Peking Opera - Test
  • 1. What is Peking Opera also known as?
A) Tokyo Opera
B) Shanghai Opera
C) Beijing Opera
D) Seoul Opera
  • 2. In which country did Peking Opera originate?
A) India
B) Korea
C) China
D) Japan
  • 3. What are the four main types of roles in traditional Peking Opera?
A) Sheng, Dan, Jing, Chou
B) Hero, Villain, Sidekick, Clown
C) King, Queen, Prince, Princess
D) Lead, Supporting, Extra, Comic
  • 4. Which performer type in Peking Opera often plays female roles?
A) Chou
B) Sheng
C) Jing
D) Dan
  • 5. What is the distinctive feature of Peking Opera costumes?
A) Bright neon colors
B) Modern clothing
C) Elaborate embroidery
D) Minimalist design
  • 6. Which art forms have influenced Peking Opera?
A) Ballet, classical music, sculpture
B) Film, video games, literature
C) Opera, acrobatics, martial arts, music
D) Street dance, graffiti art, rap music
  • 7. What is the purpose of the traditional Peking Opera vocal style?
A) Yell loudly to be heard
B) Convey emotions with stylized techniques
C) Speak the lines without melody
D) Sing in a modern pop style
  • 8. Who is considered one of the most famous Peking Opera performers of all time?
A) Bruce Lee
B) Maria Callas
C) Michael Jackson
D) Mei Lanfang
  • 9. In which dynasty did Peking opera arise?
A) Han dynasty
B) Tang dynasty
C) Ming dynasty
D) Mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912)
  • 10. What are the four main role types in Peking opera?
A) Nan, Nu, Laosheng, Wusheng
B) Shēng (gentlemen), dàn (women), jìng (rough men), chǒu (clowns)
C) Wang, Gong, Daomadan, Xiaosheng
D) Laodan, Xiaosheng, Wudan, Chou
  • 11. What are the two main melodies in Peking opera?
A) Kunqu and Qinqiang
B) Gaoqiang and Xiaoling
C) Xīpí and èrhuáng
D) Jingju and Pingxi
  • 12. What was Peking opera denounced as during the Cultural Revolution?
A) Feudalistic and bourgeois
B) Modernist and progressive
C) Traditional and artistic
D) Westernized and capitalist
  • 13. What was the original name for Peking opera when Beijing was known as Beiping?
A) Píhuáng
B) Jingju
C) Pingxi or Pingju
D) Guójù
  • 14. Which emperor's birthday did the Four Great Anhui Troupes perform for in 1790?
A) Yongzheng Emperor
B) Kangxi Emperor
C) Jiaqing Emperor
D) Qianlong Emperor
  • 15. What form of Mandarin is closest to the archaic form used in Peking opera?
A) Shanghainese
B) Zhongyuan Mandarin dialects of Henan and Shaanxi
C) Beijing Mandarin
D) Cantonese
  • 16. What was the name of the first female Peking-opera troupe in Shanghai?
A) Founded by Kangxi Emperor
B) Founded by Qianlong Emperor
C) Founded by Li Maoer
D) Founded by Yu Zhenting
  • 17. What year was the ban on female performers in Peking opera lifted?
A) 1912
B) 1923
C) 1905
D) 1930
  • 18. What year did the Chinese Communist Party come to power in mainland China?
A) 1956
B) 1949
C) 1966
D) 1976
  • 19. Who was responsible for using opera as a tool to transmit communist ideology during the Cultural Revolution?
A) Deng Xiaoping
B) Mao Zedong
C) Jiang Qing
D) Lin Biao
  • 20. What percentage of musical dramas staged in China were traditional plays from the pre-Communist era according to a study in People's Daily?
A) 50 percent
B) Over 80 percent
C) 10 percent
D) 30 percent
  • 21. What was the status of Peking opera in Taiwan after the retreat of the Republic of China in 1949?
A) Minor art form
B) Political symbolism
C) Cultural taboo
D) Complete ban
  • 22. What was one reason for sending a Taiwanese opera group to a mainland cultural event in 1990?
A) To promote Peking opera
B) To celebrate Chinese unity
C) To emphasize 'Taiwaneseness'
D) To showcase modern art
  • 23. What happened to performances of works beyond the eight model plays during the Cultural Revolution?
A) They were allowed only in heavily modified form.
B) They were performed without any changes.
C) They were completely banned.
D) They became more popular than model plays.
  • 24. What was one change made to traditional Peking opera performances during the Cultural Revolution?
A) Traditional costumes were replaced with modern ones.
B) All operas were performed in English.
C) Visible stage assistants were eliminated.
