yangqin

Cantonese opera (粵劇, pinyin: Yuèjù, yuet kek or 神功戲) is one of the major Chinese opera categories, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing, martial arts, acrobatics, and acting. Cantonese opera - History. There is a debate about the origins of Cantonese opera, but it is universally accepted that Cantone ...

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• Cantonese opera - History
• Cantonese opera - Characteristics
• Cantonese opera - Significance
• Cantonese opera - Types of play
• Cantonese opera - Musical instruments
• Cantonese opera - Music
• Cantonese opera - Performers
• Cantonese opera - Costumes
• Cantonese opera - Makeup
• Cantonese opera - Hairstyle hats and helmets
• Cantonese opera - Frequently used terms
• Cantonese opera - Major artists
• Cantonese opera - Development in Hong Kong
• Cantonese opera - Speech types

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There is a debate about the origins of Cantonese opera, but it is universally accepted that Cantonese opera was imported from the northern part of China and slowly migrated to the southern province of Guangdong in late 13th century, during the late Southern Song Dynasty. In the 12th century, there was a theatrical form called Narm hei (南戲), or the Nanxi (Southern opera), which was performed in public theaters of Hangzhou, then capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. With the invasion of the Mongol army, Emperor Gong of Song d ...

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Cantonese opera, Cantonese opera - History, Cantonese opera - Characteristics, Cantonese opera - Significance, Cantonese opera - Types of play, Cantonese opera - Musical instruments, Cantonese opera - Music, Cantonese opera - Performers, Cantonese opera - Costumes, Cantonese opera - Makeup, Cantonese opera - Hairstyle hats and helmets, Cantonese opera - Frequently used terms, Cantonese opera - Major artists, Cantonese opera - Development in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera - Speech types

Read more here: » Cantonese opera: Encyclopedia II - Cantonese opera - History

There is a debate about the origins of Cantonese opera, but it is universally accepted that Cantonese opera was imported from the northern part of China and slowly migrated to the southern province of Guangdong in late 13th century, during the late Southern Song Dynasty. In the 12th century, there was a theatrical form called Narm hei (南戲), or the Nanxi (Southern opera), which was performed in public theaters of Hangzhou, then capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. With the invasion of the Mongol army, Emperor Gong (Gong Di ...

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Cantonese opera, Cantonese opera - History, Cantonese opera - Characteristics, Cantonese opera - Significance, Cantonese opera - Types of play, Cantonese opera - Musical instruments, Cantonese opera - Music, Cantonese opera - Performers, Cantonese opera - Costumes, Cantonese opera - Makeup, Cantonese opera - Hairstyle hats and helmets, Cantonese opera - Frequently used terms, Cantonese opera - Major artists, Cantonese opera - Development in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera - Speech types

Read more here: » Cantonese opera: Encyclopedia II - Cantonese opera - History

According to tradition, the qin originally had five strings, representing the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Later, in the Zhou dynasty, Zhou Wen Wang 周文王 added a sixth string to mourn his son, Bo Yihou 伯邑考. His successor, Zhou Wu Wang 周武王, added a seventh string to motivate his troops into battle with the Shang. The thirteen hui 『徽』 on the surface represent the 13 months of the year (the extra 13th is the 'leap month' in the lunar calendar). The surface board is round to represent Heaven ...

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Guqin, Guqin - Schools societies and players, Guqin - Historical schools and societies, Guqin - Players, Guqin - Playing technique, Guqin - Tablature and notation, Guqin - New developments in Qin tablature, Guqin - Repertoire, Guqin - Construction, Guqin - Forms, Guqin - Duanwen, Guqin - Strings, Guqin - Etymological note on the word 'string', Guqin - Tuning, Guqin - Table of common Qin tunings, Guqin - Qin aesthetics, Guqin - Manifestations of Qin music, Guqin - Footnotes

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The New Culture Movement of the 1910s and 1920s evoked a great deal of lasting interest in Western music as a number of Chinese musicians who had studied abroad returned to perform Western classical music and to compose works of their own based on the Western musical notation system. Symphony orchestras were formed in most major cities and performed to a wide audience in the concert halls and on radio. Many of these performers added jazz influences to traditional music, adding xylophones, saxophones and violins, among other instruments. Lu W ...

