, it was combined with the folk incense opera in northern Jiangsu, which was called Jiangbei Opera. Later, influenced by Hui Opera and Peking Opera, Huai Opera gradually enriched in singing, performance and repertoire. The language of Huai Opera is a stage language based on today's jianhu county dialect and formed through dramatization. The language of Huai Opera has gradually formed 20 rhymes in the long-term practice. The aria music of Huai Opera belongs to banqiang, with [Huai tune], [Latin tune] and [free tune] as the three main tunes. [Huai Diao] is high-pitched, intense and narrative, and is mostly used for narration. The tone is euphemistic and delicate, and the lines are fresh, which is suitable for lyric scenes; [Free Tune] The melody is smooth, plastic and comprehensive. Some tunes derived from the three major themes, such as one-character tune, leaf tune, cross tune, Nanchang tune, Xiahe tune, Huai Sad tune and Great Sad tune, etc. Huai Opera "A River Flows East"

Accompaniment instruments and orchestral instruments of Huai Opera include erhu, sanxian, dulcimer, flute and suona, while percussion instruments include flat drum, Su Gong, cymbals and drums. Percussion music evolved from folk gongs such as Qilin Gong and Yanfu Huagu Gong on the basis of incense play.

Classic repertoires of Huai Opera: in the early days, there were life dramas and dramas "Nine Lotus and Thirteen English" (that is, 9 repertoires with the word "Lotus" by Qin Xianglian and Lan, and 0/3 repertoires with the word "English" by Wang, Gu and Su); The traditional classic plays of Huai Opera include Meng Lijun, Tooth Seal (also known as Prostitution of An Shoubao), Jade Cup Edge, Wedding Dress Bloody Case (also known as Nine Clothes), The Story of Bowling, The Complain of the Dumb Girl, Life and Hatred, The Edge of the Cabinet, The Legend of the White Snake and so on.

Shanghai Huai Opera Troupe, with the symbol of "Golden Dragon and Ephemera" and under the banner of urban new Huai Opera, has achieved great success in the theater. Today, Jiangsu Huai Opera Troupe has created exquisite works. Modern Huai operas such as Sunflower, Spring Flows East and Meng Lijun are also deeply loved by the audience. "The Golden Pointer" and "The Little Bean Village Style" were made into movies.

Kunqu opera

Kunqu Opera "Peony Pavilion" Kunqu Opera is an ancient drama in China, which was formed in Kunshan, Jiangsu around the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty, also known as "Kunshan Opera". Wei Liangfu, an outstanding opera musician in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty, made a great reform on Kunshan Opera. He absorbed all kinds of vocals of Nanqu, melodic singing methods of Jin, Yuan and Northern Song Dynasties, and folk ditties of Jiangnan, and created a gentle and euphemistic "water mill tune". Liang Chenyu, a playwright who chose his surname at the same time, wrote a play "Huansha Ji" specially for Kunshan dialect, which caused a sensation in the south of the Yangtze River and quickly swept the country. At the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, Kunqu Opera was once prosperous, more refined and perfect in art, and became a kind of drama with national influence. During the Qianlong period, the art of Kunqu Opera was plundered by the ruling class, and its content tended to court, so that it was divorced from the people and gradually declined. On the eve of liberation, it was on the verge of extinction. After liberation, some people wrote and sang Kunqu opera. Singing and other aspects of reform, and strive to be easy to understand. From 6: 438 to 9: 56, Zhejiang Troupe successfully performed "Fifteen Levels" in Beijing, which caused a sensation throughout the country. 1957 According to the instructions of Premier Zhou, the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre was established. Kunqu Opera, an ancient drama, is full of artistic youth.

Kunqu opera has a history of more than 500 years, forming a complete performance system and a unique vocal cavity system. Its repertoire is rich, its script dictionary is elegant and gorgeous, and it is very literary. Pay attention to four tones in pronunciation and articulation, strictly abide by rules and regulations, and be rigid. The tune of Kunqu Opera is Qupai style, and each play consists of a complete set of Qupai. The song is mellow and melodious. Exquisite performance, close combination of body movements and singing, and strong sense of dance. The accompaniment instruments are mainly flutes, and sometimes sanxian, sheng and suona are also used.

In the mid-Ming Dynasty, Kunqu spread to the north, and through the efforts of many artists, Kunqu was combined with the language of the northern region to form "Northern Kunming"; Kunqu opera was first popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and was called "Nankun". ; Bikun performed more martial arts, showing the unrestrained wind shed; Nankun, on the other hand, pays attention to pronunciation, exquisite workmanship, more graceful and restrained, and lingering. Kunqu Opera plays an important role in the history of China opera, which has a direct impact on the formation and development of Beijing Opera and local operas such as xiang opera and Sichuan Opera. Henan opera; Yu Opera；Henan Opera

Henan opera; Yu Opera；Henan Opera

Shaanxi Xianyang Henan Opera Troupe was founded in 1952 with a history of more than 50 years. It is a municipal professional art performance group with high influence in Shaanxi Province. It is owned by the whole people ... Henan Opera, formerly known as "Henan Bangzi" and "Henan Gaoti", was named Henan Opera after liberation because Henan Province was called "Yu" for short. It is one of the major operas in Henan Province. There are more than 600 traditional plays of Henan Opera. Famous actors include Chang Xiangyu and Niu, and representative plays include Mu Shuai, Matchmaker, Seven-level Sesame Officer, Mulan, Chaoyanggou and so on.

Shaanxi opera

Luantan, also known as Luantan, is one of China's operas, which originated from Western Qin Opera and is now popular in Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang and other places in northwest China. Because it uses the jujube bangzi as a percussion instrument, it is also called "Bangzi Tune", commonly known as "Bangzi Tune" (named after the "dreamy" sound when Bangzi plays, and the pronunciation of Shaanxi dialect is particularly beautiful), which is the oldest, richest and largest of the four major tunes of China opera. Shaanxi Opera pioneered the method of "board-variable structure" in China's traditional opera music, which is the earliest board-cavity and the matrix of Bangzi Opera (Prose Opera) system. Nowadays, although the style of Bangzi Opera in northern China is quite different from that of Shaanxi Opera, it maintains the same characteristics in timbre and accompaniment.