Opera . The culture of opera and related information

Opera is a traditional art of the Chinese nation. It is synthesized by various factors of literature, music, dance, fine arts, martial arts, acrobatics and performing arts. It has a long history of origin, in the long process of development, after more than 800 years of continuous enrichment, innovation and development. It is rich in dance and high technicality, which makes it different from other dramas and a complete system of opera art.

According to incomplete statistics, China's various ethnic regions of the opera genre, there are more than 360 kinds of traditional repertoire tens of thousands. After the founding of the People's Republic of China and the emergence of many adapted traditional repertoire, new historical drama and modern theater to express the themes of modern life, are warmly welcomed by the audience. The more popular and famous types of theater are: Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, Yueju Opera, Yu Opera, Xiang Opera, Cantonese Opera, Qinqiang Opera, Sichuan Opera, Paiju Opera, Jin Opera, Han Opera, Teochew Opera, Min Opera, Hebei Opera, Huangmei Opera, Hunan Flower Drum Opera ...... and so on more than fifty types of theater, especially the Peking Opera is the most popular, all over the country, regardless of the area of the limitations. However, in recent years, the development of theater art in China is becoming weaker and weaker, and it has been affected by the impact of the new art. In particular, the influx of Hong Kong and Taiwan songs into the mainland, students chasing stars, over-ambitious, but little knowledge of the artistic treasures of our Chinese nation.

Responders: Wing Feather ← Lun - Magic Apprentice Level 4-22 15:50

Ancient Chinese theater because of the "play" and "song" as the main factors, so called "opera ". Chinese opera mainly includes Song and Yuan southern opera, Yuan and Ming miscellaneous operas, legends and Ming and Qing sagas, but also includes the traditional repertoire of Beijing opera and other local operas in recent times, which is the general name of Chinese national theater culture.

○Modern theater mainly refers to plays, operas, and dance dramas that have been imported from the West since the 20th century, with drama being the mainstay, and foreign drama generally referring exclusively to drama.

Chinese opera has a long history, and it first emerged from songs and dances imitating labor.

(I) Pre-Qin - the budding period of opera. The "Ode" in the Book of Songs and the "Nine Songs" in the Chu Ci are the songs and dances sung at the time of sacrificing to the gods. From the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty, songs and dances to entertain the gods gradually evolved into songs and dances to entertain people. From the Han and Wei Dynasties to the Middle Tang Dynasty, there appeared "Jiao Dai" (i.e., a hundred operas), which mainly focused on competition, "Senjun Opera", which was performed in the form of questions and answers, and "Tap Shake Niang", which played the role of a small story of life, etc. These are the germinal stages. These were all budding dramas.

(2) Tang Dynasty (middle and late) - the formation of opera. After the middle Tang Dynasty, China's theater developed by leaps and bounds, and the art of theater was gradually formed.

(III) Song and Jin dynasties - the development of opera. The Song Dynasty's "miscellaneous operas", the Jin Dynasty's "Yuanben" and the sung form of "Zhu Gongtiao", from music, structure to content, have laid the foundation for the Yuan Dynasty's miscellaneous operas.

(4) Yuan Dynasty - the maturity of the opera. In the Yuan Dynasty, "miscellaneous operas" were greatly developed on the basis of the original, and became a new type of theater. It possessed the basic characteristics of drama, marking the stage of maturity of China's theater.

Yuan miscellaneous drama is on the fertile soil of folk opera, inheritance and development of the previous generation of various literary and artistic achievements, through the workshop, rows of hospitals, actors, musicians and "book club" talent **** with the efforts, and improve and create a comprehensive stage art. In form, Yuan miscellaneous operas with the four major sets of the Northern Quartet arrangement of the storyline, the incoherence, the use of wedges combined to form a book of four folds of a wedge of the usual format (Wang Shifu's "The Western Wing" is unique in the Yuan miscellaneous operas in the long story, *** wrote five twenty-one folds), each fold of a number of tunes with the same palace key to form a suite, and, if necessary, add another "cuneiform Each of these is composed of a suite of several pieces in the same house key, with a "wedge" added when necessary. At the end, the content of the play is summarized in two, four or eight verses, called "title". Each section consists of three parts: the lyrics, the narration (bingbai) and the section (kopan). The lyrics are filled out according to the tune of the tutor's mood, also known as the text, lyrics or lyrics. Its role is to narrate the storyline, characterization. All the words rhyme with the same rhyme. Narration is a kind of artistic means to express the plot or explain the relationship of the characters in the form of speech, which is divided into dialogues (dialogues between the characters), monologues (words in which the characters express their personal feelings and desires alone) and narration (words that the characters say to the audience behind the backs of other people in the play on the stage), and with whiteness (narration inserted in the lyrics), etc. The characters are the movements and expressions. Section is action, expression, etc. A play is usually sung by the end of the main character or the main character, while the other characters have no singing. The main singer is called "Moben", and the main singer is called "Danben".

