Peking Opera Music Lessons – The Basics

Peking Opera music is one of the most unique and interesting forms of music out there. In this blog post, we’ll give you a basic introduction to Peking Opera music, and explain some of the key elements that make it so special.

Peking Opera – what is it?

Peking Opera – also called Beijing Opera – is a form of Chinese theatre. It combines music, singing, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. Although it has its roots in various folk traditions, Peking Opera is often said to be directly influenced by the Kunqu Opera.

A brief history

Originating in the late 18th century, Peking Opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. Since its conception, it has come to be an important part of Chinese culture and society, spreading quickly throughout the country and gaining popularity amongst all social classes.

During the 19th century, Peking Opera reached new heights in both popularity and artistic achievement, with many famous performers and troupes emerging during this period. One of the most well-known is the Zhou Xinfang Peking Opera Troupe, which was set up in 1895 by the eponymous performer. The company toured internationally throughout the early 20th century, becoming one of the first Peking Opera troupes to do so, and helped to spread awareness of the art form to new audiences around the world.

Peking Opera began to decline in popularity from the mid-20th century onwards, as other forms of entertainment such as cinema and television became more prevalent in Chinese society. However, it has experienced something of a resurgence in recent years, with a new generation of performers helping to keep this traditional art form alive.

The music

Peking Opera music is a combination of many different styles from China and abroad. The instruments used in a Peking Opera orchestra are mainly Chinese, with a few Western instruments such as the clarinet, trumpet and timpani.

The music of Peking Opera can be divided into three main categories: singing, speaking and acting. The singing is the most important part of the performance and is divided into four types: solo singing, choral singing, recitative and arias. The speaking parts are mainly used to tell the story and advance the plot, while the acting parts are used to express the emotions of the characters.

One of the most distinctive features of Peking Opera music is its use of guttural sounds, which are produced by manipulating the vocal cords. This gives the music a very unique sound that is often compared to bird calls.

Peking Opera music lessons – the basics

Peking Opera music is a form of Chinese opera which originated in Beijing. It is one of the most popular forms of opera in China. Peking Opera music is known for its ornate and dramatic melodies. If you are interested in learning this type of music, there are a few things you should know. In this article, we will go over the basics of Peking Opera music and how you can start learning it.

The four main types of Peking Opera

Peking Opera, or “Jingju,” is a form of Chinese opera that dates back to the 18th century. It is characterized by its unique music, singing, and acting, and isregarded as one of China’s most important cultural treasures. There are four main types of Peking Opera: Beijing opera, Cantonese opera, Henan opera, and Sichuan opera. Each has its own distinct style and repertoire.

Beijing opera (jingju) is the most well-known form of Peking Opera. It originated in the late 18th century in Beijing, and quickly became popular among the city’s aristocrats and intellectuals. The repertoire of Beijing opera is typically based on historical events or legends, and often contains elements of comedy and romance.

Cantonese opera (yueju) is another popular form of Chinese opera that originated in southern China’s Canton (now Guangzhou) region. Cantonese opera shares many similarities with Beijing opera, but is distinguished by its use of Cantonese dialect and local folk tales as source material for its stories.

Henan opera (huaji) is a style of Chinese opera that developed in central China’s Henan province. It shares many features with Beijing and Cantonese opera, but is unique in its use of local dialects and traditional music from the Henan region.

Sichuan opera (chuanqi) is a type of Chinese opera that originated in southwestern China’s Sichuan province. Sichuan opera is known for its colorful costumes, acrobatic fight scenes, and comedies about breaking social norms.

The instruments used

Peking Opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the 18th century and became popular in the Qing dynasty.

There are four main types of instruments used in Peking Opera:
-Sheng: a mouth organ consisting of 17 bamboo pipes of different lengths, each tuned to a pitch within a major pentatonic scale;
-Dizi: a transverse flute made of bamboo with six holes;
-Yueqin: a two-stringed plucked instrument similar to a mandolin; and
-Jinghu: a two-stringed bowed instrument.

The vocal techniques

Peking Opera is known for its elaborate and colorful costumes, intricate makeup, and acrobatic fighting scenes, as well as its unique vocal techniques. There are four main types of Peking Opera singing:

1) Punctuating: This style is used to express emotions such as anger, joy, or sorrow. The singer punctuates the end of each phrase with a short burst of sound.

2) Melismatic: This style is used to express happiness or excitement. The singer extends each syllable into a long melody.

3) Spoken: This style is used for dialogue between characters. The singer speaks in a clear and concise manner.

4) Drumming: This style is used to add energy and excitement to a performance. The singer beats on a drum to create a rhythm for the other instruments and singers to follow.

Peking Opera music lessons – advanced

The different styles

Peking Opera is a form of Chinese opera that dates back to the 18th century. Within the different styles of Peking Opera, there are four main types of music. These are:
-Luting: This type of music is characterised by its gentle and delicate sound. It is often used to accompany scenes of love and romance.
-Daqu: This type of music is more powerful and heroic in nature. It is often used to accompany fight scenes or other lively action scenes.
-Xipi: This type of music is characterised by its fast pace and high energy. It is often used for dance scenes or other energetic performance segments.
-Erhuang: This type of music is the most dramatic and powerful of all the Peking Opera musical styles. It is often used for climactic scenes or other moments of great importance.

The different genres

One of the first things you need to know about Peking Opera is that there are different genres. There are four main genres: sheng, dan, jing, and chou. Each of these has a different style of music and singing.

Sheng: The sheng is the male lead role. The music for this role is generally fast-paced and lively.

Dan: The dan is the female lead role. The music for this role is generally slower and more graceful than the sheng.

Jing: The jing are the supporting male roles. These roles are often comic relief and the musicreflects this with its humor and playfulness.

Chou: The chou are the clown roles. They provide comic relief and entertainment value with their over-the-top antics. The music for these roles is loud and chaotic to reflect the chaotic nature of their characters

The different schools

There are different schools of Peking Opera, based on different regional styles. The most well-known regional styles are those from Beijing, Shandong and Jingju (Beijing opera).

The Beijing style is the most widely known form of Peking Opera. It originated from the 18th century Manchurian court and was later popularized in Beijing tea-houses. Jingju, on the other hand, is a more recent form which originated in 1790s Beijing. It combines elements of traditional Chinese opera with Western theatre practices such as acting, singing and acrobatics.

The Shandong school is characterized by its use of lusheng (a reed instrument), fiddle and shengguan music (wind and percussion music). It is also known for its simple and elegant costumes as well as its moderation in the use of make-up.