中国戏曲英文介绍

The Prince Who Changed into a Cat (1)
• Warriors use a forced, throaty voice (& must be skilled acrobats)
Voice Types in Beijing Opera (2)
Jing = face-painted role
• May be a warriors, dashing bandits, or gods • More elaborate face paint than other roles • Specific colors & patterns reveal much about
Similar connections in Beijing opera
• Romantic, dreamy young men sing in a high register, often in falsetto
• Older, bearded men, trusted advisors, sing in a high baritone range
String instruments introduce & accompany songs
Beijing Opera Songs
Uses a wide range of vocal styles
• From full-fledged song to heightened, stylized speech to normal speech (for minor roles)
• Other features developed in the 19th century • Reached its current form in the late 1800s • Striking changes continue in the Communist
era
Voice Types in Beijing Opera (1)
Songs are the musical heart of the drama
• Marked off from other singing by lyrical style • Rough equivalent of arias in Italian opera
Songs not composed for each new drama
European opera has long linked specific character types to certain voice types
• Young lovers are sopranos & tenors • Maids are altos & fathers are basses
The Orchestra
Beijing opera uses a small orchestra
• Group of drums, gongs, cymbals • A few wind instruments • Group of bowed & plucked string instruments
Beijing opera is a rich amalgam
• Song, spoken dialogue, instrumental music, dance, elaborate costume, & martial arts
• In its diversity, jingju comes closest to being a truly national tradition
Chapter 18 The Late Romanticsห้องสมุดไป่ตู้
Global Perspectives: Musical Drama
Worldwide
Key Terms
Beijing opera Jingju Jing Jinghu Erhu Yueqin Heterophony
Chinese Opera (1)
Jingju = theater of the capital
• We know it as Beijing opera, the most famous variety of Chinese musical drama
• One of more than 300 varieties of music drama
Chinese Opera (2)
Relatively recent product of a long, complex history
• Borrowed many stylistic features from provincial dramas in the late 18th century
their characters • They sing in a loud, hoarse manner
Female roles traditionally taken by men
• Mature, virtuous women use refined falsetto • Young, lively women use suggestive falsetto • Also an acrobatic female warrior
Percussion group used for battle scenes
• Can also introduce scenes, provide sound effects, announce entrances & social status of different characters, & play along with songs
• Music chosen from a stock collection of tunes • Fitted to the words for each new libretto • Important to choose melodies & percussion
patterns that fit the emotional situation