05/20/2008 17:57:00 #1

称号：小学生

Beijing Opera 京剧
　　Four Famous Dan Actors 四大名旦
　　Stage Props in Peking Opera 京剧道具
　　Types of Facial Make-up in Beijing Opera 京剧脸谱
　　Roles in Beijing Opera 京剧的角色
　　Xipi and Erhuang 西皮和二簧
　　Wenchang and Wuchang 文场和武场
　　Piao You and Xia Hai 票友和下海
　　Longtao and Figurant "龙套”和 “跑龙套”
　　Qiba “起霸”
　　Liangxiang “亮相”

05/30/2008 14:35:00 #2

称号：小学生

Four Famous Dan Actors 四大名旦

In 1927, an open selection of the top Dan actors, sponsored by the Shuntian Times newspaper, was launched. As a result, Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), Shang Xiaoyun (1900-1976), Cheng Yanqiu and Xun Huisheng (1900-1968) were the most outstanding in the selection, and were named the four most famous Dan actors of Peking Opera at this time, each having his own unique characteristics in regard to action, expression and music. In addition, each had his own special repertoire, and these have been handed down from generation to generation. Eventually, they formed the four main schools of Peking Opera.


Later, groups of excellent young actors were active on the opera stages, among whom the most famous were: Li Shifang, Zhang Junqiu, Mao Shilai and Song Dezhu, selected by the Liyan Newspaper. Each of the four had his own special repertoire, and their wonderful performances were well received by the mass. Eventually, they were recognized as the four sub-leading Dan actors of Peking Opera.


China entered the modern era amidst turbulence and change in the 20th century. The Revolution of 1911 put an end to the 2,000-year rule of the feudal dynasties. Thus there was a spate of famous actors and actresses and schools of Peking Opera in the early decades of this century. 






      二十世纪20年代年京剧旦行先后成名的四位有代表性的演员：梅兰芳、尚小云、程砚秋、荀慧生。

     四大名旦在艺术上不断进取，表演、唱腔精益求精，各有独门剧目，蔚成流派。

     四小名旦 继“四大名旦”以后，二十世纪30年代又有一批旦行演员脱颖而出。

    1940年，北京《立言报》邀请李世芳、张君秋、毛世来、宋德珠四人合作，在北京新新大戏院演出两场《白蛇传》，四个人分演自己擅长的一折戏，各展所长，社会影响强烈。从此即被公认为四小名旦。

05/30/2008 14:36:00 #3

称号：小学生

Types of Facial Make-up in Beijing Opera 京剧的脸谱

05/30/2008 14:45:00 #4

称号：小学生

Roles in Beijing Opera 京剧的角色

 

In Beijing opera, there are four roles: the male and female roles, the painted-face role, and the comedic role. Every role has its own specific brands.





Lao Sheng and Xiao Sheng

The sheng (male role) is divided into lao sheng and xiao sheng: The former is a mature, middle-aged man who always represents an emperor or a decent man, while the latter portrays a young man.



Qing Yi, Wu Dan, Hua Dan,and Lao Dan

The dan (female role) is divided into qing yi, wu dan, and hua dan, respectively representing: a middle-aged woman who always acts as a Mrs or Miss from a noble family; a woman who can fight; and a young girl who serves as a maid.



The jing (painted-face role) means all kinds of painted-faces and acts as the male role that has a particular personality or appearance.

The mo role also belongs to the lao sheng category, except that he is much older and a scatterbrain with a low social status. In this role, the actor puts a small dot of whitening on the nose when putting on make-up. He is commonly called a clown due to the besmirched, multicolored, clown face that is generally known as "three painted-faces."



The chou (comic face which means clown) always acts as a wise and funny folk chivalrous man, or a man who has low social status.




        京剧的角色是根据男女老少、俊丑正邪分成生、旦、净、丑四大行当，以演历史故事为主。它的富有装饰性和夸张性的人物造型－脸谱，是显示人物性格、辨认善恶忠奸的象征与其辉煌艳丽的头饰服装，都成为京剧独特的风格。传统剧目约有一千三百多个，常演的有四百多个。 