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Music of China, Music of China - Instrumentation, Music of China - Traditional orchestral instruments, Music of China - History Modern, Music of China - History of Chinese heavy metal, Music of China - Ethnic Han music, Music of China - Instrumental music, Music of China - Folk music, Music of China - Opera, Music of China - Minorities, Music of China - Tibet, Music of China - Guangxi, Music of China - Yunnan, Music of China - Sichuan, Music of China - Manchuria, Music of China - Xinjiang, Music of China - Hua'er, Music of China - Kuaiban

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The history of percussion instruments in China is longer than any other category of traditional instruments. The character of 'drum' was first found in the inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty. At that time (BC 1562 - 1066) more than 50% of instruments were percussion. Percussion instruments produce sound by striking on their surfaces. Common material used for making ...

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Chinese orchestra, Chinese orchestra - Instruments, Chinese orchestra - Plucked string 弹拨乐/tan bo yue, Chinese orchestra - Yangqin, Chinese orchestra - Liuqin, Chinese orchestra - Pipa, Chinese orchestra - Zhongruan, Chinese orchestra - Darun, Chinese orchestra - Sanxian, Chinese orchestra - Guzheng, Chinese orchestra - Konghou, Chinese orchestra - Bowed string 弦乐/xian yue, Chinese orchestra - Wind 官乐/guan yue, Chinese orchestra - Percussion 打击乐/da ji yue, Chinese orchestra - Bangu Single-headed Frame Drum, Chinese orchestra - Bo Pair of bronze cymbals, Chinese orchestra - Luo Gong, Chinese orchestra - Tanggu Medium-sized Barrel Drum, Chinese orchestra - Muyu Woodblock or Slit drum, Chinese orchestra - Bianzhong Collected Bronze Bells, Chinese orchestra - Lion Drum, Chinese orchestra - Yunluo Set of small bronze gongs, Chinese orchestra - Notation

Read more here: » Chinese orchestra: Encyclopedia II - Chinese orchestra - Percussion 打击乐/da ji yue

Hats and helmets signify social status, age and capability: scholars and officials wear black hats with wings on either side; generals wear helmets with pheasant feathers; soldiers wear ordinary hats, and kings wear crowns. Queens or princesses have jewelled helmets. Hairstyles can express a character's emotions: warriors express their sadness at losing a battle by swinging their ponytails. For the female roles ...

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Cantonese opera, Cantonese opera - History, Cantonese opera - Characteristics, Cantonese opera - Significance, Cantonese opera - Types of play, Cantonese opera - Musical instruments, Cantonese opera - Music, Cantonese opera - Performers, Cantonese opera - Costumes, Cantonese opera - Makeup, Cantonese opera - Hairstyle, hats and helmets, Cantonese opera - Frequently used terms, Cantonese opera - Major artists, Cantonese opera - Development in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera - Speech types

Read more here: » Cantonese opera: Encyclopedia II - Cantonese opera - Hairstyle, hats and helmets

This section sets the structure of Chinese orchestras apart from Western symphony orchestras. Consisting of the yangqin, liuqin, pipa, zhongruan, daruan, sanxian, guzheng, and konghou, it creates tunes unachievable by the Western wind and string instruments. Chinese orchestra - Yangqin. A Yangqin is a dulcimer played using a pair of bamboo mallets rubberised on one end. Besides hitting the strings with the rubberised ends, the mallets can also be turned over to create a sharper note (this technique is call ...

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Chinese orchestra, Chinese orchestra - Instruments, Chinese orchestra - Plucked string 弹拨乐/tan bo yue, Chinese orchestra - Yangqin, Chinese orchestra - Liuqin, Chinese orchestra - Pipa, Chinese orchestra - Zhongruan, Chinese orchestra - Darun, Chinese orchestra - Sanxian, Chinese orchestra - Guzheng, Chinese orchestra - Konghou, Chinese orchestra - Bowed string 弦乐/xian yue, Chinese orchestra - Wind 官乐/guan yue, Chinese orchestra - Percussion 打击乐/da ji yue, Chinese orchestra - Bangu Single-headed Frame Drum, Chinese orchestra - Bo Pair of bronze cymbals, Chinese orchestra - Luo Gong, Chinese orchestra - Tanggu Medium-sized Barrel Drum, Chinese orchestra - Muyu Woodblock or Slit drum, Chinese orchestra - Bianzhong Collected Bronze Bells, Chinese orchestra - Lion Drum, Chinese orchestra - Yunluo Set of small bronze gongs, Chinese orchestra - Notation

Read more here: » Chinese orchestra: Encyclopedia II - Chinese orchestra - Plucked string 弹拨乐/tan bo yue

Guqin - Historical schools and societies. Because of the difference in geography in China, many qin schools known as qin pai (琴派) developed over the centuries. Such schools generally formed around areas where qin activity was greatest. The main schools are: Guangling (廣陵); Yushan (虞山 also known as Qinchuan (琴川) or Shu (熟)) in Shanghai 上海; Shu (蜀 or Chuan (川)) in Sichuan 四川; Fanchuan (泛川); Songjiang (松江); Jinling (金陵); Zhucheng (諸城); Mei'an (梅庵 / 楳盦); Min (閩) in Fujian 福建; Pucheng (浦城); Jiuyi (九嶷); Zhe (� ...