Footage:

Mean: male role. In the Yuan miscellaneous plays, the main end is the male protagonist of the play.

Dan: playing female characters. Zheng Dan (the female lead in the play), Xiao Dan, and Wearing Dan.

Jing: commonly known as "flower face", "flower face", most of them play the character or appearance of the male characters have special points. For example, the official (government servant) in "Dou E Grievance" is a net.

Ugly: also known as "three flower face" or "small flower face", mostly play the character of witty characters, there are clowns and martial arts clowns.

Outside: Yuan miscellaneous dramas have outside the end, outside the Dan, outside the net, etc., is the end, Dan, net and other secondary roles in the line. Supervisors - outside the end.

Miscellaneous: also known as "Miscellaneous Dang". The name of the role of the old woman. For example: Cai Granny.

Yuan miscellaneous drama writers, in just a few decades, the creation of at least five or six hundred kinds of scripts, preserved to the present also has more than 150 kinds. These works comprehensively and profoundly reflect the social life of the Yuan Dynasty, and many of them are excellent works that have become our precious cultural heritage. For example, Guan Hanqing's Dou'e Grievance y exposes the dark reality of Yuan Dynasty society by depicting the misery of Dou'e, a kind-hearted and innocent child bride, and reflects the cruel exploitation of loan sharks, extortion and blackmail by ruffians, and favoritism of corrupt officials, as well as praises the strong will of the oppressed who would rather die than give in to the spirit of resistance. Ma Zhiyuan's Autumn in the Han Palace, with the help of historical themes, through the description of Wang Zhaojun's dedication to the country, Mao Yanshou's betrayal of the country to save his honor, and the corruption and incompetence of the royal ministers, mercilessly exposed the national oppression of the Yuan Dynasty, and gave a bitter ridicule to the rulers of the time. Wang Shifu's The Story of the Western Chamber depicts the story of young men and women fighting for marriage autonomy in feudal society. From "stunning", "joint chanting" to "relying on marriage", it fully expresses Cui Yingying's desire for love. However, she was born in a famous family and was subjected to the cultivation and constraints of feudalism, therefore, there are twists and turns and repetitions, such as "making trouble with Jane" and "Lai Jane". In "Listening to the Qin", "Good Day" and "Long Pavilion", she finally embarks on the path of rebellion, adding a strong comic color to the work. The whole play to fight for marriage autonomy and abide by the "parents' orders" of the conflict as the main line, to Cui Yingying, Zhang Gong and Hongniang three misunderstandings and conflicts as a sub-line, intertwined with each other, rhythmically unfolding, when the tension, when the relaxation, when the movement, when the quiet, when the joy, when the sadness, when the time to get together and when the scattering, free to splash, colorful. Its thematic idea of "May all sentient beings in the world become family members" and its distinctive, lifelike artistic image have a strong artistic charm, which can give people a strong infection and is y loved by the masses.