       "生"分为："老生"--指成熟的中年男子，以正派人物或帝王将相出现。"小生"--表现的是青年男子。 


         青衣/《贵妃醉酒》 武旦/《穆桂英》 花旦/《拾玉镯》老旦/《秦香莲》


      "旦"分为："青衣"--指中年妇女，一般指贵族家庭的夫人、小姐。"武旦"--指能打斗的女性。"花旦"--指青年小姑娘，社会底层的女性，如"丫鬟"。 


      武净/《战宛城》铜锤/《打龙袍》 

      "净"指各类花脸,一般演性格、品质或相貌上有特异之处的男性人物。

       "末"也属老生类，但在年龄上应更老，思维糊涂，生活在底层的老人。由于化妆时在鼻梁上抹以小块白粉而俗称"小花脸"，又同净角的大花脸、二花脸并列而俗称"三花脸"。 

      文丑/《群英会》 武丑/《连环套》

   "丑"指小花脸，大多也是表现生活在社会底层的人，民间义士等多表现机敏、滑稽。

05/30/2008 14:49:00 #5

称号：小学生

Peking Opera Costumes 京剧的服装

Peking Opera was born in the 55th year (1790) of the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when four big Huiban opera troupes entered Beijing and began to adopt elements of the Kunqu, Yiyang, Hanju and Luantan opera forms already popular in capital's playdom at the time. More than half a century later, the troupes combined and integrated stories and methods from the various popular opera styles they encountered, eventually resulting in form of Peking Opera.

Xingtou

Peking Opera costumes are called Xingtou or, more popularly, Xifu in Chinese. The origins of Peking Opera costumes can be traced back to the mid-14th century, when operatic precursors first began experimenting with large ornate articles of clothing.

Rules of Costume Tradition

(1) Anachronisms are allowable. A performer's costume primarily designates his or her role on the stage no matter when or where the action takes place. Characters, whether they are from ancient times or in pre-modern China, appear on the Chinese opera stage wearing costumes suitable to their roles.

(2) Regardless of which season is being depicted in performance, the opera costume is the same. Weather is described in every scene and must be made clear by the actor's movements, rather than his clothing.

(3) Peking Opera costumes must enable the audience to distinguish a character's sex and status at first glance. In terms of symbolism, Peking Opera costumes have its social hierarchy -- noble or humble, civilian or military, official or private citizens.

(4) By means of a subtle difference, opera costumes often give expression to sharp distinctions between good and evil or, preferably, loyal and wicked characters. Oblong Wings (chizi) attached to a gauze hat indicate a loyal official. In contrast, a corrupt official is made to wear a gauze hat with rhomboidal wings.

(5) Baldrics, though apparently of little or no account as compared with such principal items as crowns and robes, may nevertheless function to bring about more dramatic effects on the stage. For instance, the wings attached to a hat, the plumes (lingzi) pinned to a helmet and the cascading sleeves (shuixiu) sewn to a garment accentuate movement even if they have little practical use.

In the early days, opera costumes were mainly made of wool or coarse cloth; later, satin, crepe and silk were used, decorated with various meticulously embroidered patterns. The making of opera costumes is a special and unique stagecraft. The costume box first appeared in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was greatly improved in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Lavish Costumes

(1) Headdress: Designated by the general term Toukui, opera headdress comprises such items as crown, helmet, hat and scarf. Crowns are for the emperor and nobles; military people wear marshals, helmets; ordinary folks wear soft scarves or straw hats. Some headgear, such as crowns, is rigid, while others are soft.

(2) Costume: There are 20 major kinds of costumes, including the ceremonial robe, or Mang; the informal robe, or Pei; and the armor, or Kao, for soldiers. Ten colors are used, half of which are the five primary colors (or shang wu se), namely, red, green, yellow, white and black, in contrast to the other group of pink, blue, purple, pale-brown and pale-blue, all of which are labeled secondary colors (xia wu se).

Many details should be paid attention to, for example, Mang is the general costume for the emperor and nobles, but there are differences between these costumes. There is a dragon, opening its mouth on the Mang for the emperor, while the dragon on the Mang for the ministers and generals having its mouth closed. The dragons on the costume of the civil officials are gentle and quiet, while the ones on the costume of the martial officials are bold and mighty. There are clear distinctions between the use of colors, for example, the red Mang stands for majestic and noble, the green Mang indicates mighty and bold, the white one fits the handsome young people, and the black one is for the upright and unconstrained people. Besides, there are simplified Mang and Mang specifically made for the female actress, the Laodan, and the palace eunuch.

(3) Opera shoes: A wide variety of shoes and boots are used in opera performance, mainly platform boots (hou di xue), tiger-headed boots (hu tou xue), thin-soled combat footwear made of black satin (kuai xue), fish-head pugilist's shoes, laced boxer's shoes, etc.

05/30/2008 14:51:00 #6

称号：小学生

Beijing Opera Stage Set-up 京剧的舞台

 

In the past, stages in most Chinese theaters were square platforms exposed to the audience on three sides, even all sides sometimes. In the latter case, performances could be watched from the back also. An embroidered curtain known as a shoujiu was hung over the platform, which was thus divided into two parts: the back stage and the stage.

In front of the curtain, stood a table on which were laid various musical instruments to be used for the performance, and musicians were seated nearby. That table, together with musicians, occupied a part of the facade of the stage and could be seen by the audience. That is why the Peking Opera orchestra has traditionally been known as Changmian which means stage set-up.

