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Qinqiang
Qinqiang (秦腔, pinyin: Qín qiāng, literally "Qin's tune") is a genre of folk Chinese opera originated in Shaanxi Province of Qing China in 1807 and soon took over other genres to be the representative genre of the province. Historically, there were two separate genres both referring themselves as Qinqiang, the one with a longer history was later renamed as Handiao Erhuang (汉调二簧), while the newer genre is the topic of this article. The genre features ''bangzi'' (wooden clapper) as its accompanying instruments, from which it derives its other names, ''Bangzi opera'' and luàntán ( 亂彈, literally "hit in chaos"). Bangzi tune is considered one of China's Four Great Characteristic Melodies. Qinqiang is the representative of the Bangzi opera and the most important origin of other Bangzi operas. It plays a key role in Chinese traditional culture as its birth and development process is the result of the development of Chinese local opera since ancient times. History ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Four Great Characteristic Melodies
''Shengqiang'' () is a concept in Chinese opera which helps to categorize its hundreds of regional genres by the music played during arias. Classifying by the music, as opposed to the regional dialect, also helps to understand a genre's evolutionary history. For example, Peking opera and Cantonese opera have little in common as far as language or place of origin, but they belong to the same ''shengqiang'' system. Today, the four major ''shengqiang'' (四大声腔 pinyin: Sìdà Shēngqiāng) are ''Bangziqiang'', ''Pihuangqiang'', ''Kunqiang'' and ''Gaoqiang (opera form), Gaoqiang'' (i.e. ''Yiyangqiang''). Not all Chinese opera genres fall into one of these four ''shengqiang'' systems, and many genres can be classified into more than one system. Other ''shengqiang'' in history include ''Yuyaoqiang'' and ''Haiyanqiang''. Bangzi qiang Bangziqiang (梆子腔) consists of Qinqiang (秦腔), Yu opera (豫剧), Jinju (opera), Jinju (晋剧), Hebei Bangzi (河北梆子), Sixianqiang in Dia ... [...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 AD). Early forms of Chinese theater are simple; however, 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 by the performers. 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 be known as the "national theatre" of China ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Division of the Mongol Empire, its division. It was established by Kublai (Emperor Shizu or Setsen Khan), the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire from the Borjigin clan, and lasted from 1271 to 1368. In Chinese history, the Yuan dynasty followed the Song dynasty and preceded the Ming dynasty. Although Genghis Khan's enthronement as Khagan in 1206 was described in Chinese language, Chinese as the Han Chinese, Han-style title of Emperor of China, Emperor and the Mongol Empire had ruled territories including modern-day northern China for decades, it was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan officially proclaimed the dynasty in the traditional Han style, and the conquest was not complete until 1279 when the Southern Song dynasty was defeated in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erhu
The (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, that is sometimes known in the Western world as the ''Chinese violin'' or a ''Chinese two-stringed fiddle''. It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It is the most popular of the family of traditional bowed string instruments used by various ethnic groups of China. As a very versatile instrument, the is used in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as pop, rock and jazz. History The can be traced back to proto-Mongolic instruments which first appeared in China during the Tang dynasty. It is believed to have evolved from the (). The is believed to have originated from the Xi people located in current northeast China. The first Chinese character of the name of the instrument (, , 'two') is believed to come from the fact that it has two strings. An alternate explanation states that it comes from the fact that i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chou (Chinese Opera)
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] |
Jing (Chinese Opera)
The ''Jing'' () is a role type in Chinese opera for "rough" or "mighty" male characters. In many genres (such as Peking opera and Cantonese opera), this role requires heavy face painting. As a result, it is also known as ''Hualian'' ("Painted face"). However, not all characters with painted faces fall into this category, with ''Chou (Chinese opera), Chou'' (clowns) being another major painted-face role type. This type of role will entail a forceful character, so a actor must have a strong voice and be able to exaggerate gestures. Depending on the repertoire of the particular troupe, he will play either primary or secondary roles. The colour and face design represents the identity and personality of the character. Face design Face painting in Chinese theatre probably began with masks, and actors painted their faces as early as 9th-century Tang dynasty (618–907). During the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) red and white facial designs were used in opera to distinguish good characters f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dan (Chinese Opera)
''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 performers. 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 b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheng (Chinese Opera)
The is a role type in Chinese opera for dignified and respectable male characters such as Confucianism, Confucian scholars, nobles, or heads of households. They may be portrayed by actors of either sex. 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 ( zh, c=老生, p=lǎoshēng, l=old sheng) 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 ( zh, c=武老生, l=martial laosheng, p=wǔlǎoshēng), older generals who have combat skills. They wear armor and helmets instead of robes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Playbill
''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's Programme (booklet), program. ''Playbill'' was first printed in 1884 for a single theater on 21st Street in New York City. The magazine is now used at nearly every Broadway theatre as well as many Off-Broadway productions. Outside New York City, ''Playbill'' is used at theaters throughout the United States. its Magazine circulation, circulation was 4,073,680. History What is known today as ''Playbill'' started in 1884, when Frank Vance Strauss founded the New York Theatre Program Corporation specializing in printing theater programs. Strauss reimagined the concept of a theater program, making advertisements a standard feature and thus transforming what was then a leaflet into a fully designed magazine. The new format proved popu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The First Emperor
''The First Emperor'' is an opera in two acts with music by Tan Dun and a libretto written in English by Tan Dun and Ha Jin. The opera received its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York City on 21 December 2006, conducted by the composer with Plácido Domingo in the title role. It was broadcast live to hundreds of cinemas around the world on 13 January 2007 as part of the Met Live in HD season. The following year, EMI released this movie broadcast on DVD. The opera was a co-production between the Metropolitan Opera and the Los Angeles Opera and was described to be the most elaborate Metropolitan Opera production since ''War and Peace''. Background The protagonist is the real-life emperor Qin Shi Huang, who unified China with force, erected part of the Great Wall, and was buried with his Terracotta Army. The story of the opera is based on the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian (c.145 – 90 BC) and the screenplay of ''The Emperor’s Shad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tan Dun
Tan Dun (, ; born 18 August 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a pairing which has shaped much of his life and music. Having collaborated with leading orchestras around the world, Tan is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Grawemeyer Award for his opera ''Marco Polo'' (1996) and both an Academy Award and Grammy Award for his film score in Ang Lee's '' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' (2000). His ''oeuvre'' as a whole includes operas, orchestral, vocal, chamber, solo and film scores, as well as genres that Tan terms "organic music" and "music ritual." Born in Hunan, China, Tan grew up during the Cultural Revolution and received musical education from the Central Conservatory of Music. His early influences included both Chinese music and 20th-century classical music. Since receiving a DMA from Columbia University in 1993, Tan has been bas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