○Yuanqu Four: Guan Hanqing - "Dou E Grievance"; Zheng Guangzu - "Sinister Souls"; Bai Pu - "Wutong Rain"; Ma Zhiyuan When opera reached the Ming Dynasty, legends developed. The predecessor of the Ming Dynasty legend was the Southern Opera of the Song and Yuan Dynasties (Southern Opera is the abbreviation of Nanqu Opera and Wenwen, which is an emerging form of theater developed on the basis of Song Dynasty miscellaneous operas, combined with southern regional tunes. Wenzhou is its birthplace). South opera in the system and the northern miscellaneous plays are different: it is not subject to the limit of four folds, and not subject to the limit of one person singing in the end, there is the opening of the account of the plot, mostly happy endings, the style of most of the more lingering, not as impassioned as the northern miscellaneous plays in the form of a freer, more convenient to express the life. Unfortunately, very few copies of the early Southern Opera have been preserved, and it was not until the end of the Yuan and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty that the Southern Opera began to flourish, and through the processing and enhancement of the literati, the short operas, which were originally not sufficiently tightly organized, were finally transformed into fairly complete full-length plays. For example, Gao Ming's Pipa Tale is a work of transition from southern opera to legend. The subject matter of this work, from folklore, a more complete performance of a story, and a certain degree of drama, was once known as "the ancestor of the revival of the southern opera". In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there was a large number of legendary writers and scripts, among which the one with the greatest achievement was Tang Xianzu. He wrote many legendary plays in his life, and The Peony Pavilion is his masterpiece. Through the story of Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei, the work glorifies the spirit of resistance against feudalism, the pursuit of happiness and love, and the demand for individual liberation. The author gives love the power to bring it back to life, and it overcomes the constraints of feudalism and achieves final victory. This was of far-reaching social significance in a society firmly ruled by feudal rites at that time. Over the past three hundred years, this play has been loved by readers and audiences, and to this day, "The Boudoir" and "The Dream" are still active on the stage of opera performances, radiating its artistic splendor.

Species of Opera

1, Kunqu

Kunqu, also known as "Kunqiang", "Kun Opera", is an ancient type of opera. It originated in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, and began to flourish after the middle of the Ming Dynasty, when most of the legendary plays were sung in Kunqu. In addition to Southern Kunqu, which maintains the characteristics of early Kunqu, many branches have been formed throughout the country, such as Kunyi, Xiangkun and Chuankun in the north. The style of Kunqu is clear, soft, delicate and lyrical, and the performances are full of songs and dances, and the program is rigorous, making it a representative of Chinese classical opera. (Figs. 332, 333, 334, 335)

2. Gaoqiang

Gaoqiang is a general term for a system of opera voices. It was originally called "Yiyangqiang" or "Eagle Cavity" because it originated in Yiyang, Jiangxi Province. It is characterized by simple performances, popular lyrics, high-pitched and exciting singing, a person singing and all the people, and only using golden drums to beat the rhythm, without orchestral accompaniment. Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, it began to spread from Jiangxi to all parts of the country, and different styles of gaoqiang have been formed in different places, such as Sichuan Opera gaoqiang, Xiang Opera gaoqiang, Gan Opera gaoqiang, and so on. (Fig. 336, Fig. 337)

3. Bangkang Cavity

Bangkang Cavity is a general term for a system of vocal cadences in opera. It originated from the "Shan-Shaan clappers" at the junction of Shanxi and Shaanxi, characterized by high-pitched and exciting singing, with wooden clappers hitting the knuckles. Then, it developed eastward and southward, forming different forms of bangkang in different regions, such as Shanxi Bangkang, Hebei Bangkang, Henan Bangkang, Shandong Bangkang, etc. (Figs. 338, 339, 339). (Figures 338, 339 and 340)

4. Beijing Opera

Beijing Opera, also known as "Pihuang", consists of two basic cadences, "Xipi" and "Erhuang". The Peking Opera, also known as "Pihuang", consists of two basic tunes, "Xipi" and "Erhuang", which make up its musical material, as well as some local tunes (such as liu ziqiang, blowing cavity, etc.) and kunququ. It was formed in Beijing around 1840 and flourished in the 1930s and 1940s, when it was known as the "National Opera". Nowadays, it is still a big opera with national influence. It is a representative of modern Chinese opera with its comprehensive repertoire, mature performances, and grandeur. (Figure 341, Figure 342, Figure 343)

