China, Zaju, and Beijing Opera: Crash Course Theater #25
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Date: 2022-04-04
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Comments and reviews: 10
SharpNaif
As others have pointed out, the pronunciation of Chinese words is atrocious and inconsistent. The visuals are also poorly researched. The painting at 1: 00 does not represent the beginnings of Chinese drama; all those big hats with the red tops are strictly Qing dynasty (1644-1911. At 2: 47, the character drinking tea is an emperor; his headdress features a sort of beaded curtain of jewels. An emperor wouldn't normally be slumming with the plebes in a teahouse. Among other mistakes, The Orphan of Zhao has been adapted into other genres and was the first Chinese play translated into a European language, but it is no longer performed as zaju. All of the music to zaju plays has been lost. It sounds crazy when Chinese music from earlier dynasties is still around, at least in the form of Japanese gagaku, but I've been asking. The experts are unanimous: zaju music is all gone. Somehow, it's completely unrelated to music from the succeeding dynasty (Ming) that has the same tune title.
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As others have pointed out, the pronunciation of Chinese words is atrocious and inconsistent. The visuals are also poorly researched. The painting at 1: 00 does not represent the beginnings of Chinese drama; all those big hats with the red tops are strictly Qing dynasty (1644-1911. At 2: 47, the character drinking tea is an emperor; his headdress features a sort of beaded curtain of jewels. An emperor wouldn't normally be slumming with the plebes in a teahouse. Among other mistakes, The Orphan of Zhao has been adapted into other genres and was the first Chinese play translated into a European language, but it is no longer performed as zaju. All of the music to zaju plays has been lost. It sounds crazy when Chinese music from earlier dynasties is still around, at least in the form of Japanese gagaku, but I've been asking. The experts are unanimous: zaju music is all gone. Somehow, it's completely unrelated to music from the succeeding dynasty (Ming) that has the same tune title.
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Frank
I really detest the use of BCE/CE especially sice there's nothing comon about it, outside of historically Christian cultures. One could say it is common because of the prevelence of western civ, but isn't that a bit ethnocentric? The birth of Christ though is a point in time. You can take it as nothing other than that, if you wish. It's just like saying BBY and ABY in Star wars. So in the hopes of being PC we're using a less precise term which then results in more ethnocentric implications.
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I really detest the use of BCE/CE especially sice there's nothing comon about it, outside of historically Christian cultures. One could say it is common because of the prevelence of western civ, but isn't that a bit ethnocentric? The birth of Christ though is a point in time. You can take it as nothing other than that, if you wish. It's just like saying BBY and ABY in Star wars. So in the hopes of being PC we're using a less precise term which then results in more ethnocentric implications.
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RogerwilcoFoxtrot
They did eat seeds, but they were not pumpkin seeds. Pumpkins are a crop native only to the new world and Chinese opera watchers only started reading seeds from pumpkins in the Qing Dynasty and opening trade with the West (especially the USA. Song Dynasty play watchers enjoyed local seeds for snacks.
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They did eat seeds, but they were not pumpkin seeds. Pumpkins are a crop native only to the new world and Chinese opera watchers only started reading seeds from pumpkins in the Qing Dynasty and opening trade with the West (especially the USA. Song Dynasty play watchers enjoyed local seeds for snacks.
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Sugami
I'm sure this has already been asked before but I'm curious if you'll cover Japanese rakugo?
All speaking of -invisible- stage hands, I think the stage hands in Japanese plays wearing all black including a veil across their face is basically what started ninja wearing black in TV, etc. :)
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I'm sure this has already been asked before but I'm curious if you'll cover Japanese rakugo?
All speaking of -invisible- stage hands, I think the stage hands in Japanese plays wearing all black including a veil across their face is basically what started ninja wearing black in TV, etc. :)
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Arthur
Very exact. The only matter you didn't mention is all Chinese operas form a large family. Chuanqi is the grandfather, kunqu the first son, Jingju(beijing opera) second son, local operas and so on. You can perform a half beijing opera, half kunqu or Bangzi(Hebei province) opera.
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Very exact. The only matter you didn't mention is all Chinese operas form a large family. Chuanqi is the grandfather, kunqu the first son, Jingju(beijing opera) second son, local operas and so on. You can perform a half beijing opera, half kunqu or Bangzi(Hebei province) opera.
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Sara
I don't see how they could've been eating pumpkin seeds in 1000CE as we have no records of New World foods in the Old World anywhere near that early. Perhaps it's a mistranslation? I've read that some in the Far East eat musk melon seeds similar to how we eat squash seeds.
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I don't see how they could've been eating pumpkin seeds in 1000CE as we have no records of New World foods in the Old World anywhere near that early. Perhaps it's a mistranslation? I've read that some in the Far East eat musk melon seeds similar to how we eat squash seeds.
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Pouria
I went to one on my trip to Beijing 2 days ago. It was really amazing, from the moment that I was seated infront with bunch of other people around a table sharing tea and snacks to the breathtaking acrobatics, dance and singing with music was just. well breathtaking.
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I went to one on my trip to Beijing 2 days ago. It was really amazing, from the moment that I was seated infront with bunch of other people around a table sharing tea and snacks to the breathtaking acrobatics, dance and singing with music was just. well breathtaking.
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Pablo
You should do a separate episode on the zaju and chuan-qi types of plays in China. I feel that China deserves at least two episodes since its literary and theater traditions are just as deep and complex as those of Japan and India. Just my two cents here.
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You should do a separate episode on the zaju and chuan-qi types of plays in China. I feel that China deserves at least two episodes since its literary and theater traditions are just as deep and complex as those of Japan and India. Just my two cents here.
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Dinan
While there is good information, the host doesn't even seemed to have tried to pronounce any Chinese words correctly. Coming from Australia where ABC and SBS news presenters provide decent approximations, this seems to be lacking effort in comparison.
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While there is good information, the host doesn't even seemed to have tried to pronounce any Chinese words correctly. Coming from Australia where ABC and SBS news presenters provide decent approximations, this seems to be lacking effort in comparison.
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merlyn
would have liked it if the entire history of chinese performance was covered in maybe 2 episodes instead of 1. i felt like by the time the video got to beijing opera proper, time was up.
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would have liked it if the entire history of chinese performance was covered in maybe 2 episodes instead of 1. i felt like by the time the video got to beijing opera proper, time was up.
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