Kate has good connections with the Peking opera circle in Taiwan. She follows the news of the most recent Peking opera events. She knows where to get the tickets, either at a good discount or free of charge. When Fukien Beijing Opera House arrived in Taipei, Kate was eager to give away free tickets to encourage friends to see their Peking operas at Chung-shan Hall during the Christmas holidays.
Saturday evening, December 25th, I saw their very first show of Chuncao Intrudes Court*. I was very much mesmerized by the new artistic form of Peking opera. When Fukien TV anchor asked me how I enjoyed the show from Fukien, I told her I enjoyed the Peking opera very much. The anchor corrected me I should have said Beijing Opera in stead of Peking opera. I asked her what the difference was between Beijing Opera and Peking opera. I thought they meant the same opera. In fact, Peking opera is a term obsolete in China.
Monday evening, December 27th, I saw Fukien Beijing Opera House's fourth show of When the North Wind Blows**. I was fascinated by their performance on stage and accompanying orchestra. After the show, I invited Toastmaster Kate and Uncle Hu for a cup of hot drink at the Rido Cafe' across the street from Chung-shan Hall. Kate commented that When the North Wind Blows was like a Model opera. Even though I heard of Model operas many times when I was young, I never knew what they meant. It was the first time I became curious about Model operas Monday evening.
Model operas were engineered during the first three years of Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) by Jiang Qing, the wife of Chairman Mao Zedong. They were considered "revolutionary" and modern in terms of thematic and musical features when compared with traditional operas. Model operas are sometimes accompanied by a piano, a cello, or an entire symphony of full Western orchestra. They were made to serve the interests of the workers, peasants, and soldiers.
Unlike European opera, model operas were a popular political art. During the cultural revolution, Eight model operas (1. The Legend of the Red Lantern, 2. Shajiabang, 3. Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, 4. Sweeping the White Tiger Regiment, 5. Praise of Dragon River, 6. The Harbor, 7. The White Haired Girl, 8. Detachment of Women) were played on TV and Radio everyday. They remain popular even today, over thirty years after the Cultural Revolution. Many Chinese citizens were familiar with the arias in these model operas and would sing them at home or on the streets.
Peking operas in Taiwan preserve the old traditions in terms of thematic and musical features. There are set melodies for different emotions. There are set movements for various meanings. The accompanying orchestra is composed of Chinese music instruments only. Most Peking opera fans in Taiwan still prefer the traditional operas to the modern operas. It is about the taste, it is also about the familiarity.
With the constant exchanges of modern Beijing Operas in China and traditional Peking Operas in Taiwan, many new Chinese opera repertoires have been developed in recent years. Many young Chinese opera talents are excelling in the their performance on stage. Many Chinese opera fans are born in Taiwan and in China.
My father was born in Peking, my mother was a Peking opera fan, my grandfather from my mother's side was an amateur opera singer. With the Peking opera gene in me, I was brought up in an atmosphere of Peking opera. I was even on stage once to play a tongueless walk-on in a Peking opera two decades ago. One of my new year resolutions for 2011 is to see the 8 model operas to understand their impact on modern Beijing operas in China for the past four decades. I want to thank Kate for connecting Peking opera with me again in year 2010.
Remarks:
* Chuncao Intrudes Court (春草闖堂) tells how a clever maid Chuncao intruded on the court to save a hero who had saved Chuncao's Lady, but was accused of murdering the villain. Chuncao lied to the magistrate of a marriage agreement between the hero and her lady, and the marriage between her lady and the hero was eventually appointed by the emperor.
Chuncao Intrudes Court, is originated as Puxian opera, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera. Puxian opera features exquisite stylized movements. Puxian opera originated from puppet shows, performed in a local dialect, is popular in the southeastern Fukien Province.
** When the North Wind Blows (北風緊) tells a Chinese scholar Shih Yi-shen was caught between his native country and Jing Empire where he served as the Interior Minister in the 12th century. When young, Shih failed the examination to serve his home country. He wandered to the Northland, and was rescued by the daughter of Jing's National Defense Minister. Shih married the foreign girl, raised their family, got promoted in Jing Empire.
Shih advocated peace between China and Jing to avoid the suffering of people during the war. Shih was dispatched by the Emperor of Jing to negotiate peace with China. When he found out he was deceived by his colleagues in Jing Empire, he unveiled the news of Jing's intention to invade China. In the end, Jing Empire was defeated. When Shih returned to Jing, he confessed to his betrayal, he was sentenced to death before China agreed to sign the peace deal with Jing.
When the North Wind Blows is a new historic opera about the life of Shih, his dilemma between his family and friends in his hometown and his family and career in a foreign country. It is considered as a model opera, because of the ideology of the story.
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