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Chuanqi (theatre)
''Chuanqi'' is a form of Chinese opera popular in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and early Qing dynasty (1636–1912). It emerged in the mid-Ming dynasty from the older form of '' nanxi''. As it spread throughout the empire, it absorbed regional music styles and topolects and eventually evolved into different local genres, among them '' kunqu''. Of the 2000 plus titles recorded in history, over 600 ''chuanqi'' plays are extant, including '' The Peony Pavilion'' by Tang Xianzu, '' The Palace of Eternal Life'' by Hong Sheng, and '' The Peach Blossom Fan'' by Kong Shangren. Music Whereas its precursor '' nanxi'' predominantly used southern Chinese tunes, which were pentatonic, melismatic, slow and soft, ''chuanqi'' widely incorporated northern tunes which were heptatonic, syllabic, fast and forceful. This process had begun in the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), which reunified northern China (the former Jin dynasty (1115–1234)) and southern China (the former Song dynasty (960–1279)) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Opera
Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more than a thousand years, reaching its mature form in the 13th century, during the Song dynasty (960–1279). Early forms of Chinese theater are simple, but over time various art forms such as music, song and dance, martial arts, acrobatics, costume and make-up art, as well as literary art forms were incorporated to form traditional Chinese opera. Performers had to practice for many years to gain an understanding of the roles. Exaggerated features and colors made it easier for the audience to identify the roles portrayed. There are over a hundred regional branches of traditional Chinese opera today. In the 20th century the Peking opera emerged in popularity and has come to known as the "national theatre" of China, but other genres like Yue ope ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melismatic
Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as ''melismatic'', as opposed to ''syllabic'', in which each syllable of text is matched to a single note. An informal term for melisma is a vocal run. The term roulade is also sometimes used interchangeably with melisma. History General The term melisma may be used to describe music of any genre, including baroque singing, opera, and later gospel. Within the tradition of Religious Jewish music, melisma is still commonly used in the chanting of Torah, readings from the Prophets, and in the body of a service. Today, melisma is commonly used in Middle Eastern, African, and African American music, Irish sean nós singing, and flamenco. Melisma is also commonly featured in Western popular music. Prevalence in western popular m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chou Role
The ''Chou'' is the clown role in Chinese opera. The usually plays secondary roles in a troupe. Peking opera Most studies of Peking opera classify the as a minor role. roles can be divided into (文丑), civilian roles such as merchants and jailers, and (武丑), minor military roles. The is one of the most demanding in Peking opera, because of its combination of comic acting, acrobatics, and a strong voice. characters are generally amusing and likable, if a bit foolish. Their costumes range from simple for characters of lower status to elaborate, perhaps overly so, for high status characters. characters wear special face paint, called , that differs from that of characters. The defining characteristic of this type of face paint is a small patch of white chalk around the nose. This can represent either a mean and secretive nature or a quick wit. Originally, there were five roles in Beijing opera, but the last role "Mo" became a part of "Chou". Beneath the whimsical perso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dan Role
''Dan'' is the general name for female roles in Chinese opera, often referring to leading roles. They may be played by male or female actors. In the early years of Peking opera, all roles were played by men, but this practice is no longer common in any Chinese opera genre. Male ''dan'' actors Male actors who specialize in playing ''dan'' are referred to as ''nándàn'' (男旦); the practice arose during the Qing dynasty due to imperial prohibitions against women performing on stage, considered detrimental to public morality. This practice of female impersonation by male actors was led by Mei Lanfang, one of the most famous dan performer. In the early years of Peking opera, all roles were played by men. Wei Changsheng, a male performer in the Qing court, developed the , or "false foot" technique, to simulate the bound feet of women and the characteristic gait that resulted from the practice. In the late Qing dynasty and the early republic, the performance of actresses became p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheng Role
The is a role type in Chinese opera for dignified and respectable male characters such as Confucian scholars, nobles, or heads of households. They may be portrayed by either male actors or actresses. Subtypes The has numerous subtypes. The two major subdivisions are the (older gentlemen) and (younger gentlemen), with another important subtype being the (martial men). Peking opera troupes will always have a actor. A actor may be added to play roles fitting to his age. In addition to these main , the troupe will also have a secondary . The () is a dignified older role, usually distinguished by a long, thin, three-part beard. These characters have a gentle and cultivated disposition and typically wear long robes with water sleeves, high-soled boots, and fabric headdresses. A subcategory is (), older generals who have combat skills. They wear armors and helmets instead of robes and fabric hats. Guan Yu, the Chinese god of sworn brotherhood, loyalty and righteousness, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kunshan