5. Evaluation Opera

Evaluation Opera, formed in the late Qing Dynasty on the basis of the small song "Counterpart Lotus Flower Tree" in Luanxian County, Hebei, was first popular in the rural areas of Hebei, and then entered Tangshan, where it was known as "Tangshan Lokzi". "Around the 1920s, it became popular in the northeast, and a group of actresses appeared. after the 1930s, under the influence of Peking Opera, Hebei Opera and other styles of drama, the performance of Jury Opera became more mature, and genres such as Bai Yushang, Hei Cailian, and Ailianjun appeared. after 1950, the plays Liu Qiao'er, Flowers as Matchmaker, Yang Sanjie Telling a Prosecution and Qin Xianglian had a great impact on the whole country. After 1950, the opera had a great impact on the whole country with such plays as Liu Qiao'er, Flower as Matchmaker, Yang Sanjie's Complaint, Qin Xianglian, and so on. Nowadays, the opera is still popular in Hebei and Beijing. (Fig. 344, Fig. 345)

6. Hebei Opera

Hebei Opera, popularized in Hebei and Beijing, originated from Shan-Shan Opera at the junction of Shan and Shaanxi, and then spread to Hebei through Shanxi, where it was formed by combining the dialects of Hebei and Beijing. It maintains the characteristics of the clapper cavity with the banging and beating of the knuckles, and the singing voice is soaring and agitated that it is good at performing tragic plots. Famous plays of Hebei Opera include Butterfly Cup, Regulator Beheading the Son, and Du Shiniang. (Figure 346, Figure 347)

7. Jin Opera

Jin Opera, also known as "Zhonglu Opera," was developed in Shanxi by the Shan-Shaanxi Opera of the Shanxi-Shaanxi border, and was formed by combining the characteristics of the Shanxi language. It is now popular in central Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Hebei. It maintains the characteristics of the clapper clapper with banging knuckles, and the music style is soft and delicate in addition to being high-pitched. The performances are popular and simple. Famous plays include "Playing the Golden Branch", "Small Feast" and "Selling Paintings and Splitting Doors". (Figure 348, Figure 349)

8, Pu Opera

Pu Opera, also known as "Puzhou Bangkas", was developed from Shan-Shan Bangkas on the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi, which is said to be the original Shan-Shan Bangkas. It is now popular in the southwest of Shanxi and the area of Shaanxi and Henan, and is similar to Qinqiang in sound and Shaanxi dialect in language. Famous plays include Hanging Pictures, Killing Dogs, and Killing Stagecoaches. (Fig. 350, Fig. 351)

9. Shangdang Bangkas

Shangdang Bangkas, one of the four major bangkas of Shanxi, was developed from "Puzhou Bangkas" in the southwest of Shanxi, and is popular in the Shangdang area of the southeastern part of Shanxi. In addition to the clapper, it also sings Kunqu, Pihuang, and Luoluo cavities. The repertoire includes "Three Passes and a Banquet" and "East Gate Meeting". (Figure 352)

10. Yan Opera

Yan Opera, also known as "North Road Opera", developed from "Puzhou Opera", is popular in the northern part of Shanxi Province, Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia. It is said to have had a great influence on the formation of Hebei Opera. The repertoire includes "Blood Handprints" and "Jinshui Bridge". (Figure 353)

11. Qinqiang

Qinqiang, a local opera of Shaanxi Province, also called "Shaanxi Bangzi", is the earliest Bangzi opera, which was formed around the middle of the Ming Dynasty. The performance is rough and simple, the singing voice is high and exciting, and its voice is like a roar, which is good at expressing tragic plots. The repertoire includes Butterfly Cup, Tour to Turtle Mountain and Three Drops of Blood. (Figure 354)

12, two-people stage

The two-people stage, popular in Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Hebei Zhangjiakou area of the opera, formed on the basis of the Inner Mongolia folk songs and Shanxi folk tunes, and later absorbed the performance of the Jin Opera elements and gradually mature. The performance has a strong flavor of life, and the lyrics are popular. The repertoire is mostly small plays that express rural life, such as "Going to the West" and "Brother Five Shepherds the Sheep". (Figs. 355 and 356)

13. Jiyu Opera

Jiyu Opera, a popular opera in Jilin Province, was developed in the 1950s on the basis of Northeast China's "Two-Man-Turning", with light tunes, vulgar phrases and simple, fiery performances, such as "Yanqing Sells Threads" and "Bao Gong Compensates for Love". (Figure 357)

