Chinese Opera Experience

DidyouseethefileFarewelltoMyConcubineandwonderaboutthe"squeaky"voiceproducedbythatbeautifulfemalecharacterwhowasactuallyaman?Answeringintheaffirmative,thiswriter,aclassicallytrainedmusician,wascurioustolearnwhyastylewhichappearstoviolatetheprinciplesof"correct"singinginWesternmusicisconsideredaestheticallydesirableintheOrient.Attendingathree-hourperformancebytheChinaPekingOperaTheaterraisedmorequestionsthanitanswered,sincenoprogramnoteswereavailableinEnglish.

Therefore,anopportunitytoinvestigatea"ChineseOperaExperience,"availabletothepublicattheNationalFuHsingDramaticArtsAcademythreetimeseachweek,wasacceptedwithmucheagerness.ThedescriptiveflyerisprintedinbothEnglishandJapanese,stronglysuggestingthatthispresentationisdesignedprimarilyfortourists.Itisadvisabletomakeareservationbeforetravelingtotheacademy'scampus,locatedintheNeihudistrictofTaipei.Theadvertisedpackageincludesa10-minutevideointroductiontoChineseopera,a20-minuteliveperformanceofexcerptsfromanopera,anda50-minutetouroftheacademymuseumanddramaclasses.Alsomentionedaretheoptionsoftryingoperamakeup,face-painting,andcostumes.

ThiswritervisitedtheFuHsingAcademyduringwintervacation;so,avisittothedramaclassesandthetryoutoptionswereunavailable.Anunforgettableadventurebeganwithatourofthemuseum;then,at11:00a.m.,thevideobegan.Thewriterwasgraciouslygivenaprivateviewing.ThiswasfollowedbyaliveperformanceofexcerptsfromTheWhiteSnake(..........),awell-knowntraditionalChinesestory.Afterward,twograduatesoftheAcademyofferedtodiscussseveralquestions.

Thismalecharacterholdsawhipdepictinganimaginaryhorse.AnEsotericDrama

ChineseoperaofthePekingvarietyisadifficultabstractartwhichsynthesizesmusic,drama,dancing,andacrobaticsalongwithveryelaboratecostumesandaminimumofprops,accordingtotraditionsandcustomsdatingbackasfarasthetwelfthcentury.VeryearlyintheirtrainingChineseoperaperformersbeginspecializinginoneofthefourprincipaltypesofroles:sheng(.....),tan(.....),ching(.....),andchou(.....).Itshouldbenotedthat,atleasttheoretically,anyofthesecharacterrolescanbeportrayedbypersonsofeithergender.Themaleroles,sheng,aredividedintomature,young,andmilitantormartial,personality,andsocialpositionrangingfromcommontoroyal.Thehsiaoshengisusuallyayoungscholaroralover;thewusheng,afightingormilitaryman;thelaoshengorhsusheng,anagedman;thehungsheng,ared-facedagedman.Themilitantormartialmalesareskilledintheartofkungfu.

Thefemaleroles,tan,includeladies,maidens,warriors,andmilitantmaidens.Thetaomatanisawarrior;thelaotan,anagedwoman;thewutan,anacrobaticfighter;thehuatan,avivaciousyoungwomanorcoquette;thehuashan,abeautifulyoungcomicinaleadingrole;thechingi,usuallyafaithfulwife,lover,ormaidenindistress;thetsaitan,usuallyashrewdandsometimescomicrole.Itisthetanrolewhichischaracterizedbythehigh-pitched"squeaky"voicecultivatedtoattracttheattentionoftheaudienceandappealtotheauditorypreferenceoftraditionalChinesegentlemen.

Thepainted-faceroles,ching,includebothsingers,tungchui,andwarriors,chiatzu.Thechengchingisaprimarilypainted-facerole;thewuching,apredominatelyfightingandgymnasticrole;thechiatzuhua,aroleinwhichgestureanddeportmentpredominate;thefuching,avigorousvillain.Variouspersonalitytraitsareindicatedbydifferentcolorsoffacialpaint.Forexample,reddesignatesanhonest,loyal,righteous,straightforward,andtrustworthycharacter;whitestandsforcunning,craftiness,andscheming;blackforbraveryandjustice;andgreenforcruelty,pride,violence,andtoughness.Thepainted-facewarriorsareveryskillfulfighters.

Theclownroles,chou,includebothmaleandfemalecharacters.Themaleclownrolesincludethewenchou,whospeaksperfectMandarinandisamasterofsatire;thewuchou,anacrobaticexpertinmartialarts;andthewenwuchou,afightingcivilian.Femaleclownsfrequentlyportraynaiveruralfolk.Theclowncharactersareeasytodistinguishbyawhite"triangle"paintedonthemiddleoftheface.Thebaseofthistrianglecoversthenoseandabouthalfofthecheekbones;theapexisthelowerforeheadlocatedbetweentheeyebrows;onthesidesofthetriangleandmovingupward,theeyelidsarepartiallycoveredwithpaint.Thechoucharactersaretheonlyoneswhosingorspeakinanaturalvoice.Theyarealsofreetomakeimprompturemarks,tosatirizeothercharacters,ormerelytoelicitlaughter.

Amaleclownusesafantodramaticallyexpresshimself.

ThePlay'stheThing

ThePlay'stheThing

TheFuHsingAcademy'svideoemphasizedthatnomistakesareallowedincostuming.Theaimisnottolookexactlylikeorunlikethecharacterbeingportrayed.Historicalauthenticityisnotsoughtincostuming;rather,patternsanddesignsarebasedpartlyonfashionsfromtheMingdynasty(A.D.1368-1644)andpartlyonconvention.Theaimistocreateacontinuousflowofpageantrythroughtheuseofcolorfulandelaboratelyembroideredcostumesforbothmagnificenteffectanddramaticexpression.Thecolorsofthecostumesaresignificant.Forexample,yellowisforroyalty,redforhigh-rankingofficials,greenforvirtuouspersons,blackforthetough,andbrownfortheaged.Equallymeticulousattentionisgiventoheadgear,toumienforfemalerolesandkueitouformaleroles,andtobeardsandwhiskers.

