These opera masks were generally made of ceramic material. It was easier for the performers to play various different characters in one show as they could change their ‘faces’ several times and using masks made it easier. There will be more than 20 excerpts from Peking Operas and tunes.The main method of make up in Peking Opera used to be masks. "If you follow the art closely, you can tell who's singing by the first few notes from the jinghu in the prelude."Īt the show, the two-string instrument will lead the orchestra. "Now, the art of jinghu has blossomed and so many performers have come to establish their own characters," says Sun Yan, from the Beijing Jinghu Research Center. They depend on each other to complete a good show." Yan will perform Meihua at the one-night show.
"The chemistry between the two is the most important element.
"To a certain extent, jinghu is the conductor of a Peking Opera piece, it leads the way. And if the singer is in the mood, the player can give them room to show off. "If the singer has a sore throat, the jinghu player will improvise to give the singer an easier time. "For audiences, it's worth paying attention to the players' moves and challenging skills, but the most trying part is the close partnership between the one who plays the instrument and the singer. Much more melodious, too," Yan, who has practiced the art for more than five decades says.
"The instrument has grown to have so much texture and various techniques now. "You will see jinghu's development in the past 200 years, from flat and simple to becoming more solid, full and very expressive," says Yan Shouping, the jinghu master at Beijing Peking Opera House. Peking Opera master Zhao Baoxiu sings with the accompaniment of jinghu. It will present Peking Opera's nine most famous arias and close with a rearranged chapter of the art in a most grandiose form, by partnering with the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra. The performance, organized by the Beijing Jinghu Research Center in Beijing, will open with jinghu and Peking Opera in its nascent, simple form from the early 19th century, followed by the orchestra's gradual growth in variety and expressiveness in the past century. The show doubles as a lesson about the 200-year-old art of Peking Opera, and will be staged at the Oriental Theater on Oct 15.
Now, a show looking back at the history of this instrument is combining some of the best Peking Opera arias. It conducts, improvises and has a beauty of its own. The secret to the art lies in its small orchestra where jinghu (a Chinese bowed string instrument) is the lead. Peking Opera isn't only about its trademark singing, choreography and painted faces.
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