264 Notes 2

Chinese 264: Lecture Outline, March 3rd through April 23rd of Spring semester 1998.
M

ng (1368-1644) and Q

ng (1644-1911) Drama
明朝戲文、傳奇、和昆曲
X

n, Chu

, and K

Note: Chinese characters are in Big5 code, which looks like nonsense if your computer cannot display Chinese text.

|||| As drama moved into the 14th century, the dramatic center shifts south to Hngzhu.

|||| Zj do continue to develop in the north and are also influential in the south, especially in the early period.

For example, Zhng Gungz 鄭光祖（德輝） (ca. 1280-ca. 1330), was a well known playwright who served for a time as a censor in Hngzhu.
Zhng has at least 8 zj plays attributed to him.
A Mng prince, Zh Yudn (1379-1349), also wrote over 30 zj.
Zh's plays were performed both at the palace and at public theaters.
The plays of these writers, usually conform to the zj conventions: 4-5 acts, one singing part per act, etc.

|||| The form of Southern drama that varies from z

probably originated in the SE seacoast city of W

nzh

|||| The early form is known as xwn 戲文 , a term still used in the Hngzhu dialect to refer to traditional Chinese opera.

Three complete versions of early xwn are preserved in a Mng Dynasty Encyclopedic Compendium 永樂大典 , including:

"Little Butcher Sn"
"Top Graduate Zhng Xi"

These plays were composed by "Writing Societies" 古杭書會 .

|||| The Structure of x

n was flexible--an earmark of its popular vernacular origins at its formative stage.

They had no explicit internal division into scenes.
Division into scenes had to be made on the basis of the structure of the story.
They had arias alternating with prose and stage directions.
But singing was not limited to single charcters--there are duets and choruses in addition to solos.
Both singers and rhymes could change at random within a scene or act.
All roles can sing.

Shng male lead or hero.
M supporting/older male role.
Dn serious female lead.
Jng "troublesome male" role.
Chu a clown. {back to chuanqi}

The opening scene is called jimn 家門 .

Scene 2 introduces the Shng.
Scene 3 introduces the Dn.

|||| The most famous Southern Play is The Lute 琵琶記 by Gao Ming 高明 (ca. 1301-ca. 1369)

Author from near Wnzhu in Zhjing.
Go Mng held office in Hngzhu.
He is said to have isolated himself for three years to write the play.
"The Lute" is an historical play on a theme of filiality.

|||| Chu

'romance drama'

A refined highly literary dramatic form that slowly evolved out of the xwn tradition.
Note: The name chunq was originally applied to genre of the Tng classical tale--many of which were later adapted to the dramatic form.
The form reached its apex of refinement and popularity in the late Ming and into the early Qing (from about 1550 to 1700).

Writing and enjoying chunq plays was the favorite pastime of the educated elite during this time.
The plays of this period were tightly crafted.
The arias the playwrights of this time wrote were highly refined and lyrical.

Cyril Birch has said that "chunq romances brought text, music, and stage technique into a harmonious balance." {Indiana Companion, p. 355}

|||| Chu

music is softer and more flexibly incorporates a variety of forms.

From the vulgar popular to the refined elite.
Both Northern and Southern.

|||| True to the x

n origins, in chu

operas:

All role types can sing.
There is solo, duet, trio, & chorus singing.
Musical modes and the rhymes of arias may change even in mid scene.

|||| Instruments used in the accompanying orchestra include:

Three-stringed lute
Flute
Drums and clappers
Gongs and cymbals

|||| A typical chu

has at least 30 or 40 scenes.

There is a clear division of scenes--in contrast to xwn.
Each scene has a subtitle.
Each scene presents any number of characters--one to a group--at a specific location.
The locations are indicated by the words of the performers--there are no sets.
Scenes usually contain a mix of spoken dialogue and musical arias.
The first scene is called jimn, and is a prologue of a couple of poems.
The dramatic action begins in the second scene.
The last scene is often a "happy ending," of reconciliation or renunion--tunyun 團圓 ).

|||| The role types are the same as for x � w � n. Roles are distinguished by:

costume
makeup
gestures and movement--mime

|||| The lack of sets and background scenery, combined with the use of role types, led to the frequent use of stock scenes and stock characters.