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Guqin, Guqin - Schools societies and players, Guqin - Historical schools and societies, Guqin - Players, Guqin - Playing technique, Guqin - Tablature and notation, Guqin - New developments in Qin tablature, Guqin - Repertoire, Guqin - Construction, Guqin - Forms, Guqin - Duanwen, Guqin - Strings, Guqin - Etymological note on the word 'string', Guqin - Tuning, Guqin - Table of common Qin tunings, Guqin - Qin aesthetics, Guqin - Manifestations of Qin music, Guqin - Footnotes

Read more here: » Guqin: Encyclopedia II - Guqin - Schools societies and players

Mainly the Huqin series, includes Erhu, Zhonghu and Gaohu. Gaohu(highest pitch of the series) and Zhonghu(lowest pitch of the series) are proportionately less in numbers in orchestra plans. Erhu forms the bulk of this section and is divided into Erhu 1 and Erhu 2, playing either similar or vastly different melodies simultaneously. Occasionally the concertmaster will play the Banhu(an example is the song Mang Chun) or Jinhu if there is a solo part for it. The uniqueness of this instrument lies in how music can be produced from two fine meta ...

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Chinese orchestra, Chinese orchestra - Instruments, Chinese orchestra - Plucked string 弹拨乐/tan bo yue, Chinese orchestra - Yangqin, Chinese orchestra - Liuqin, Chinese orchestra - Pipa, Chinese orchestra - Zhongruan, Chinese orchestra - Darun, Chinese orchestra - Sanxian, Chinese orchestra - Guzheng, Chinese orchestra - Konghou, Chinese orchestra - Bowed string 弦乐/xian yue, Chinese orchestra - Wind 官乐/guan yue, Chinese orchestra - Percussion 打击乐/da ji yue, Chinese orchestra - Bangu Single-headed Frame Drum, Chinese orchestra - Bo Pair of bronze cymbals, Chinese orchestra - Luo Gong, Chinese orchestra - Tanggu Medium-sized Barrel Drum, Chinese orchestra - Muyu Woodblock or Slit drum, Chinese orchestra - Bianzhong Collected Bronze Bells, Chinese orchestra - Lion Drum, Chinese orchestra - Yunluo Set of small bronze gongs, Chinese orchestra - Notation

Read more here: » Chinese orchestra: Encyclopedia II - Chinese orchestra - Bowed string 弦乐/xian yue

To string a qin, one traditionally had to tie a butterfly knot (shengtou jie 『蠅頭結』) at one end of the string, and slip the string through the twisted cord (rongkou 『絨剅』) which goes into holes at the head of the qin and then out the bottom through the tuning pegs (zhen 『軫』). The string is dragged over the bridge (yueshan 『岳山』), across the surface board, over the nut (longyin 『龍齦』 dragon gums) to the back of the qin, where the end is wrapped around two legs (fengzuSee also:

Guqin, Guqin - Schools societies and players, Guqin - Historical schools and societies, Guqin - Players, Guqin - Playing technique, Guqin - Tablature and notation, Guqin - New developments in Qin tablature, Guqin - Repertoire, Guqin - Construction, Guqin - Forms, Guqin - Duanwen, Guqin - Strings, Guqin - Etymological note on the word 'string', Guqin - Tuning, Guqin - Table of common Qin tunings, Guqin - Qin aesthetics, Guqin - Manifestations of Qin music, Guqin - Footnotes

Read more here: » Guqin: Encyclopedia II - Guqin - Tuning

When playing qin, there are many aesthetics involved. Firstly is the whole aspect of musicality. Take, for example, the second section of "Pingsha Luoyan." The first few bars contain a rou vibrato followed by a phase of sliding up and down the string, even when the sound has already become inaudible. For the musically trained, this is not seen as music. Normally, they would pluck the string very lightly to create a very quiet sound. For the qin player, this plucking is a 'forced pluck', trying to force a sound out of the string instea ...