D) Piano accompaniment was introduced.
  • 25. What has made it difficult for Peking opera to capture modern life?
A) Excessive use of modern elements
B) Lack of talented performers
C) Absence of traditional themes
D) The archaic language requiring electronic subtitles
  • 26. Which country did Mei Lanfang first perform Peking opera in outside of China?
A) United States
B) Japan
C) Soviet Union
D) Hong Kong
  • 27. What was the initial duration planned for Mei Lanfang's American tour before it was extended?
A) Four weeks
B) Three weeks
C) One week
D) Two weeks
  • 28. Which theater in New York City had to relocate Mei Lanfang's performances due to high demand?
A) 49th Street Theater
B) Broadway Theatre
C) Carnegie Hall
D) Metropolitan Opera House
  • 29. What is the term for the 'false foot' technique developed by Wei Changsheng?
A) Cai ciao
B) Mei Lanfang
C) Guan Gong
D) Zhao Kuang-yin
  • 30. Which role type did Mei Lanfang pioneer that combines the status of qingyi with the sensuality of huadan?
A) Laodan
B) Daomadan
C) Wudan
D) Huashan
  • 31. Which subtype of Sheng represents young male characters with a high, shrill voice?
A) Xiaosheng
B) Hongsheng
C) Laosheng
D) Wusheng
  • 32. Which subtype of Sheng is known for roles involving combat and acrobatics?
A) Hongsheng
B) Laosheng
C) Xiaosheng
D) Wusheng
  • 33. What controversial form of brothel arose due to the ban on female performers in early Beijing opera?
A) Mei Lanfang
B) Xianggong tangzi
C) Zhao Kuang-yin
D) Guan Gong
  • 34. Who is known for developing the 'false foot' technique to simulate bound feet in Peking opera?
A) Guan Gong
B) Otis Skinner
C) Mei Lanfang
D) Wei Changsheng
  • 35. Which subtype of Dan role is known for playing virtuous and elite women?
A) Wudan
B) Huadan
C) Daomadan
D) Qingyi
  • 36. Which type of Jing role is characterized by being a loyal general with a black face?
A) Chou
B) Wujing
C) Jiazi
D) Dongchui
  • 37. Which Jing role is known for combining martial and acrobatic skills?
A) Chou
B) Dongchui
C) Jiazi
D) Wujing
  • 38. What type of roles do Chou characters typically play in a Beijing opera troupe?
A) Primary roles
B) Secondary roles
C) Leading roles
D) Supporting roles
  • 39. Which Jing face color represents soundness and integrity?
A) Yellow
B) Black
C) White
D) Red
  • 40. What has lessened in Chou performances due to the standardization of Beijing opera?
A) Vocal timbre
B) Improvisation
C) Costume elaborateness
D) Use of percussion instruments
  • 41. Which Jing role is played by a skilled actor and involves complex characters?
A) Dongchui
B) Wujing
C) Jiazi
D) Chou
  • 42. At what age did students traditionally start their apprenticeship in Peking opera before the 20th century?
A) At age ten
B) A young age
C) After completing basic education
D) In their teenage years
  • 43. How long was the traditional apprenticeship period for Peking opera students before the 20th century?
A) Ten years
B) Seven years
C) Five years
D) Three years
  • 44. What type of training method was introduced in schools after 1930?
A) Self-directed learning
B) More rigorous methods
C) Less harsh methods
D) Military-style discipline
  • 45. When were new Peking opera training schools reopened after being closed due to the Japanese invasion?
A) 1945
B) 1935
C) 1960
D) 1952
  • 46. Which of the following is not a school based on famous Peking opera performers?
A) Ma Lianliang school
B) Mei Lanfang school
C) Chen Jialin school
D) Cheng Yanqiu school
  • 47. What additional component do modern Peking opera performance schools include besides traditional arts?
A) Military training
B) Foreign languages
C) Academic studies
D) Business management
  • 48. Which skill is not one of the four main skills used by Peking opera performers?
A) Painting
B) Combat
C) Song
D) Dance-acting
  • 49. What does walking in a large circle symbolize in Peking opera?
A) A change of heart
B) A festive celebration
C) A character's confusion
D) Traveling a long distance
  • 50. What is the principle that contrasts with Mo in Peking opera?
A) Literal representation
B) Realistic portrayal
C) Detailed accuracy
D) Suggestive, not imitative
  • 51. How are motions and poses typically manipulated in Peking opera to avoid sharpness?
A) Roundness
B) Straight lines
C) Rigid postures
D) Sharp angles
  • 52. In Peking opera, what does a character sweeping their eyes in a circular motion symbolize?
