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