标题：Chinese Opera Experience

内容：
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(.

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..

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.),awell-knowntraditionalChinesestory.

Afterward,twograduatesoftheAcademyofferedtodiscussseveralquestions.

Thismalecharacterholdsawhipdepictinganimaginaryhorse.

AnEsotericDramaChineseoperaofthePekingvarietyisadifficultabstractartwhichsynthesizesmusic,drama,dancing,andacrobaticsalongwithveryelaboratecostumesandaminimumofprops,accordingtotraditionsandcustomsdatingbackasfarasthetwelfthcentury.

VeryearlyintheirtrainingChineseoperaperformersbeginspecializinginoneofthefourprincipaltypesofroles:sheng(.

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),tan(.

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),ching(.

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),andchou(.

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).

Itshouldbenotedthat,atleasttheoretically,anyofthesecharacterrolescanbeportrayedbypersonsofeithergender.

Themaleroles,sheng,arepidedintomature,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'stheThingThePlay'stheThingTheFuHsingAcademy'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.

AMiniOrchestraAMiniOrchestraTheorchestra,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.

发布时间：2025-05-30 08:13:26
来源：政卿事迹网
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