|||| The chunq genre waned following the chaos brought to its heartland by the Tipng Rebellion in the middle of the 19th century.

|||| Knq 'The singing of Kun'

Refers to chunq operas that primarily use the Knshn 昆山 style of music.
Kunshan is near Suzhou.
The Kunshan style blends musical forms from various regions in north and south China.
Ling Chny's 梁辰魚 (ca. 1521-1595) "Girl Washing Silk" 浣紗記 first adopted the style and thus incited its popularity.

|||| Some Chu

and k

playwrights

|||| L Y 李漁 (1611-1679)

Achieved "Government Student"/ "Cultivated Talent" 秀才 status in the lower level exams.
Became a professional writer after failure at the provincial exams.

Viewed writing as a craft.
Loved novelty and unusual twists to old themes-- for example unconventional relationships.

Wrote 10 plays, including:

The Companion Who Loved Fragrance 戀香伴 , about bisexual passion.
The Mistake with the Kite 風箏誤 , a twist on the conventional romance using the theme of rape.
Sole Mates 比目魚 , about lovers who can only express themselves through the medium of the theater.

Also wrote:

Silent Operas 無聲戲 and The Twelve Towers 十二樓 , collections of short stories.
The Carnal Prayer Mat 肉蒲團 , a novel of sexual/erotic adventure.
Casual Expressions of Idle Feeling 閑情偶寄 , a collection of essays about drama and the art of living, included specimens of his plays (came out in 1671).

{Reference: Hanan 1988 The Invention of Li Yu}

|||| Tng Xinz 湯顯祖 (1550-1617)

From a school of dramatists that strove for literary quality over standard musical form-- may have thus initiated a nudge that moved knq to the stage of literature
Attained a high degree-- jnsh -- at 34 and held office in Nanjing and Guangdong (the latter as a punishment for offending the emperor)
Wrote his best plays after retirement-- a collection of four known as the "Four Dreams of Lnchun" 臨川四夢 , including:

The Purple Hairpin 紫釵記

Based on the Tng classical tale "The Story of Hu Xioy" 霍小玉傳 by 蔣防 (fl. 9th c.).

The Peony Pavilion 牡丹亭.

Dream of the Southern Bough 南柯夢, also based on a Tng classical tale.
As most literati, he also wrote verse and essays. The following is an example of one of his 4-line poems:

Dreaming of reciting poetry, when drunk I compose for real.
Autumn moonlight sparkles on the lake.
Listlessly I chew on green lotus seeds.
In order to find the people in the Hall of Fragrant Clouds.

{Reference: Nienhauser, Indiana Companion and
張庚、郭漢城主編，中國戲曲通史（北京：中國戲曲出版社，1992。）}

|||| Examples of the dream metaphor are found in

Zhung Zhu 莊周 (4th c. BC): Zhungz 莊子 .
A Dream of Red Mansions or Story of the Stone (紅樓夢 / 石頭記 ) by Co Xuqn (1715?-1763?).

|||| A modern descendant of the H

ngzh

u form of southern opera: Yu

越劇

Sometimes known as S h � o x � n g 紹興 Opera.
First developed as a minor "vulgar" form, was given government support in the late 1930s.
Normally all parts are played by women.
"The Carp Fairy" is an example of a popular, well known Yuj.

========== B

ng Opera--J

ngj

京劇 ==========

|||| The dominant form of Traditional dramatic performance today.

Has had a tremendous influence on all types of Chinese theater for the last century.
Developed in the main from the beginning of the 19th century.
The Southern Kunqu forms were on the decline, they seemed to have grown stale and audiences were losing interest.
Kunqu was given its last blow by the Taiping Rebellion, which laid waist to its cultural center in the Yangtze River valley.
After that the culture of drama fully embraced Peking (Bijng) as its capital.

|||| Dramatic texts and performance were repeatedly constricted, censored, and banned through the 250 years of the Qing.

The Qing dynasty was founded by Manchus, a non Han people from the north.
The Manchu rulers forbid Manchus to enter theaters and banned theaters in Peking's Inner City and the West Wing was banned in their homeland.
General bans were also issued, as one in 1785 and later in 1798.

|||| But the usually politically motivated bans were genarally short lived and often easily circumvented.