When Peking Opera began taking shape, its singing was accompanied by two flutes only, known as Shuangshoudi (dual flutes)-the chief Dizi and the assistant Dizi. With such simple accompaniment, the opera actors felt the singing was rather strenuous and lacked flexibility, though the music for voices was then also quite simple, without much florid ornamentation. Later, a musician named Wang Xiaoshao in the Sixi Troupe proposed using the Huqin as a substitute for the Shuangshoudi. He was the first Huqin player. A period of practice allowed actors of the troupe to feel that, supported by the huqin, the singing became full of vigor and more harmonious. The new mode of accompaniment was well appreciated.

Although the dizi were replaced by the huqin, they were still of use of when melodious and elegant qupai (tunes) were needed to accompany such stage acts as dress-changing, sweeping and banquet table-setting. Anyway, their use became rare, so they had no regular players, but were looked after by huqin and yueqin players.

The huqin initiated by Wang Xiaoshao was a soft-bowed fiddle. Another huqin player named Li Si ( Li the Fourth, whose real name was Li Chunquan ) was the pioneer in the use of the hard-bowed huqin, which was easier to manipulate and gave a better effect. As a result, the soft-bowed huqin met the same fate as the shuangshoudi and was replaced by the hard-bowed one.

Drummers must be able to handle all styles of operas, whether characterized by singing, acting, or acrobatic fighting; and huqin players, able to support all roles whether sheng, dan or jing. In other words,a competent drummer or huqin player must be a versatile musician,capable of adapting to various styles and meeting different demands.

Private huqin players appeared in the first years of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (in the late 1870s).

The original Peking Opera wenchang did not include the erhu, which was introduced when Mei Lanfang first staged his new opera, Xishi, the Beauty in the 1930s. Mei felt that the combined sounds of the jinghu, yueqin and xianzi were too weak and monotonous as instrumental accompaniment for the singing in his new opera. Meilanfang's private player Xu created a new two-stringed fiddle after the model of the erhu used in a local opera in east China. That was the first Jingerhu. When played together with the jinghu, the new fiddle produced a very sweet and mellow sound, thus win- ning Mei Lanfang's immediate appreciation and approval.

The newly-created jingerhu was for a period known as the Mei- style erhu. Its role in Peking Opera has become ever more conspicuous and it is now an indispensable instrument at least for accompanying the singing of qingyi.

A famous Peking Opera wusheng actor, Yu Jusheng first introduced the danao into Peking Opera in his performance of TielongMountain.

05/30/2008 14:56:00 #7

称号：小学生

Basic Skills in Opera 戏曲中的基本功

 

The basic skills include dance movements, and special acrobatic movements while singing or reciting. It is very important for all opera actors and actresses to master these basic skills.

The following are the main basic skills:



1. Waist and leg exercises are necessary for developing the ability to do leaps and somersaults. Dances and acrobatics call for supple waists, so that the performers can control their centers of gravity. Waist and leg exercises include somersaults, swaying from right to left and from left to right, kicks, leg stretches and pulls, and upward straightened leg movements.

2. Tanzi (carpet) skills are needed to make all kinds of somersaults, leaps, jumps, and falls. It got its name because practice is carried out on a carpet or rug. Most movements, including four-directional somersaults, are done with the hands placed on the ground or with leaps and jumps.

3.Bazi (bundle) skills are combat techniques. Stage weapons include the broadsword, spear, sword, long-handled ax, hook, fork, and staff. Combat skills fall into three categories. The first is the use of long weapons such as the broadsword, long-handled spear, and staff. The second is the use of short weapons such as the sword, double swords, and dagger. The third is the use of only one's bare hands.

Combat can be either serious or funny. The former emphasizes the characters of the antagonists, while the latter shows off the skills of the performer. Both require that the fighting be emotional, rhythmical, and conventional.

 

 

        基本功包括唱念做打各个方面的技术技巧、舞蹈动作、特技绝招。掌握基本功对任何戏曲演员都是十分重要的。所谓掌握基本功夫，实际上就是要掌握戏曲表演艺术上的全部表演能力和表现手段。勤学苦练基本功，一方面使演员掌握和积累塑造舞台形象所必须的艺术语汇；同时也改变着演员自身的形体素质，把演员从一个普通的人造就成为合格的戏曲演员。

             基本功包括的泛围很广，五花八门，名目繁多，下面所列为其主要内容：

腰腿功



        演员的基本功夫。亦是练习翻筋斗的必修课程。戏曲舞蹈、武打都要运用腰腿的功夫。没有腰腿功夫就无法灵活自如地掌握身体重心的转移腾跃，腰腿功还能使演员的身段动作优美协调。像鹞子翻身、涮腰、飞脚、旋子、探海、铁门槛、朝天蹬都属于腰腿功。