14. Longjiang Opera

Longjiang Opera, popular in the Heilongjiang region, was formed in the 1950s on the basis of the Northeast's "two-people turn", Lafang Opera, Shadow Opera, and local folk songs, with lighthearted and humorous performances and popular lyrics. The repertoire includes "Double-locked Mountain" and "Arakudo Baoyu". (Figure 358, Figure 359)

15, Yu Opera

Yu Opera, also known as "Henan Bang Opera". It was developed in the late Ming Dynasty by combining Henan dialect and folk tunes with the Shan-Shaan Opera, which was introduced to Henan, and is now popular in Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and other provinces. The original Yu Dong tune, Yu Xi tune, Xiang Fu tune, Sha He tune four major schools, now Yu Dong, Yu Xi tune is the main. There have been famous Dan actors such as Chang Xiangyu, Chen Suzhen, Cui Lantian, Ma Jinfeng, Yan Lipin, etc. The repertoire includes Mu Guiying Hanging Up. The repertoire includes Mu Guiying Hangs Up the Marshalship, The Red Queen, Flower Fighting Dynasty, The Pair of Flower Guns, and the modern opera Chaoyang Gully. (Fig. 360, Fig. 361)

16, Yuezhong

Yuezhong is a local opera in Henan, popular in Henan and the northern part of Hubei Province, and is also known as "four strings" because of the four strings that are used as the main accompanying instruments. The music is mainly in the form of plate cadences, but also sings the song. Famous actors include Shen Fengmei. The repertoire includes "Collecting Jiang Wei", "Li Tianbao's Invitation to Marriage", and "Zhuge Liang's Hanging of Filial Piety". (Figure 362)

17, Henan Qu Opera

Henan Qu Opera is a local opera in Henan Province, popular in Henan Province and the northwestern part of Hubei Province, which was developed from the opera "Henan Qu Zi". It has a soft and gentle singing style and is characterized by its tragic content. The repertoire includes "The Rolling of the Mat", "Chen Sanliang" and "The Meeting of the Flower Pavilion". (Figure 363)

18, Shandong Opera

Shandong Opera, Shandong Province, the local opera, popular in the area of Heze, Shandong Province, because of its ancient name of "Caozhou," so it is also known as "Caozhou Opera". It is also known as "Caozhou Bangkas" because of its ancient name, "Caozhou". It was formed by the Shan-Shaan Bangkas, which were imported to Shandong through Henan Province, and has undergone changes. The main repertoire includes "The Story of the Wall". (Figure 364)

19. Lv Opera

Lv Opera is a local opera in Shandong Province, popular in central Shandong, Jiangsu, and Henan, and was developed in the early 1900s from the folk art of folk singing, Shandong qinshu, and was named "Lv Opera" in 1950. It was developed from the folk rap art "Shandong qinshu" in the early 20th century and named "Lu Opera" in 1950. The performance of Lv Opera is rich in the flavor of life, vulgar and simple, and the singing tunes are simple, easy to learn and easy to sing. Therefore, Lu Opera has a great influence in the rural areas. The repertoire includes "Wang Dingbao Borrowing Pawns", "Xiao Gu Xian" and the modern opera "Li Er Sister-in-Law Re-married". (Fig. 365, Fig. 366)

20, Huai Opera

Huai Opera, a local opera in Jiangsu Province, is popular in Jiangsu, Shanghai and Anhui and other regions. It originated from the small folk plays of Jiangsu, and then gradually developed and matured by absorbing the artistic factors of Huizhou Opera. Its performance is rough and simple. The repertoire includes the traditional plays "Female Trial", "Three Women Robbing the Board" and the new play "Golden Dragon and Mayfly". (Figure 367)

21. Shanghai Opera

Shanghai Opera, a local opera popular in Shanghai, originated from the folk songs of Pudong, Shanghai, and later formed the Shanghai Tangling tune, and was influenced by the Suzhou Tangling. it was performed in Shanghai in the 1930s in the form of civilized operas, and was named Shanghai Opera. The repertoire is mostly modern, such as "Crowing and Laughing at Marriage", "Lohan Money", and "Ludang Fire". (Figure 368)

