|
The
repertoire of Peking opera is mainly engaged in fairy tales of preceding
dynasties, important historical events, emperors, ministers and generals,
geniuses and great beauties, from the ancient times to Yao, Shun,
Yu, the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period and the
dynasties of Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing. The widely
wellknown repertoires are Drunken Beauty, The King Says Farewell to
His Concubine, The Universe Summit, etc.
The music of Peking opera is that of the "plate and cavity style".Its
melody with harmonious rhythms is graceful and pleasing to the ears.
The melody may be classified into two groups: "Xipi" and "erhong",
guiding pattern, original pattern, slow pattern, quick pattern, desultary
pattern being their chief patterns.
The performance is accompanied by a tune played on wind instruments,
percussion instruments and stringed instruments, the chief musical
instruments being jinghu (a two-stringed bowed instrument with a high
register), yueqin( a four-stringed plucked instrument with a full-moon-shaped
sound box), Sanxian( a three-stringed plucked instrument), suona horn,
flute drum, big-gong, cymbals, small-gong, etc. |
|
|