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| Taiwanese Opera | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Singing songs (ge zi 歌仔) from songbooks (ge zi ce 歌仔冊) was the most important form of entertainment in Taiwan’s early agricultural society. Some were songs sung by busy farmers working in the fields; some were
ge zi or Taiwan za nian 雜念 sung by ordinary folk. There were also
nian ge 唸歌, sung by the blind and buskers, and begging tunes
(qi shi diao 乞食調) sung by beggars. This genre of song was known collectively as
jin ge 錦歌, a continuation of a minor form of Ming dynasty music based on the folk songs of southern Fujian province on the Chinese mainland. First sung by amateurs and ordinary folk,
jin ge quickly spread in popularity and was soon being performed by travelling entertainers.
The first recorded instance of Chinese opera being performed in Taiwan was in 1624. Introduced into Taiwan from the neighboring provinces of
Fujian and Guangdong, Chinese opera is classified into thirteen distinct
categories: six traditional operas
(li yuan xi 梨園戲, gao jia xi 高甲戲, luan tan xi 亂彈戲,
che gu xi 車鼓戲, si gong xi 司公戲, and ke jia san jiao cai cha xi 客家三腳採茶戲, or Hakka Tea-picking operas); four regional operas
(Fuzhou xi 福州戲, Putian-Xianyu xi 莆仙戲, Siping xi 四平戲, and
Chaozhou xi 潮州戲); and three puppet operas (kui lei xi 傀儡戲, or marionettes;
bu dai xi 布袋戲, or glove puppets; and pi ying xi 皮影戲, or shadow puppets).
The singing of jin ge 錦歌, or ge zi 歌仔 in Taiwanese, was combined with the operatic form of
che gu xi 車鼓戲 (literally, “cart drum” opera) in Yilan to create what is later known as traditional Taiwanese opera
(lao ge zi xi 老歌仔戲). The repertoires, music, and body movements from many other styles of theater were absorbed as Taiwanese opera and developed into a major opera genre in its own right. Indoor performances of Taiwanese opera began around 1925. After liberally incorporating props, stage sets, and
performance material from the Fuzhou and Shanghai styles of Beijing opera, Taiwanese opera began to grow in popularity.
In general, Taiwanese opera can be considered a vernacular opera. The style spread not only throughout Taiwan, but also to Fujian province and other Chinese areas in Southeast Asia. At the peak of its popularity, Taiwanese opera was being performed on both indoor and outdoor stages, on the radio, in movies, and on television. It was an important part of temple festivals, special celebrations, and even the daily lives of ordinary people. However, beginning in the 1970s, rapid development transformed Taiwan from an agricultural society into an industrial and commercialized economy. Consequently, entertainment trends also changed, and Taiwanese opera rapidly declined. However, thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of many
scholars, patrons of the arts, and modern drama workshops, Taiwanese opera has once again gained popularity in recent years. Today, it can be seen on both national and international stages. The regeneration of Taiwanese opera is evidence of the genre’s ability to adapt and transform, a characteristic that has been demonstrated at every stage of its development.
The foundation of Taiwanese opera music is jin ge 錦歌, which was
derived from folk rhymes, folk songs, wailing dirges that express sorrow and dejection, and music incorporated from other types of opera. This repertoire was gradually expanded to include new songs, either created by musicians or adapted from popular tunes of the times.
Taiwanese opera makes use of a wide range of traditional musical
instruments. String instruments include the
ye hu 椰胡, a two-string Chinese mandolin with a sound box made out of a coconut shell;
da guang xian 大廣弦, a large, two-string Chinese mandolin; jing hu 京胡, a two-string high-register Chinese mandolin;
nan hu 南胡, a two-string low-register Chinese mandolin; yue qin 月琴, a four-string Chinese mandolin with a full-moon-shaped sound box;
san xian 三絃, a three-string plucked instrument; and gu zheng 古箏, a 25-string plucked instrument similar to the zither. Wind
instruments include the
suo na 嗩吶 horn as well as horizontal and vertical bamboo flutes. In the percussion section one finds the
bang zi 梆子, a rectangular, hollow wooden block percussion instrument;
shui yu 水魚, another type of percussion instrument; large and small gongs; opera and northern-style drums; large, regular, and small cymbals; double bells; clapper boards; and hardwood clappers.
Later, Western musical instruments were also incorporated into Taiwanese opera, including jazz drums, electric pianos, electric guitars, saxophones, and cellos. Taiwanese opera is not restrictive, and any musical instrument capable of producing a lovely, melodious sound is likely to be used. Originally, Taiwanese opera only had three classifications of characters: namely, the male lead
(xiao sheng 小生), the male jester (xiao chou 小丑), and the female lead
(xiao dan 小旦). Later, as Taiwanese opera began to
incorporate more styles from other major operas, it gradually expanded to
include eight major characters. In addition to the
xiao sheng 小生, there was also the supporting actor (fu sheng 副生), which was further divided into the subcategories of villain
(fan sheng 反生) and martial artist (wu sheng 武生); the sorrowful female character
(ku dan 苦旦); the primary supporting actress (fu dan 副旦 or hua dan 花旦), which included the subcategory of female villain
(yao fu 妖婦); the secondary supporting actress (da hua 大花); the elderly woman
(lao po 老婆 or lao dan 老旦); the third-tier supporting
actress
(san hua 三花); and the female jester (cai dan 彩旦 or san ba 三八). With this variety of characters, Taiwanese opera vividly portrays both
comical and special events from everyday life.
Modern drama has significantly influenced Taiwanese opera. Originally, traditional Taiwanese opera themes involved historical events, tales of gods and spirits, famous legends and myths, auspicious occasions, and stories of swordsmen and heroes. Later, contrived and mystical romance stories, love and hate themes, and farces were creatively applied to make Taiwanese opera more lively and unrestrained. Even the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Traviata, Hamlet, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Imperial Watchdog have been performed as Taiwanese opera. Taiwanese opera is part of daily life in Taiwan, reflecting the thoughts, feelings, and aesthetics of the people. Taiwanese opera expresses incomparable energy, and, as it adapts and introduces new performances, it will continue to be a favorite folk art in Taiwan.
CULTURAL TAIWAN |
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