22, burlesque

Burlesque, popular in Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang and other places of the opera. It originated from Shanghai's "one-man show" and later developed into a comic opera with mixed tunes and comical performances. The main repertoire includes "The Student's Intention of Sanmao" and "One, Two, Three, Marching Together". (Figure 369)

23. Yueju Opera

Yueju Opera is a local opera popular in Zhejiang Province. It originated from the "Dudu Ban" in Sheng County, Zhejiang Province, and entered Shanghai around 1916, performing under the name of "Shaoxing Literary Opera". The name "Yueju Opera" was used after 1938, and in 1942 the female actors of Yueju Opera, led by Yuan Xuefen, transformed their performance and singing, absorbing the strengths of drama and kunqu, and forming a soft and delicate style of performance. There are many artistic schools such as Yuan (Xuefen), Yin (Guifang), Fan (Ruijuan), Fu (Quanxiang) and Xu (Yulan) schools. The repertoire of Yueju Opera includes "Sisterhood of the Xianglin Sisters", "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai", "Dream of the Red Chamber", "Five Daughters Worshiping Their Longevity", and "The Story of the Western Chamber". (Figure 370, Figure 371)

24, wu opera

Wu opera, popular in the area of jinhua, zhejiang province of local theater, also known as "jinhua opera". It is a multi-voiced theater. Its voice cavity consists of Gaoqiang, Kunqu, Tanlong, Hui tune, etc., each with its own repertoire and performance characteristics. The repertoire includes "The Meeting of Monks and Nuns", "Peony vs. Lesson", "Broken Bridge", and so on. (Figure 372)

25. Shao Opera

Shao Opera, a local opera popular in Shaoxing and Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, was formed at the end of the Ming Dynasty. With "Sanwuqi" and "Erfan" as its main vocal cadences, the opera is characterized by martial arts performances in a rough and simple style. The repertoire includes "Three Beatings of the White Bone Demon", "Dragon and Tiger Fighting" and "Hanging the Uncanny". (Figure 373)

26, Hui Opera

Hui Opera, popular in Anhui, Jiangsu and other regions of the opera, formed in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the Department of multi-voiced theater, the main voice cavity for the plucked, blowing cavity, Erhuang, but also sung by the Kunqu, Gaoqiang and Xipi. 1790, Hui Ban went to the Beijing for the birthday of Qianlong, and then evolved into the Peking Opera. The repertoire is mostly historical, such as "Flooding the Seven Armies", which is based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. (Fig. 374)

27. Huangmei Opera

Huangmei Opera, originating in Anhui, is popular in Anhui, Jiangxi and Hubei. Its predecessor was the tea-collecting tune of the Huangmei region, and after the middle of the Qing Dynasty, it formed a folk opera called "Huangmei Tune", which was sung in the Anqing dialect.In the 1950s, under the reforms of Yan Fengying and others, the performance became more mature, and it was developed into a major local opera in Anhui. Famous repertoires include The Match of Heavenly Immortals, The Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden, and The Female Emperor's Son-in-law. (Figure 375, Figure 376)

28, Min Opera

Min Opera, popular in the Fujian region of the opera genre. It emerged in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, and was basically formed in the Qing Dynasty, but on a smaller scale. in the early 20th century, the influence of Peking Opera grew on a larger scale, with a basically complete vocal style, including five kinds of teasing, foreign songs, jianghu, ditties, and board songs. The repertoire includes "Refining the Seal" and "Swan Feast". (Figure 377, Figure 378)

29, Putian Opera

Putian Opera, Fujian local theater, formerly known as the "Xinghua opera", the middle of the Ming Dynasty has fully matured, popular in Putian, Xianyou area. The music is in the form of a song, and the performances are quite ancient and elegantly lyrical. The repertoire includes Zhang Xie Scholar, After the Reunion, and Spring Grass Breaking into the Hall. (Figure 379)

30, Liyuan Opera

Liyuan Opera, a kind of opera with a long history, can be regarded as the "living fossil" of opera. It has preserved many southern operas of the Song and Yuan dynasties, such as "Zhu Wen Goes to the Ghost", "Jing, Liu, Bays and Kills", etc. After the 1950s, it also organized and performed plays such as "Dong Sheng and Li's", and "Sets of Women", etc. (Figure 380)

Liyuan Opera is a long-established opera genre, which can be regarded as a "living fossil". (Figure 380)

31. Gaojia Opera

Gaojia Opera, popular in the area of Jinjiang and Longxi in Fujian Province, originated in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, and then absorbed the performance factors and repertoire of Liyuan Opera and gradually grew into a large scale.

