Peking Opera

Peking opera (jingju) is structured around four role categories (hangdang): sheng (male leads), dan (female roles, historically played by men in falsetto), jing (painted-face male roles with elaborate face patterns) and chou (clowns). Each category has its own training in vocal production, gesture and combat technique. Singing is built on two principal melodic systems — xipi (brighter) and erhuang (darker) — combined with metric types (banshi) that range from extremely slow (manban) to very fast (kuaiban). Accompaniment centers on the high-pitched jinghu fiddle, with percussion (gongs, cymbals, wooden clappers) marking entrances, exits and scene changes.

The form is conventionally dated to 1790, when Anhui-based opera troupes were invited to Beijing for the Qianlong emperor's eightieth birthday. Their style fused with Han opera and other regional forms over the next several decades into what was named jingju by the late 19th century. In the 20th century the great female-role specialist Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) brought the form to Japan in 1919 and the United States in 1930, establishing its international reputation; his version of 'Farewell My Concubine' (Bawang Bie Ji) remains a central work.

The high falsetto of the dan role takes some adjustment for newcomers — the 'artificial' quality is precisely the trained sound. The percussion patterns ('luogu jing') announce who is about to enter and what is about to happen; learning even a few of these patterns makes it possible to follow the structure. Pay attention to how the jinghu's high pitch wraps around the singing voice.

Pair a video recording of a modern Mei-school performer such as Li Shengsu in 'Farewell My Concubine' with the surviving 1920s-30s audio recordings of Mei Lanfang himself — the contrast helps the older sound make sense.

Chen Kaige's film 'Farewell My Concubine' (1993), which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, follows two Peking opera performers across the 20th century and uses Mei Lanfang's interpretation of the title role as its template. The film significantly raised international interest in the form.