Peking opera is a form of traditional Chinese theater that combines music,vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. Boasting a history of more thantwo centuries, it is the most influential and representative of all operaticforms in China, as well as one of the three most influential theatrical artforms in the world.
The music of Peking opera is mainly orchestral music and percussioninstruments that provide a strong rhythmical accompaniment. The main percussioninstruments are gongs and drums of various sizes and shapes. There are alsoclappers made>The main stringed instrument is the jinghu, supported by the erhu. Pluckedstringed instruments include the yueqin, pipa and sanxian. Occasionally, a suonahorn and Chinese flute are also used.
The orchestra is led by a drummer who uses bamboo sticks to create verypowerful sounds sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes strong and exciting,sometimes faint and sentimental and bring out the emotions of the characters incoordination with the acting>The vocal part of Peking opera is both spoken and sung. Spoken dialogue isdivided into yunbai and jingbai, the former employed by serious characters, andthe latter by young females and clowns.
The character roles in Peking opera are finely and strictly differentiatedinto fixed types. Female roles are generally known as dan and male roles assheng, but male clowns are known as chou.
A chou, depicted by a patch of white on the face, is a humorous character.Male characters who are frank and open-minded but rough or those who are craftyand dangerous are known as jing>Peking opera roles are further classified according to the age andpersonality of the characters. Each different role type has a style and rules ofits own. The performance of Peking opera was initially an exclusively malepursuit. The Qianlong Emperor had banned all female performers in Beijing in1772. The appearance of women on the stage began unofficially during the 1870s.And the ban was lifted in 1912, although male Dan continued to be popular afterthis period.
Peking opera performance is characterized by a formulaic and symbolic stylewith actors and actresses following an established choreography for themovements>Exaggerated facial expressions and gestures symbolizing emotional reactionsare employed to create a continuous visible element with the tonal movement ofthe actors' singing and declamations.