31. It was also influenced by Peking Opera in the 1920s, and gradually matured. It takes clown as its main role, and performs like a puppet with strings, which is very distinctive. The repertoire includes "Rising Three Levels in a Row" and "Jin Kuixing". (Figure 381)

32, Gan Opera

Gan Opera, popular in northeastern Jiangxi Province, developed from the Yiyang Opera of the Ming Dynasty, is a variety of voices such as the Yiyang Opera, the Qingyang Opera, the Kun Opera, and the Chaoban Opera. The repertoire includes Dou'e Grievance, The Book of the Thorn Hairpin, The Book of Pearls, and The Book of Returning Souls. (Figure 382, Figure 383)

33, tea-picking opera

Tea-picking opera, popular in Jiangxi opera plays, mainly sung by local tea farmers picking tea songs and dances combined with the development of folk songs and dances. Jiangxi tea-picking opera sub-division of East, South, West, North, Medium different paths, each with its own characteristics in the performance. The repertoire includes "Sun Cheng Beating Wine" and so on. (Figure 384)

34, Han Opera

Han Opera, generally refers to the popular in Hubei, Henan, Shaanxi and other places of the opera, originating in the Hubei region, formerly known as the "Chu tune" or "Han tune", the main voice is the West Pi Cavity, and also sings the two yellow cavity, has been in existence for three centuries. It has a history of nearly three hundred years. The main repertoire includes "Cosmic Front", "Erduimei", "Tao Da", etc. It is also popular in Changde, Hunan and Guangdong. There are also Han Operas in Changde, Hunan Province, and Guangdong Province, which are multi-chambered and very different from the Hubei Han Opera. (Figure 385)

35. Xiang Opera

Xiang Opera, the local opera of Hunan Province, is popular in Changsha and Xiangtan, originating from the Yiyang Opera of the Ming Dynasty, and then absorbing Kun Opera, Pihuang Opera and other voices to form a multi-voiced opera, including high-cavity, low-cavity, Kun Opera, and chaotic play. The repertoire is dominated by high-cavity and chaotic playing, such as The Story of Pipa, The Story of the White Rabbit, and The Story of Worshiping the Moon. (Figure 386)

36, Qi Opera

Qi Opera, also known as "Qiyang Opera", is popular in the Qiyang and Shaoyang areas of Hunan Province, originating from the Yiyang cavity in the Ming Dynasty, the voice cavity is mainly high-cavity, and also sings kunqu, playing the cavity. The repertoire includes "The Legend of Meilian", "The Legend of Jingzhong", "The Husbandman's Opera", "The Guanyin Opera", and so on. (Figure 387)

37. Hunan Flower Drum Opera

Hunan Flower Drum Opera is a general term for flower drum and lantern operas from all over Hunan, including Changsha Flower Drum, Yueyang Flower Drum, Changde Flower Drum, Hengyang Flower Drum, Shaoyang Flower Drum, etc., each of which has its own different stage language and has developed its own style. The performances of the Flower Drum Opera are simple, cheerful and lively, with the line of Xiao Sheng, Xiao Dan and Xiao Clown as the main characters, and long in the use of fan towels. The repertoire includes "Fighting Birds" and "Liu Hai Chopping Woodcutter". (Fig. 388, Fig. 389)

38, Cantonese Opera

Cantonese Opera, popular in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and other Cantonese-speaking areas. Formed in the early Qing Dynasty, it is a combination of imported vocalizations such as Gaoqiang, Kunqiang, Pihuang, and Bangbang with local folk music. The music is in the form of a combination of plate cadences and quqiqi. The repertoire includes "Searching the Academy" and "Guan Hanqing". (Figure 390)

