Page:Illustrations of China and Its People vol. II.pdf/36



The female characters are, as a rule, played by young men or boys, although on one or two occasions I have seen them enacted by women. The dresses usually worn are costumes belonging to the ancient Chinese dynasties, and the garb of the conquering mandarin is studiously avoided.

Nos. 32 and 33 represent actors attired, one as bride and the other as bridegroom, in the costume attributed to the period of the Mings.

Plates 34 and 35 exhibit dresses of the same epoch.

The dramatic parts assigned to females are sung in a shrill piping voice, while the tone of the male is pitched to suit the character represented. This peculiarity has obtained for Chinese theatricals the pigeon English name of " sing-song."

To the uncultivated foreign" ear the effect of the band is extremely discordant, as each performer appears to confine himself to his own ideas of tune and time, irrespective of the efforts of his neighbours, some of whom appear to be making frantic efforts to blow their brains out through the brazen instruments. There are, however, occasional solo parts not devoid of a certain quaint charm to the European ear.

The Chinese drama more nearly resembles the romantic plays of modern times than any of the classical models of Europe. It has no heed for the niceties and refinements so prized by Athenian ears; and its works are of a mixed character, in which tragedy and comedy alternate or combine. As was the case with Greece, some of their dramas are founded on mythology— the " Khan-tsieu-now," for example, where " la premiere scene du premier acte se passe dans le ciel, et la seconde sur la terre."