The literary and martial arts fields of opera music

The musical instruments include orchestral music (commonly known as “literary field”) and percussion (commonly known as “martial arts field”) composed of different musical instruments. Musical instruments are used for vocal accompaniment and opening, scene connection, coordination with dance, martial arts, and performance, and comparison and enhancement of stage atmosphere. It is worth mentioning that martial arts field - percussion, plays an important role in unifying and enhancing the control of stage rhythm. It is a unique means of artistic expression in Chinese opera. Opera uses musical instruments as a means of expression, mainly used to accompany singing, reading out, performing, and fighting, that is, performing arts; as well as to develop dramatic conflicts, shape characters, express thoughts and feelings, and enhance the stage atmosphere.

The role of musical instruments in opera

The task of instrumental accompaniment is undertaken by the band. The opera band is composed of two parts, the string and orchestra part is called the literary field, and the percussion part is called the martial arts field. Together, they are called the literary and martial arts fields. The main function of the literary field is to provide accompaniment for singing and perform tunes to accompany the performance (belonging to scene music). The main task of the martial arts field is to use percussion instruments to play gongs and drums, coordinate with the actor’s body movements, line reading, singing, dance, and fighting to show an orderly rhythm. Under the leadership (command) of the clapper master, the martial arts field regulates and controls the rhythm of the entire play. Percussion instruments are widely used in opera and reflect outstanding artistic effects. The singing, reading out, performing, and fighting in opera all have strong rhythm. Gongs and drums are instruments with strong sound and distinctive rhythm. They are the backbone of dramatic rhythm. The combination of gong and drum accompaniment can enhance the rhythm and accuracy of opera singing and performance, help express the characters’ emotions, add drama color, and set off the stage atmosphere.

Lead instruments of Bangzi opera

The main accompaniment instruments of Bangzi Opera include banhu, erhu, sanxian, pipa, flute, sheng, suona, etc. In terms of the main instruments in the literary field of the Bangzi opera band, in the early days they were Daxian (octagonal yueqin; the player also plays the suona), Erxian (a high-pitched small banhu with a bamboo or wooden qin barrel covered with paulownia wood) and Sanxian (a plucked string instrument). In the 20th century, banhu, erhu, pipa, bamboo flute, sheng, cello, zhuihu, guzheng, violin, viola and Western brass and woodwind instruments were gradually added to the band to form a Chinese and Western mixed band. The main instruments in the martial arts field of the Bangzi Opera Band include bangu, tanggu, big gong, cymbals, small gongs and clappers, etc. The following will briefly introduce the main accompaniment instruments of Bangzi Opera:

Musical instruments in literary field﹝.Flute│.Sheng│.Suona│.Erhu│.Banhu│.Pipa │.Zhuihu│.Guzheng﹞

Instrument name and introduction

Instrument Introduction	Video demonstration
Flute: A wind instrument. It is mainly divided into two categories: the flute of a thicker body reflecting a soft and euphemistic tone; the flute of a shorter body reflecting a strong and bright tone.	(Click to play video)
Sheng: A wind instrument. It is one of the important instruments in opera scenes.	(Click on the image to play the video)
Suona: A wind instrument, also known as “trumpet.” Traditional suonas are divided into large suonas, medium suonas, and small suonas according to their shape and size. The suona has a high-pitched sound, which can create a festive or majestic atmosphere on the stage.	(Click to play video)
Erhu: A stringed instrument with lingering and tender sound.	(Click to play video)
Banhu: A bowed string instrument. The sound is crisp and loud, which is suitable for expressing passionate and unrestrained music.	(Click to play video)
Pipa:A plucked string instrument. Because of its crisp and bright tone, rich expressiveness and wide range, it is one of the important accompaniment instruments in the literary field.	(Click to play video)
Zhuihu: A bowed string instrument. One of the accompaniment instruments for signing and opera.	(Click to play video)
Guzheng: A plucked string instrument. It has beautiful timbre, wide range, rich playing skills and strong expressive power.	(Click on the image to play the video)

Musical instruments in martial arts field﹝Datanggu│Xiaotanggu│Big gong│Small gong │Bangu│Cymbals│Gong and Drum Sutra│Bangzi﹞

Instrument name and introduction

Instrument Introduction	Video demonstration
Datanggu: Datanggu is often used to create stage atmosphere and deliver war scenes. Datanggu’s drum sound is loud and deep.	(Click to play video)
Xiaotanggu: Xiaotanggu has a bright and crisp drum sound. It is often used to create a quiet atmosphere in the dead of night, or to express some small sounds of wind, rain, waves, alcohol, cold, etc.	(Click to play video)
Big gong: It is mainly used in martial arts opera and Laosheng, Wusheng and Wudan operas with a strong stage atmosphere.	(Click to play video)
Small gong: Due to the different pitches, it can be divided into three types: high, medium and low. Depending on the needs of the plot and characters, gongs with different tones are chosen. In general, martial arts opera has a higher pitch and the timbre is crisp and bright. Literary opera has a lower pitch and the timbre is dignified and elegant.	(Click to play video)
Bangu: It often plays the role of conductor in ensembles and accompaniments.	(Click to play video)
Cymbals: The sound they make when struck is sharp and bright. Together with the big gong and the small gong, they form the three major pieces of percussion in the band. Cymbals have a distinct rhythm, and they achieve the purpose of setting off the characters on stage by being played with various gongs and drums.	(Click to play video)
Gong and Drum Sutra: It can enhance the richness and layering of percussion music.	(Click to play video)
Bangzi: When being played, the player holds a rectangular stick in left hand and a cylindrical stick in right hand. The player uses the cylindrical stick to strike the rectangular stick to produce sound. The sound is crisp, solid and has no fixed pitch.	(Click on the image to play the video)

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