1.Typicaloperaperformanceshowingmartialactivity.

ThepropsusedinChineseoperaareverysimpleandrelativelyfewinnumber.Theintentistosuggestratherthandepict.Forexample,anoarcanrepresentaboat;bannerscansuggestbillowingwaves;awhipcanrepresentahorse.Tablesandchairsconstitutemultipurposemovablesceneryforrepresentingmanydifferentthings.Indoorscenesareenhancedbytheuseofcolorfulcarpets.TheFuHsingAcademy'sbrochurestates:"ThestageofChineseoperaisoutfittedbytheimaginationoftheaudience."

ThepropsusedinChineseoperaareverysimpleandrelativelyfewinnumber.Theintentistosuggestratherthandepict.Forexample,anoarcanrepresentaboat;bannerscansuggestbillowingwaves;awhipcanrepresentahorse.Tablesandchairsconstitutemultipurposemovablesceneryforrepresentingmanydifferentthings.Indoorscenesareenhancedbytheuseofcolorfulcarpets.TheFuHsingAcademy'sbrochurestates:"ThestageofChineseoperaisoutfittedbytheimaginationoftheaudience."

Themusicreliesmainlyonalreadyexistingmelodies,manyfromfolksongs,towhichtheplaywrightaddsfittinglyrics.Thebasicunitoftheariaconsistsoftwopoeticlinesorsentenceswitheithersevenor10Chinesecharacterseach.Thefirstlinemustendwitharising-tonecharacter;thesecond,withaleveltone.Thenumberofcoupletsisdictatedbytheplot,asisthenumberofariasperscene.Thesingersaretrainedtosing"fromtheabdomen"andpracticebyplacingthreefingersbelowthebelt(tofeelthevibrations?).Nowadaysthelyricstotheariasaredisplayedonscreenssituatedonthemainfloorofthetheater,oneoneachsideofthestage.

2.MusicalinstrumentsusedinChineseopera.

AMiniOrchestra

AMiniOrchestra

Theorchestra,wenwuchang,istypicallyasmallensembleofaboutsixorsevenmusicianssituatedatonesideofthestage.Experiencedmusiciansknowthemusicsowellthattheyusuallyperformfrommemory.Theconductoristhepercussionistwhoplaysadrumandwoodenclappers.Stringinstruments,wenchang,includeahigh-pitchedfiddleoratwo-stringedChineseviola,huchin,athree-stringedlute,sanhsien;andafour-stringedChinesebanjoormoonguitar,yuehchin.Themainfunctionofthestringinstrumentsistoaccompanythesinging;however,theymayalsobeusedforspecialeffects,suchasaroostercrowingorahorseneighing.Thewuchangarepercussioninstruments,suchasdrums,ku;woodenclappers,paipan;gongsofvarioussized,luo;andcymbals.Theorchestramayalsoincludeabamboofluteandanoboe.

Themusicalaccompanimentalsopunctuatesthespokenparts.Theheadpercussionistnotonlyconductstheaccompanimentbutalsocoordinatesthedevelopmentofthedramaticaction.Thevariousgongsarealsousedtocoordinatetheactionaswellasthepositionandpersonalityofeachcharacterastheplotdevelops.Thelargegongisusedinserious,exciting,andformalsituationsorsettings,suchasagovernmentofficeoramilitarypost,andalsotoaccompanytheactionsoftheshengandchingroles.Thesmallgongisusedtorelaxtheaction,accompanyhumoroussitutations,accompanytheactionsofyoungmaidensandclowns,andcreateaquietatmosphereforsettingssuchasahousehold,atemple,oraconvent.Generally,thelargegongaccompaniestheactionsofimportantpersons;thesmallgong,ordinarypersons.ForaclassicallygrainedWesternmusician,thehighdeciblepercussionaccompanimentseemsalmostdeafeningattimes.

Thedramaticeffectissignificantlyenhancedthroughaskillfuluseofastractchoreographyandacrobaticsdesignedtomanifestthepersonalityofthevariouscharacters.Traininginsupplebodymovements,therefore,isasimportantasvocaltrainingintheeducationofactorsandactressesforChineseopera.

3.Thiswomaninbrightmartialattireisfamousforherhigh-pitched,squeakyvoice.

AvisittotheoperamuseumoftheNationalFuHsingDramaticArtsAcademyisquiteanexperience.Onpermanentexhibitarenumerouscostumes,armaments,headgear,musicalinstruments,andpropsusedinChineseopera.NotesinbothEnglishandChinesegiveconciseexplanationsofthevariousdisplays.Itisamostappropriatestartingplacefora"ChineseOperaExperience."CalltheNationalFuHsingDramaticArtsAcademyforreservations:(02)796-2666.Takebusno.247or287totheacademy,whichislocatedat177NeihuRoad,Section2.

AvisittotheoperamuseumoftheNationalFuHsingDramaticArtsAcademyisquiteanexperience.Onpermanentexhibitarenumerouscostumes,armaments,headgear,musicalinstruments,andpropsusedinChineseopera.NotesinbothEnglishandChinesegiveconciseexplanationsofthevariousdisplays.Itisamostappropriatestartingplacefora"ChineseOperaExperience."CalltheNationalFuHsingDramaticArtsAcademyforreservations:(02)796-2666.Takebusno.247or287totheacademy,whichislocatedat177NeihuRoad,Section2.