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Guqin, Guqin - Schools societies and players, Guqin - Historical schools and societies, Guqin - Players, Guqin - Playing technique, Guqin - Tablature and notation, Guqin - New developments in Qin tablature, Guqin - Repertoire, Guqin - Construction, Guqin - Forms, Guqin - Duanwen, Guqin - Strings, Guqin - Etymological note on the word 'string', Guqin - Tuning, Guqin - Table of common Qin tunings, Guqin - Qin aesthetics, Guqin - Manifestations of Qin music, Guqin - Footnotes

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Until the Cultural Revolution, the guqin's strings were always made of various thicknesses of twisted silk 『絲』, but since then most players use modern nylon-flatwound steel strings 『鋼絲』. This was partly due to the scarcity of high quality silk strings and partly due to the newer strings' greater durability and louder tone. Recently in China, production of very good quality silk strings has resumed and more players are beginning to use them. The American qin player and scholar John Thompson advocates for the use of both s ...

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Guqin, Guqin - Schools societies and players, Guqin - Historical schools and societies, Guqin - Players, Guqin - Playing technique, Guqin - Tablature and notation, Guqin - New developments in Qin tablature, Guqin - Repertoire, Guqin - Construction, Guqin - Forms, Guqin - Duanwen, Guqin - Strings, Guqin - Etymological note on the word 'string', Guqin - Tuning, Guqin - Table of common Qin tunings, Guqin - Qin aesthetics, Guqin - Manifestations of Qin music, Guqin - Footnotes

Read more here: » Guqin: Encyclopedia II - Guqin - Strings

Qin pieces are usually around three to eight minutes in length, with the longest being "Guangling San" 《廣陵散》, which is 22 minutes long. Other famous pieces include "Liu Shui" 《流水》 (Flowing Water), "Yangguan San Die" 《陽關三疊》 (Three Refrains on the Yang Pass Theme), "Meihua San Nong" 《梅花三弄》 (Three Variations on the Plum Blossom Theme), "Xiao Xiang Shui Yun" 《瀟湘水雲》 (Mist and Clouds over the Xiao and Xiang Rivers), and "Pingsha Luo Yan" 《平沙落雁》 (Wild Geese Descending on the Sandbank ...

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Guqin, Guqin - Schools societies and players, Guqin - Historical schools and societies, Guqin - Players, Guqin - Playing technique, Guqin - Tablature and notation, Guqin - New developments in Qin tablature, Guqin - Repertoire, Guqin - Construction, Guqin - Forms, Guqin - Duanwen, Guqin - Strings, Guqin - Etymological note on the word 'string', Guqin - Tuning, Guqin - Table of common Qin tunings, Guqin - Qin aesthetics, Guqin - Manifestations of Qin music, Guqin - Footnotes

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Written qin music did not directly tell what notes were played; instead, it was written in a tablature detailing tuning, finger positions, and stroke technique, thus comprising a step by step method and description of how to play a piece. Some tablatures do indicate notes using the gongche system, or indicate rhythm using dots. The earliest example of the modern shorthand tablature survives from around the 12th century CE. An earlier form of music notation from the Tang era survives in just one manuscript, dated to the 7th century CE, called ...

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Guqin, Guqin - Schools societies and players, Guqin - Historical schools and societies, Guqin - Players, Guqin - Playing technique, Guqin - Tablature and notation, Guqin - New developments in Qin tablature, Guqin - Repertoire, Guqin - Construction, Guqin - Forms, Guqin - Duanwen, Guqin - Strings, Guqin - Etymological note on the word 'string', Guqin - Tuning, Guqin - Table of common Qin tunings, Guqin - Qin aesthetics, Guqin - Manifestations of Qin music, Guqin - Footnotes

Read more here: » Guqin: Encyclopedia II - Guqin - Tablature and notation

The beauty of qin melodies comes not only from the melodies themselves, but from the colors a player can apply to the individual tones and their combinations. The exceedingly rich tones of the qin can be categorised as three distinctively different "sounds." The first is san yin 〔散音〕, which means "scattered sounds." This meant simply pluck the required string to sound an open note. The second is fan yin 〔泛音〕, or "floating sounds." These are harmonics, and the player simply lightly touches the string with one or ...