39, Chaoju Opera

The Chaoju Opera, popular in Shantou, Guangdong, southern Fujian and Taiwan and other regions. It was mainly influenced by foreign imports in the Yiyang and Kun cavities and Han tunes, and was formed in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. It has preserved many Song and Yuan works in its repertoire, such as Chen Sanwu Niang, Sweeping the Window Meeting, and Lulin Meeting, etc. It is a popular opera in the south of Fujian and Taiwan. (Fig. 391)

40, Gui Opera

Gui Opera, popular in northeastern Guangxi and southern Hunan, was formed at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, with a singing style based on Pi-Huang, and the singing of Kun, Gao, and Blow cadences. The repertoire includes "Robbing the Umbrella", "Gathering the Jade Bracelet", and "Fate in the Cabinet". (Figure 392)

41, Caixiang

Caixiang, formerly known as "tune" or "picking tea", is popular in the Guangxi region. Formed on the basis of local folk songs and dances, it has a history of nearly two hundred years and was named "Caixiang" in 1955. Its performances are free and lively, rich in the flavor of life. The most famous play is "Liu Sanjie". (Figure 393)

42, Zhuang Opera

Zhuang Opera, popular in Guangxi, Yunnan and other Zhuang-inhabited areas of the opera, is divided into two schools, the South Road and the North Road. The former is derived from the local "bench opera", with the main repertoire of "Wenlong and Shawnee"; the latter is derived from the "double-reed opera", with the main repertoire of "Baohulu". (Figure 394)

43. Sichuan Opera

Sichuan Opera is a local opera in Sichuan Province, popular in Sichuan and its surrounding areas. It consists of Kunqiang, Gaoqiang, Huqin, Bouncing Opera, and Lantern Opera parts, each with its own repertoire. The singing of Sichuan opera is high and exciting, and the performance is witty and humorous, rich in the flavor of life. The main repertoire includes traditional plays such as The Jade Hairpin, The Story of the Willow Shade, and Catching Wang Kui Alive, as well as newer plays such as Dead Waters, Changing Faces, and The Golden Son. (Figures 395 and 396)

44. Qian Opera

Qian Opera, a local opera popular in Guizhou Province, was developed from the opera "Wenqin", which is mainly accompanied by the yangqin, and is rich in local characteristics. The repertoire includes "Zhuniang Langmei" and "Lady Xuxiang". (Fig. 397, Fig. 398)

45. Dian Opera

Dian Opera, a local opera popular in Yunnan and parts of Sichuan and Guizhou, was formed in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. It consists of three kinds of vocal cadences, namely, silk string, Xiangyang tune and Huqin opera, with the silk string cadence being the main one. The repertoire includes "Niu Gao Pulling the Purpose" and "Breaking into the Palace". (Fig. 399, Fig. 400)

46, Dai Opera

Dai Opera, popular in the Dai ethnic minority areas of Yunnan Province, was formed in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, originating from the local folk songs and dances, and absorbing the artistic nutrients of Beijing Opera and Dian Opera. With erhu as the main accompanying instrument, the performance is simple and ancient, carrying songs and dances. The repertoire includes "E and Sang Lo" and so on. (Figure 401)

47, Tibetan Opera

Tibetan Opera, that is, popular in Tibet, Qinghai and other Tibetan-inhabited areas of the opera, sung in Tibetan. Formed in the seventeenth century, mainly Buddhist stories and folklore as the performance content. Actors wear masks when performing. The performance is divided into three parts, the first part is the opening, called "Dun"; the second part of the play, called "Xiong"; the third part of the end of the blessing, called "Zaxi". The play is best known as "Princess Wencheng". (Figure 402, Figure 403)

48, shadow play

Shadow play, also known as "shadow play", "light and shadow play", "earth shadow play". With the light irradiation animal skin or cardboard carved into the silhouette of the characters to perform the story of the drama. The repertoire and singing style are mostly influenced by local operas, and are performed by artists who manipulate and sing at the same time, accompanied by music. Chinese shadow theater has a history of more than a thousand years. Due to the popularity of different regions, singing tunes and silhouette materials, many categories and types of theater have been formed, with the donkey shadow in the Tangshan area of Hebei Province and the cowhide shadow in Northwest China being the most famous. Among them, Tangshan shadow has developed into a comprehensive art with exquisite carving techniques, dexterous manipulation skills and lyrical singing music. (Figure 404)