毯子功



        就是练习翻各种筋斗，即身体各部位相继扑、跌、翻、滚、腾、跃等动作技巧。由于在毯子上练功，故名。筋斗样式繁多，动作大多以手撑地，或用脚在地面蹬跳，向前，向后，向左右两侧翻腾，俗称"四面筋斗"。

把子功



        "把子"是戏曲舞台上武器道具的统称，也叫刀枪把子。如刀、枪、剑、戟、斧、钩、叉、棍等。把子亦引申为武打的同义语，所以用各种器械训练武打技术的基本功也都叫把子功。演员只有掌握和运用把子技术，才能在舞台上表现人物武打战斗的情景。把子功有很多套路，一般分作长（长兵刃，如大刀、大枪、叉棍等）、短（短小的兵刃，如单刀、双刀、剑、拐子、匕首等）、徒手三类。每套把子均有专名，如小快枪、大快枪、小五套、大刀枪、双刀枪、十八棍等。表演上又分作庄重把子和滑稽把子两种。前者指通过严肃的武打，营造庄严威武的气氛，表现剧中人物的性格，表示戏剧情节的发展变化；后者多用于带有戏谑性的武打，其特点是诙谐滑稽，逗人发笑，表现剧中正面人物武艺高强，对其敌手的揶揄戏谑。两种把子都要求打得有感情、有节奏、有层次、有章

05/30/2008 15:00:00 #8

称号：小学生

Ke Ban “科班"

Ke Ban, a name for specialized artistic training institutions in the past, was the place to train actors and actresses, and first appeared in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In the beginning, it practised the teaching system as higher grades coaching the lower. During the early period of the Republic of China, Ke Ban became increasingly popular and formal, with the rise of some influential and large-scale societies usually led by those renowned maestros and actors. The training institution of Ke Ban gradually became more mature and sophisticated, and formed a set of strict and scientific training methods.


Nowadays, when we talk about a person form Ke Ban, we mean that he has had formal and specialized training in his professional field; in other words, we say he .

 

     “科班“ 培训戏剧演员的专门艺术机构

         我们经常听到某某人是“科班出身”，这种说法，意思是说这个人是受过专门训练的。

         科班是历史上培训演员的专门艺术机构，最早的科班是在清朝末年。开始是“以班带班”的形式出现的，即是成年的班带童年的班，以大带小。

        到了民国初年，相继出现了规模很大的班，如“富连成社”等等，都是舞台上的名家带班，名演员作为师资，这种班逐渐积累了一定的经验，形成了大规模并有了一定的培训方法，也制定了培训的年限是7年到10年。这就是正统的“科班”。在这些科班里学过戏的就叫“科班出生”

05/30/2008 15:02:00 #9

称号：小学生

Liangxiang “亮相”

 

 

Liangxiang means striking a pose on the stage. In Peking Opera, before they appear on or leave the stage, the leading actors are supposed to make a statue-like pose to show their mental spirit. 


      “亮相”是一种戏曲上的表演动作。

       主要角色上场时、下场前，或者是一段舞蹈动作完毕后的一个短促停顿。集中而突出地显示出人物的精神状态，采用一种雕塑的姿势，这就称其为“亮相”。

       还有在一段武打完毕，敌对双方也都各自亮相，而战败一方的“亮相”被称为“败式”。

05/30/2008 15:04:00 #10

称号：小学生

Longtao and Figurant "龙套”和 “跑龙套”

 

Longtao generally means figurant, because they always wear Longtao robes to serve as a foil to main actors on the stage.


Pao Longtao (walk-on) gets its name because the soldiers, servants and maids in imperial palaces always wear special Longtao robes. In opera, several people on the stage wearing such robes represent tens of thousands of soldiers, citizens, etc.


In general, four people are treated as one Longtao group, and there may be one or two groups of four on the stage at the same time to represent a crowd. These men or women always follow their masters, and their appearance and disappearance are useful for indicating changes of location and atmosphere. Other conventions governing such changes include the appearance of two dragons or four doors, and the pulling off of boots. These changes are accompanied by special music or singing. In court scenes the Longtao shouts loudly to indicate the solemnity of the atmosphere.


       龙套”就是群众演员，由于他们都穿着各色的龙套衣而得名。 

        他们往往是四个人一组，或者两组（以求显示人多）摆出不同的队形，代表不同的阵式，手里举着旗、摇旗呐喊，所以“龙套”还有一个名称叫“打旗”的，由于“龙套”代表着众多的人物，总是跟着主帅跑来跑去，上来下去，烘托气氛，因此生动地称其为“跑龙套”。