Special of Chinese Opera Music

Chinese opera music is dominated by singing, and there are singing forms such as solo, duet, unison and gang, which are the main means of expression for developing plots and characterizing characters. The accompaniment of the singing, the opening and the string play the role of supporting the tune and setting off the performance. The percussion music used in the opening, cutscene and martial arts venues is an important factor in the noisy atmosphere, the adjustment of the stage rhythm and the structure of the opera. Opera music is an important part of the comprehensive art of Chinese opera, which integrates drama, music, performance, acrobatics, stage art and other artistic methods. It can centrally express the content of drama and is also the main symbol of distinguishing different types of drama. The development of opera music has a long history. The folk songs and Baixi music of the Han Dynasty, the song and dance music of the Tang Dynasty and the rap art music of the Song Dynasty are the foundation of its development.

Music Structural Characteristics

The structure of opera music mainly has two forms: 1. Qupai (also known as Lianqu). That is, various tunes are combined according to the needs of vocal design. Including scattered-slow-fastscattered plate changes; 2. Plate cavity (also called plate variant), including basic plate type, auxiliary plate type and various accents, etc.

As music combined with opera, the difference between Chinese opera music and other forms of music art is that it embodies and adapts to the requirements of drama, and serves to express drama characters, promote plot development, and create a situational atmosphere. It is a dramatic music. This kind of drama music has its own unique structure, expression methods, and artistic skills, and has a strong national artistic style. From the perspective of production music, opera belongs to Chinese musical drama. It is obviously different from Western operas and the musical traditions created by their composers.

Another characteristic of opera music is its stylistic nature. The formula of opera music is as large as the musical structure and aria system (qupai for singing southern and northern tunes or Banqiang for singing random tunes) throughout theatrical performance, and as small as the structure of qupai, bantai singing, gongs and drums, etc. Technology and its application are ubiquitous and very rich. Any repertoire of singing, chanting, doing, and playing is inseparable from the combination and application of music programs. This kind of creation method is not to abandon tradition, but to realize new synthesis and new creation on the basis of traditional expression forms and methods. There are certain rules for the use of programs. Regardless of the tunes and dramas, there are often different music programs. Based on the logic of music, the requirements for the program are strict, but the strictly standardized program can be mastered flexibly and freely in specific applications. In the long-term practice, it has been proved that the expressive function of the opera music program is an important means for creating the stage image of opera. The Chinese opera music troupe exhibits its own unique professional level, national characteristics and aesthetic significance due to its folk and programmatic nature. This characteristic, to this day, still remains in the creation of opera music.

Singing and Chanting

In the musical structure of opera, the vocal part is its main body. Traditional Chinese aesthetics believes that vocal singing is more intimate and moving than instrumental accompaniment, and it is easier to arouse the understanding and resonance of the audience. The reason is that the music played by the instrument, although it can also express emotions, can not express it. Opera music portrays the image of characters, and the main body relies on vocal music, that is, beautiful singing and moving singing. Regardless of whether the singing is qupai or banqiang, opera can be divided into lyrical singing, narrative singing and dramatic singing. Lyric singing is characterized by fewer words and more voice, strong melody, and longer than expressing inner feelings; narrative singing is characterized by more words and fewer voices, strong recitation, suitable for narration and answering occasions; dramatic singing is mostly free of beat There is great flexibility in the expansion and contraction of the rhythm, so it is better than expressing passionate and strong feelings. The alternating use of these three types of tunes constitutes the dramatic and varied opera music. Chinese opera has many traditional repertoires, so it can be sung on the stage for a long time, mainly due to the popular singing voice among them.

The art of opera singing has also formed its own unique style and professional skills in the long-term development. Pay attention to the relationship between words and sounds, and between sounds and emotions in singing. Clearly and accurately expressing the pronunciation and meaning of words is the first requirement of singing skills. A series of singing methods and skills have been produced from this. Singing generally includes vocalization, utterance, use of air, decorative singing, etc. Its purpose is to express the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the drama. Singing a song and moving people with emotion is the highest aesthetic standard of singing art.

Singing and reading are the two major components of opera vocal music. All the accomplished actors in the past are good at singing and thinking. Singing tones is the basis for expressing expressions. The fourtone tones of Chinese characters, with ups and downs, are also the basis for the beauty of white music. Various forms of chanting, such as rhyme white, Jingbai, and dialect white in Peking opera, are different

Henan opera performance ↓

Overture to the Strong (2017 National Taiwan Academy of Chinese Opera and Music Department High School Graduation Performance)

degrees of combination of language and music. Opera uses instrumental music as a means of expression, mainly used to accompany singing, doing, reading, and playing, that is, performing arts, as well as to develop drama contradictions, to shape characters, to express thoughts and feelings, and to enhance the atmosphere of the stage. The task of instrumental accompaniment is performed by the band. The opera band consists of two parts, the stringed orchestra part is called Wenchang, and the percussion part is called Wuchang. Collectively called Wenwuchang. The role of the literary field is mainly to accompany the singing, and to play the tunes (scenario music) used in conjunction with the performance. The main task of the martial arts field is to use percussion instruments to hit the gongs and drums, coordinate with the actor’s body movements, chant, sing, dance, and start the fight to make the start and end clear, and the rhythm is orderly. And, under the lead (conductor) of Master Guban, adjust and control the rhythm of the whole play. Although instrumental music plays an auxiliary role in opera music, it has advantages over vocal music. Instrumental music includes a variety of pipes and percussion instruments, each of which has its own characteristics and colors. Although the instrument combinations of the various bands are different, the role of the drum master and the role of the lead instrument are the same. The main musical instruments of Chinese opera music include: Qudi in Kun Opera, Banhu in Bangzi Operas such as Qin Opera, Henan Opera, Hebei Bangzi, Huqin in Pihuang Opera such as Peking Opera and Han Opera, and Pendant Qin in Shandong Lu Opera, etc. The different timbres and performance methods of the lead instruments are often important signs that form the unique style of this play.

From hearing the lead instrument, we can tell what kind of drama or voice is performing.

Percussion instruments are widely used in opera and have outstanding artistic effects. The singing, doing, reading, and playing of opera have a strong rhythm, and gongs and drums are a kind of musical instruments with strong sound and clear rhythm, which are the backbone of the rhythm of drama. With the cooperation of gongs and drums accompaniment, it can enhance the rhythm and accuracy of opera singing and performance, help express the emotions of the characters, add the colors of the drama, and enhance the atmosphere of the stage. The various tunes in opera instrumental music and the various gongs and drums of percussion constitute the scene music in opera. The use of scene music strives to be concise and concise, which is very similar to the style of Chinese painting.

Kunqu Qin Opera Performance

Henan opera performance