kissbad.blogg.se - Why is chinese opera high pitched

They will usually perform in stylized ritual combats, or be shown fighting against gods and demons.

Finally, the acrobatic male role is usually a military role, given to a man capable of accomplishing feats of acrobatics while on stage.

Old men, on the other hand, are often archetypal figures of the wise old man, the guide, or the villain.

The actors who play them must possess an extraordinarily high-pitched voice, and this is a highly technical singing role.

Young men can be romantic leads, children, or even the hero of the story.

Chinese opera lovers today are encouraged to admire the latest productions at the Peking opera of Beijing, the National Cantonese opera or the Huju opera of Shanghai.

Rich from its age-old heritage, however, Chinese Opera remains a powerful force in the contemporary Chinese performance art world. For example, many operas are still banned and many new ones are stopped from even seeing the light of day by government censorship. In modern-day China, one cannot say that Chinese Opera is completely free. Old masters were once more able to transmit their trade to young artists and performances became legal once more. When the bloodiest days of the Cultural Revolution were over, Chinese Opera slowly started picking up again. Only eight operas were allowed to be played during the whole of that decade, essentially stifling the creativity and inventiveness of Chinese opera performers all over the country. Hundreds of composers, scriptwriters and performers were purged during that era and performances of Chinese operas came to a halt.