Kunshan is a county-level city in southeastern Jiangsu province with Shanghai bordering its eastern border and Suzhou on its western boundary. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Suzhou. Name There is a strong possibility that the name Kunshan is derived from a hill, but which one is controversial. According to an impacted version, the hill is present-day Little Kunshan (''Xiaokunshan'') in Shanghai's Songjiang District. The character (''Kun'') was the old Chinese name for the Kunlun Mountains. From it developed the Chinese idiom "a jade from Kunlun Mountains", meaning any "outstanding figure". This was applied to Lu Ji and a hill in his hometown was designated as Kun to commemorate him. History Lou county () which administered Kunshan and the area around was established in Qin dynasty. It was named after Lou River (; present-day Liu River: ), while its seat was located in the north eastern of Kunshan. In 507, Xinyi county () which hold Lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yiyang County, Jiangxi
Yiyang () is a county located in the center of the prefecture-level city of Shangrao, in the northeast of Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig .... In 1999 it had a population of inhabitants. Administrative divisions In the present, Yiyang County has 1 subdistrict, 9 towns and 5 townships. ;1 subdistrict * Taoyuan () ;9 towns ;5 townships Climate Transport * Yiyang railway station (Jiangxi) References {{authority control Shangrao County-level divisions of Jiangxi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yuyao
Yuyao () is a county-level city in the northeast of Zhejiang province, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the sub-provincial city of Ningbo. It is located west of central Ningbo, east of Hangzhou, bordering Hangzhou Bay in the north. Yuyao covers an area of . Demographics As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,254,032. Its built-up (or metro) area with the county-level city of Cixi largely conurbated, had 3,083,520 inhabitants. However, recently the migrated workers and their families have increase the total population to about 1.6 million, but they do not show up in the official census and other related statistics data. Geography and climate Yuyao lies in a subtropical monsoon zone, rich in sunshine and rain fall, warm and humid, distinct in the four seasons. The mean annual sunshine is 2,061 hours and the annual rate of sunshine is 47%. The mean annual temperature is 16 degree Celsius and the coldest months perennially are January and February, the hottest are July ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haiyan County, Zhejiang
Haiyan County () is a county under the administration of Jiaxing City, in the north of Zhejiang province, China, situated on the north shore of Hangzhou Bay and includes the north end of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge. Its area is . Population is 370,000. Postal code: 314300. The county government is located on 118 Zaoyuan Middle Rd, Wuyuan town. In August 2010, Haiyan was selected to house the 'Nuclear City'. China will reportedly spend some €130 billion over the next ten years on developing the 130 square-kilometer Haiyan Nuclear City, which will be needed by local industry. By 2014, nine nuclear power plants should be in operation, with electrical generating capacity of around 6300 MWe, which will help reduce the country's carbon footprint. In September 2015, Six Flags and Riverside Group announced that they would build the first international Six Flags Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zaju
''Zaju'' was a form of Chinese opera which provided entertainment through a synthesis of recitations of prose and poetry, dance, singing, and mime, with a certain emphasis on comedy (or, happy endings). Although with diverse and earlier roots, ''zaju'' has particularly been associated with the time of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), and ''zaju'' remains important in terms of the historical study of the theater arts as well as Classical Chinese literature and poetry. ''Zaju'' is known to have been performed during the earlier Song (960–1279) and Jin (1115–1234) dynasties. The various particulars of the ''zaju'' multimedia performance were derived from many and diverse sources of musical, dance, poetry, and theater traditions. Characteristics The Yuan ''zaju'' were poetic music dramas comprising four acts, with the "act" (齣, ''chu'') defined as a set of songs following and completing a certain musical modal progression. Occasionally one or two "wedges" (楔子, ''xiezi''), or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song often came into conflict with the contemporaneous Liao, Western Xia and Jin dynasties in northern China. After retreating to southern China, the Song was eventually conquered by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The dynasty is divided into two periods: Northern Song and Southern Song. During the Northern Song (; 960–1127), the capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now Eastern China. The Southern Song (; 1127–1279) refers to the period after the Song lost control of its northern half to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in the Jin–Song Wars. At that time, the Song court retreated south of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