A) Being surprised
B) Searching for someone
C) Expressing confusion
D) Looking at an object above them
  • 53. What shape are traditional Peking opera stages?
A) Square
B) Triangular
C) Rectangular
D) Round
  • 54. What direction do performers move to upon entering the Peking opera stage?
A) Center east
B) Center north
C) Center west
D) Center south
  • 55. What does a whip signify in Peking opera?
A) A dragon
B) A sword
C) A chariot
D) A horse
  • 56. What color robes do emperors and their families wear in Peking opera?
A) Blue
B) Yellow
C) Red
D) Purple
  • 57. Which of the following is NOT a type of flag used in Peking opera?
A) Rectangular flag with 'commander'
B) Square flag with 'marshal'
C) Food flag
D) Water flag
  • 58. What do actors shake to represent waves on stage in Peking opera?
A) Wind flags
B) Water flags
C) Fire flags
D) Vehicle flags
  • 59. Which of the following is NOT an example of qimo props?
A) Tea and wine sets
B) Microphone
C) Candlesticks
D) Fans
  • 60. What do cloth backdrops represent in Peking opera?
A) Cities
B) Mountains
C) Deserts
D) Forests
  • 61. Which item is used to demonstrate environments and can be a backdrop?
A) Tea sets
B) Horsewhips
C) Ink slabs
D) Cloth backdrops
  • 62. Which of the following is an example of a simple decoration in qimo?
A) Spotlights
B) Microphones
C) Table curtains
D) Projectors
  • 63. What do actors use to represent fire on stage?
A) Water flags
B) Fire flags
C) Vehicle flags
D) Wind flags
  • 64. Which of the following is a traditional qimo item used in Peking opera?
A) Tablets
B) Handkerchiefs
C) Laptops
D) Smartphones
  • 65. What is the basic principle of breath control in Chinese opera?
A) Breath must always be visible to the audience
B) Breath is controlled by the chest and shoulders
C) Strong centralized breath moves the melodic-passages (zhong qi xing xiang)
D) Breath should be expelled quickly to maintain energy
  • 66. How many basic shapes are there for the throat and mouth in Peking opera?
A) Three
B) Four
C) Six
D) Five
  • 67. How many methods are there for articulating consonants in Peking opera?
A) Five
B) Three
C) Four
D) Six
  • 68. Who usually delivers an exit speech?
A) The main protagonist
B) A supporting character
C) An audience member
D) The director
  • 69. How many main types of song lyrics are there in Peking opera?
A) Ten
B) Four
C) Eight
D) Six
  • 70. How many rhyme categories are identified in Peking opera?
A) Ten
B) Fifteen
C) Thirteen
D) Eight
  • 71. What is the ideal basic timbre for Peking opera songs described as?
A) A controlled nasal tone
B) A bright soprano tone
C) A flat monotone
D) A deep bass tone
  • 72. What is the primary melodic instrument in Peking opera?
A) The jinghu, a small high-pitched two-string spike fiddle
B) The daluo, a large gong
C) The naobo, a type of drum
D) The yueqin, a circular bodied plucked lute
  • 73. Which style of Peking opera is considered more improvisational?
A) Erhuang
B) Both are equally improvisational
C) Xipi
D) Neither is improvisational
  • 74. How many works are included in the repertoire of Peking opera?
A) About 2,000
B) Around 500
C) Over 3,000
D) Nearly 1,400
  • 75. What is the term for traditional plays performed before 1949?
A) Xinbian de lishixi
B) Chuantongxi
C) Xiandaixi
D) Daxi
  • 76. Which Shakespearean play has been adapted for Peking opera?
A) Othello
B) A Midsummer Night's Dream
C) Hamlet
D) Macbeth
  • 77. Name one of the ten masterpieces of traditional Peking opera repertoire mentioned by Li Wenrui.
A) Hamlet
B) Othello
C) The Drunken Concubine
D) Macbeth
  • 78. Which director used Peking opera in a number of plays within Westernized, realistic plots?
A) Li Wenrui
B) Chen Kaige
C) Fei Mu
D) King Hu
  • 79. In which film does Peking opera serve as a backdrop for the protagonists' romance?
A) The Great Wall
B) Hero
C) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
D) Farewell My Concubine
  • 80. Which director is known for using formal norms of Peking opera in his films?
A) Fei Mu
B) King Hu
C) Chen Kaige
D) Li Wenrui
  • 81. What is a criticism of the portrayal of Peking opera in 'Farewell My Concubine'?
A) One-dimensional
B) Too modernized
C) Overly complex
D) Lacking authenticity
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