Lewis Charlton M. - China: its history and culture

CHINA ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE

Also by W. Scott Morton

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Bactrian horse. Tang dynasty, eighth century.

This superb horse of dignity and power represents an import to China from Ferghana in Central Asia, quite distinct from the Mongolian pony. Even the sculptors of the Parthenon frieze did not exceed the skill of the Tang artist who made this figure, an unusually large one over 26 inches tall, covered in the typical three colors of glaze: cream, chestnut brown, and green. The imperial stables and pastures numbered their steeds in hundreds of thousands about this time, and poets and artists celebrated them with names such as Flying Dragons and Horses of Heaven. Some were trained to give exhibitions of dancing at the palace.

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Ezekiel Schloss

Photo: Keith Scott Morton

FOURTH EDITION

W. SCOTT MORTON
CHARLTON M. LEWIS

Copyright 2005, 1995, 1982, 1980, 2004 by W. Scott Morton. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07-146526-7

MHID: 0-07-146526-X

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Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint:

Excerpts from The Analects of Confucius, translated by Arthur Waley. Copyright 1938 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Reprinted by permission of George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd. and the Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

Excerpts from Book of Songs (Shih Ching), translated by Arthur Waley, 1960. Reprinted by permission of George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd. and Grove Press, Inc.

Excerpts from Life and Times of Po Chu-i by Arthur Waley. Reprinted by permission of George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd.

Excerpts from The Way and Its Power by Lao-tzu, translated by Arthur Waley, 1958. Reprinted by permission of George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd. and Grove Press, Inc.

Maps by Paul J. Pugliese

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BEIJING OPERA

The style of musical drama known as Beijing opera (jingju), represented on the cover of this book, developed in eighteenth century China from earlier traditions of regional drama. Many regional drama traditions still survive, but Beijing opera has developed on a national level to great heights of artistic achievement. Performers are trained from childhood and specialize in one of the fixed types of role, which are somewhat similar to those of commedia dellarte (e.g., mature scholar, refined young lady, warrior, buffoon). The great actors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century were tremendous celebrities in their day. Performers have to master the four skills of singing, gesture, speech, and martial arts, though the requirements for these vary with the roles. Plots are generally based on Chinese history and legend. In traditional China, opera performances were often given as part of a religious festival, and a complete story cycle could be performed over several days. In the present day, an opera performance in a theater normally consists of either a single story or a selection of key scenes from different operas, sometimes highlighting the work of a particular performer. It is customary to use no scenery other than a couple of chairs and a table, which can represent anything from an inn to a palace to a fortified city to a mountain range. However, costumes are very elaborate and splendid, and makeup is also very stylized; certain roles, especially warriors, wear dramatic face paint whose designs symbolize their personalities, while buffoons and villains wear white face paint. The dialogue spoken by roles of high social status is enunciated in a highly stylized manner, but female characters and those of low social status speak a more natural form of Beijing dialect. The language of the sung arias can be highly poetic, and surtitles are now usually used to enable the audience to follow the words. One rhyme sound is used throughout a scene, and the arias are sung to a fixed repertoire of tunes, played by a small string, woodwind, and percussion orchestra which would traditionally sit to one side of the stage.