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Guqin, Guqin - Schools societies and players, Guqin - Historical schools and societies, Guqin - Players, Guqin - Playing technique, Guqin - Tablature and notation, Guqin - New developments in Qin tablature, Guqin - Repertoire, Guqin - Construction, Guqin - Forms, Guqin - Duanwen, Guqin - Strings, Guqin - Etymological note on the word 'string', Guqin - Tuning, Guqin - Table of common Qin tunings, Guqin - Qin aesthetics, Guqin - Manifestations of Qin music, Guqin - Footnotes

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Major Cantonese opera artists include: Yam Kim Fai (任劍輝) Bak Sheut Sin (白雪仙) Yuen Siu Fai (阮兆輝) Wun Fei Yin (尹飛燕) Sun Ma Tsaih (新馬仔) Kwan Duk Hing (關德興) Koy Ming Fai (蓋鳴暉) Lum Gar Sing (林家聲) Fong Yeem Fun (方艷芬) Hoong Ceen Leui (紅線女) Fung Wong Leui (鳳凰女) Leung Sing Boh (梁醒波) Loong Geem Saung (龍劍笙) Lang Chi Bark (靚次伯) Boong ...

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Cantonese opera, Cantonese opera - History, Cantonese opera - Characteristics, Cantonese opera - Significance, Cantonese opera - Types of play, Cantonese opera - Musical instruments, Cantonese opera - Music, Cantonese opera - Performers, Cantonese opera - Costumes, Cantonese opera - Makeup, Cantonese opera - Hairstyle hats and helmets, Cantonese opera - Frequently used terms, Cantonese opera - Major artists, Cantonese opera - Development in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera - Speech types

Read more here: » Cantonese opera: Encyclopedia II - Cantonese opera - Major artists

Costumes correspond to the theme of the play and indicate the character of each role. As mentioned above, each type of play is associated with particular costumes. The water sleeves of Mun plays can be attached to the waist or the sides of the breast areas. Costumes can be single or double breasted. Costumes also indicate the status of the character. Lower-status characters, such as females, wear less elaborate dress, which those o ...

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Cantonese opera, Cantonese opera - History, Cantonese opera - Characteristics, Cantonese opera - Significance, Cantonese opera - Types of play, Cantonese opera - Musical instruments, Cantonese opera - Music, Cantonese opera - Performers, Cantonese opera - Costumes, Cantonese opera - Makeup, Cantonese opera - Hairstyle hats and helmets, Cantonese opera - Frequently used terms, Cantonese opera - Major artists, Cantonese opera - Development in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera - Speech types

Read more here: » Cantonese opera: Encyclopedia II - Cantonese opera - Costumes

Applying makeup for Cantonese opera is a long and specialised process. One of the most common styles is the "white and red face": an application of white foundation, with red around the eyes and on the cheeks. The eyebrows are sometimes elongated. Lipstick is usually bright red. Actors are given temporary facelifts by holding the skin up with a ribbon on the back of the head. This lifts the corners of ...

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Cantonese opera, Cantonese opera - History, Cantonese opera - Characteristics, Cantonese opera - Significance, Cantonese opera - Types of play, Cantonese opera - Musical instruments, Cantonese opera - Music, Cantonese opera - Performers, Cantonese opera - Costumes, Cantonese opera - Makeup, Cantonese opera - Hairstyle hats and helmets, Cantonese opera - Frequently used terms, Cantonese opera - Major artists, Cantonese opera - Development in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera - Speech types

Read more here: » Cantonese opera: Encyclopedia II - Cantonese opera - Makeup

Cantonese opera pieces are classified either as "theatrical" or gor tarn ("singing stage"). The theatrical style of music is further classified into "Saih Ngok" (Western Music) and "Jung Ngok" (Chinese Music). Gor Tarn is always saih ngok (Western music), while theatrical music can be saih ngok or jung ngok (Chinese music). The "four great male vocals" (四大平喉) were notable exponents of gor tarn in the early 20th century. Saih ngok is accompanied by strings, woodwinds, brass plus electrified instruments, and jung ng ...

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Cantonese opera, Cantonese opera - History, Cantonese opera - Characteristics, Cantonese opera - Significance, Cantonese opera - Types of play, Cantonese opera - Musical instruments, Cantonese opera - Music, Cantonese opera - Performers, Cantonese opera - Costumes, Cantonese opera - Makeup, Cantonese opera - Hairstyle hats and helmets, Cantonese opera - Frequently used terms, Cantonese opera - Major artists, Cantonese opera - Development in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera - Speech types

Read more here: » Cantonese opera: Encyclopedia II - Cantonese opera - Music