The Performing Art of Tibetan Opera

Before the implementation of democratic reforms in Tibet in 1959, the ronda (opera singing) in Tibetan opera was basically unaccompanied clear singing, and even in the performances of songs and dances, it was accompanied only by two percussion instruments, namely, drums and cymbals. Drum and cymbal dots are an important part of the music of various local Tibetan operas. They are mainly used for the accompaniment of various dances and performances. At the same time, it also plays a role in describing the environment, connecting the singing and unifying the rhythm. Drum and cymbal dots are mostly from the oldest Tibetan folk "Bison Dance", "Lion Dance", "Inspiration Dance" and large-scale folk traditional songs and dances "A Harmony", as well as from the Tibetan folk "Bison Dance", "Lion Dance", "Inspiration Dance" and large-scale folk traditional songs and dances "A Harmony". ", as well as the Tibetan original anti-disaster song and dance "Jida Ji ugly woman" and other songs and dances in the art of cymbal points absorbed and developed. Its use of the same method and Rhonda, is also a person to set the song, dedicated song, especially in the traditional repertoire, each character has a reflect their personality of the drum and cymbal points. Although the drum and cymbal dots originated from various folk arts, in the process of long-term development, due to the needs of opera performances, they have evolved into a set of percussive methods that are different from those of folk drums and cymbals with opera characteristics. There is a clear difference between the drum and cymbal dots of the various types of operas in terms of the specific strokes and changes in the dots. It is this difference that makes it one of the marks by which Tibetan audiences distinguish between different Tibetan theater genres. They can tell what kind of play is being staged there by the sound of the drums and cymbals coming from different directions.

Categorization of roles: there is no division of labor among the roles in Tibetan opera, and the troupe generally has only plot explainers, playwrights, comedians, blessers, accompanied singers and dancers, etc., and has not yet formed a complete system of roles. However, in the long-term performance practice, with the increase of large-scale drama performance, has gradually formed a variety of role types, such as in the artistic development of the richest blue mask theater there are thirteen. These role types are:

Male youth

Equivalent to the younger generation, playing the young king, prince or noble youth. For example, roles such as Songtsen Gampo in Princess Wencheng;

Male Elderly

Playing the roles of old kings, ministers, headmen lords and other characters. The performance requires steadiness and majesty. For example, the old king Nuochen in "King Nuosang" and the headman Chachin in "Rangsawen Beng".

Male supporting roles

They play the roles of male servants, or as ornamental heavenly kings, kings, ministers and so on. Their scenes are usually few.

Young women

Play the roles of nymphs or airheads, peasant girls, deer girls, noblewomen, princesses, and other characters. For example, Suji Nyima, the deer maiden in "Suji Nyima", and Yunzuo Ram, the fairy maiden in "Nosang Dharma King".

Female Elderly

Playing the roles of queen or mother. Their performances are heavy on singing, and their performances are required to be steady, dignified and skillful. For example, the queen of "Nuosang Dharma King", Kegalam, "Baima Wenba" in the mother of the daily life of Sai, and so on.

Supporting female roles

Playing female servants, concubines, female companions, accompanied by the mother and other roles, in addition to a few plays, in the play is basically a "dragon-set", only for the accompaniment, standing aside, without a line and singing.

The main clown

Plays the role of the main antagonist, such as the sorcerer, the incantation master, the demon queen, the devil consort, and so on, who is scorned and denied. The role in the play has more plays, heavy say, figurines, dance, table all the work, its gags, witty and humorous performances are required to have a high level of skill. Such as "Nuosang Pharaoh" in the sorcerer Haje, "Zhuo Wa Sangm" in the magic consort Ha Jiangduim and so on.

Sub-clowns

They play the roles of butlers, ministers, concubines, dancers and other characters under the villainous main clown. Their roles are often very heavy, some even exceeding that of the main clown. Their acting skills are rich and their performances are comical and exaggerated, arbitrary and natural. Focusing on exaggerated speech, rhyme and dance figures to perform, generally have a fixed set of skillful movements and performance theater.

The clown

The clown plays the role of the villain under the clown's eagle, assistant, accomplice, fighter, etc. In the play, the clown often works with the villain's clown. They are often linked with the villainous clowns and perform in tandem with each other. Focusing on the Tao Bai and chanting for life-like comical performances, such as pandering and flattering to the top, and being ruthless to the bottom. The characters are vividly and accurately portrayed and imitated. During the performance, they sometimes leave the plot and improvise, or play with the audience, or imitate, exaggerate and distort the actors' movements to create a comedic effect.

Positive and ugly roles

These roles refer to the ordinary positive roles in a play. They often use comedy to show the positive characters defeating the ugly forces and displaying their intelligence and witty humor.

Interpolated characters

These are characters who are occasionally inserted into the play according to the needs of the plot. Although the play is not much, it is necessary for the plot. For example, the immortal and the young fisherman in King Nosanfara.

Animal Characters

These are animals, spirits and monsters that are allegorical or incarnations of Gods and Buddhas in the play.