Even many members of the royal family and related aristocracy were great fans of drama and often supported their own troupes of performers.
The Qinlng Emperor (r.1736- 1796) enjoyed various regional forms of drama during his travels in the south.
Thus Peking Opera was still able to evolve to a high degree of sophistication and stylistic intricacy.

|||| The evolution of Peking Opera is closely associated with troupes from the province of Anhui.

Troupes from Anhui first began to perform in Peking in the 1790's-- they in fact first came to the city by royal invitation.

|||| Some characteristics of Peking Opera

United two styles of music:

E`rhung-dio and Xp-dio.
Thus the alternate name for Peking opera-- Phung j 皮黃劇.

E`rhung-dio 二黃調 (or ~ ~ qing 腔 ) was brought to Peking by the troupes from Anhui.

Centered on the horizontal flute--d 笛.
Adopted the hqn 胡琴 'Chinese fiddle' after coming to Peking.
Melodies of this style suited to the expression of tragic emotions.

Xp-dio 西皮調 \ 腔 developed in Hbi 湖北 sometime in the 1820s based on Qin-qiang music.

The melodies of this form are happier.

Qin-qiang 秦腔 music

Originated in Shaanxi province.
Used chiefly the hqn, the yuqn 月琴 (a three or four stringed lute), and a clapper bngzi 梆子 .

These styles use the bnqing 板腔 principle: tempo and rhythm variations generate large numbers of melodies.

Also of less restricted meter structure which allows longer lines (usually 7-10 syllables).
This principle puts the performer in charge.
Thus Peking Opera is known more for the skill of its actors and singers and not for playwrights.
The most famous performer of this century, Mi Lnfng 梅蘭芳 would adopt single scenes for his performances from earlier plays and stories.

Many Knq actors also came to perform in Peking in the 1800's, eventually infusing the musical finess of that form into the capital's dramatic form.
But Peking Opera music is more dominated by percussion.
A typical Peking Opera orchestra has 6-8 musicians.

|||| The music and acting is taught by personal instruction, not through texts.

|||| The use of Painted faces inherited from Knq.

|||| Role types

loshng 老生 'older male roles' dominate.

their rise to importance comes as the the Peking form reached maturity in the mid 19th century.
Reveal a stronger taste for marshal themes.

Other role type sub-distinctions are extremely numerous

{References for Peking Opera: Dolby A History of Chinese Drama, Nienhauser's Indiana Companion}

|||| The Drum Song 大鼓

A form of chantefable performance popular in Peking in this century.
Its "Plum blossom style" 梅花大鼓 used five instruments to accompany the singer.
Petite Gem Flower 花小寶 ( Sh Wnxi 史文秀 ) was a famous practitioner of the style in the 1940s.

|||| Examination system: The traditional Civil Service exams are a frequent plot motivator in traditional drama. So it would be useful to briefly describe them.

The exam system was initiated in the Su (581-618).
It was designed to recuit men for the task of governing on the basis of merit and not blood or upbringing.
Subsequent dynasties instituted reforms to strengthen that goal.
The Palace Exam was established in 975 in the Sng, which also established a school system to educate men for service in the government.
The exam system was abolished in 1904.

|||| Basic outlines of the exam system:

Preliminary "Youth" Examinations

1. District Examination
2. Prefectural Examination
3. Qualifying Examination-- held in the prefectural capital & granted status as Shngyun 生員 'Government Student'.

Four Books & Five Classics

|||| Main Exams

A) Provincial Exam-- passage grants status as Jrn 舉人 'Recommendee' and qualification for
B) Metropolitan Exam-- this and the Provincial Exam lasted three days
C) Palace Exam-- granted Jnsh 進士 'Presented Scholar' degree & first place was called Zhungyun 狀元 'Principal Graduate'.

|||| Aspects of the Exams are depicted in

The Scholars 儒林外史 by W Jngz 吳敬梓 (1701-54)
"The Seven Transformations of a Candidate" by P Snglng 浦松齡：聊齋志異 (1640-1715)
The Tower of Myraid Mirrors 西遊補 by Dng Yu 董說 (1620-1686)