Backup singers and dancers

The three types of actors who appear at the opening of the play, namely, Winba, Keru and Ram, and other actors who do not play roles in the main play. They are expected to sing and dance for the main theater characters throughout the play.

Explaining roles

This is a unique role in Tibetan opera, which is usually performed by the playwright. In the opening scene, he plays the role of the first wenba or the first kalu; in the main drama, he often plays the main role. The role of a rapid number of boards with a rapid bead of rhyming white recitation techniques to master the command of the entire performance. Mainly used in various folk performance activities. Tibetan opera masks and religious masks, compared with the shape with a strong secular tendency and folk colors. The subjects of performance mainly include characters, deities and animals in historical stories and myths. Different mask colors symbolize different role characteristics, such as crimson symbolizes the king, light red on behalf of the minister, yellow symbolizes the living Buddha, blue on behalf of the antagonist, and half-black and half-white symbolizes the two-faced faction.

Tibetan opera performances, general makeup is relatively simple, in addition to wearing masks, the other is the general powder and red fat, no complex face. From the mask modeling and color tone to distinguish the character character of good, evil, loyalty, treachery. Tibetan opera actors' facial make-up, one is to draw the face on the face, another is to wear a false mask. Mask, known as "Ba" in Tibetan, is a unique means of facial make-up in Tibetan opera art. As early as in the Tubo period, the Benzite culture of ritual ceremonies performed in the Shi Feng dance, animal dance, such as a hundred skills and acrobatics, the use of masks disguise means. Later, due to the development of religion, the monk Lotus Sang according to Buddha Shakyamuni on the four Buddhist Tantric doctrine of the healing yoga, supreme yoga in the Department of Vajra dance section (the other two for: Ministry, the line of the Ministry), the organization of the jumping god puja.

The Tofun dance was then combined with the Vajra dance, giving rise to the masks worn during the dance. In the 14th century A.D., the monk Tangdong Jiebu raised funds to build bridges and roads, and created the Tibetan opera, which was loved by the Tibetan people. Later, Tibetan opera performers regarded him as the originator of Tibetan opera, and made a white goatskin mask with white hair and white beard according to his own face as a model. The production of Tibetan opera masks, so that the ancient Tibetan mask art from the mysterious religious world into a new wider art world.

Tibetan opera masks are divided into wenba masks, character masks and animal masks.

Mask colors

The mask of the Good One -- white (white represents purity)

The mask of the King -- red (red represents majesty)

The mask of the Crown Princess -- green (green stands for suppleness)

Mask of the living Buddha -- yellow (yellow stands for good fortune)

Mask of the elderly villager -- white or yellow, with the Eyes and mouth as a hole (representing the simplicity and generosity of the elderly villagers)

Witch's mask - half black and half white (to symbolize her two-faced character)

Demon's mask - green-faced fangs (to show the repression and horror)

White

White masks indicate that the character is pure, kind, gentle, and harmless, implying that the old man has a long life, and the white masks the young man is irrational.

Contrast: White face masks in Peking Opera indicate a character's treacherous and suspicious nature, represented by Cao Cao.

Yellow

Yellow masks indicate radiance, great merit and knowledge, and are worn by living Buddhas and immortals.

Contrast: Yellow face masks in Peking Opera represent a character with a fierce personality, represented by the character Dian Wei.

Blue

The blue mask represents justice and bravery, and is a warrior phase.

Contrast: The blue face in Peking Opera represents a character who is upright and untamed. The representative character is Duo Er Dun.

Green

The green mask symbolizes a virtuous and wise woman; a woman of dignified beauty who belongs to the incarnation of Tuo Mu or Kung Xing Nün.

Contrast: The green face in Peking Opera represents the character's courageous and reckless nature. It is mostly used to represent the heroes of the green forest.

Red

Red masks symbolize power and justice, and indicate resourcefulness, wisdom and courage. Anyone who plays the role of king and ministers wear red masks. Sometimes the red color is also commonly used in Tibetan operas where some males are in a state of wrath.

Contrast: The red face in Beijing opera symbolizes loyalty and righteousness. Guan Yu is the representative character.

Black

Black masks symbolize viciousness and anger.

Contrast: In Peking Opera, the black mask symbolizes justice and an iron face. The representative character is Bao Zheng.

Half-white and half-black

Half-white and half-black masks represent sweet-talking and poisonous, two-faced and specialized in stirring up trouble.

Mask form

Door curtain mask: also known as curtain mask. Mask form for a piece of the eye part of the cut hole (easy to reveal the line of sight), the other parts of the plane cloth painted with decorations, hanging face during the performance, in order to play the role of facial make-up, this mask is mainly manifested in Haibei State, Menyuan County, Zhugu Temple of the Huaje Tibetan opera (in the investigation of this mask has been lost). Although the curtain mask form is simple, but in the portrayal of the five senses, focusing on the character's expression characteristics, with abstract and varied lines and symbolic meaning of the color to show the role of the identity of the role of the play, status, personality and emotional characteristics, is a production of Qinghai Tibetan opera is more flexible and convenient mask style.