Revolutionary opera

People in China saw special shows.

These shows were called model operas. They had music and dance. They told stories of brave people.

Many people saw these plays. Some were even ballets. You could hear them on the radio too.

They were on posters and stamps. You could see them on teapots. They were everywhere in the land.

People still like some of these shows today. They are very famous.

During a time called the Cultural Revolution, China saw a new kind of art. These shows were called model operas, or yangbanxi. They were made to be different from old plays. Instead of stories about kings or beauties, they told stories of brave people. These heroes fought for their country and their ideas.

Many different styles were used. Some were Peking operas, which are a traditional way of acting. Others were ballets, which are dances that tell a story. There was even a symphony, which uses a large orchestra. Most of the main characters were women. These women showed great strength.

These shows were everywhere in China. People heard them on the radio. They saw them on posters, stamps, and even teapots. Mobile film units even took movies of the shows to the countryside. Because they were so common, people joked that eight hundred million people watched eight shows. Even today, some people still love these works. Some of the ballets still perform for audiences around the world.

During the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, China saw a major change in art. This period created a special kind of theater called revolutionary operas, or yangbanxi. These shows were very different from traditional Peking opera. Old plays often featured kings, generals, or beautiful maidens. The new model operas replaced those stories with tales of modern struggle. They focused on the bravery of common people and the People's Liberation Army. These stories aimed to show the victory of new ideas in China.

There were many ways to perform these new stories. The most famous group included eight original model works. Some were Peking operas, which is a traditional Chinese theater style. Others were ballets, which are stories told through dance. One work, Shajiabang, was even expanded into a symphony. This used a full Western orchestra with eight different movements. This musical style was similar to the famous works of Beethoven. Other versions included piano pieces and films that traveled to many places.

Jiang Qing was the main person who planned these shows. She was the wife of Chairman Mao Zedong. She used Peking opera as a way to test these radical changes. Before this, people in the Republican era had tried to reform theater too. However, the Communist Party began using opera for mass mobilization in the late 1940s. By the time the Cultural Revolution arrived, the model operas were fully engineered. They were designed to be a new kind of socialist art for everyone.

These operas were incredibly popular and easy to find. They were not just for rich people in big cities. People heard them on the radio and through loudspeakers in fields. You could find images of them on stamps, posters, and postcards. They were even printed on everyday items like teapots and wash basins. Because there were only a few main shows, people made a joke. They said eight hundred million people watched eight shows. This shows how much these specific plays dominated life in China.

Many of these stories focused on strong women. The female characters often started as oppressed or mistreated. They found their own strength through the Communist Party to change their lives. This helped promote new ideas about women in society. Even today, some of these works are still performed. The ballet Red Detachment of Women has toured the world. It has even been seen by leaders like Richard Nixon. Some people still cherish these works for their unique music and dance.

Revolutionary operas, also known as yangbanxi, were a specific series of theatrical works in mainland China. They were engineered during the Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976. These shows were designed to be modern and revolutionary in both music and theme. Unlike traditional Peking opera, which often featured emperors, kings, or beautiful maidens, these operas told stories of recent struggles. They focused on the bravery of common people and the People's Liberation Army. The goal was to show the victory of communism and the importance of Mao Zedong Thought.

The creation of these operas involved a radical transformation of existing art forms. Jiang Qing, the wife of Chairman Mao Zedong, was the chief engineer of this change. She used the traditional Peking opera as a "laboratory" for her experiments. The content shifted from "feudalistic" historical tales to stories about class enemies and revolutionary struggles. This process changed how stories were told and how music was structured. The new works were meant to serve as a proletarian statement for the masses.

The original collection of model operas consisted of eight specific works. These works used different theatrical mechanisms to reach audiences. Five of the plays were modern Peking operas, such as The Legend of the Red Lantern and Shajiabang. Two were ballets, including Red Detachment of Women and The White-Haired Girl. One work, Shajiabang, was also expanded into a symphony. This symphony used a full Western orchestra and featured eight movements. It was musically similar to the style of Beethoven's ninth symphony.

As time passed, the number of model operas grew from eight to eighteen. After 1969, new plays like Azalea Mountain and Battle in the Plains were produced. These followed the original models in both form and content. Interestingly, some works even swapped genres. The ballet Red Detachment of Women was eventually adapted into a Peking opera. Conversely, the Peking opera Azalea Mountain was adapted into a ballet. However, these later versions did not achieve the same level of popularity as the originals.

These operas were not just for elite audiences in theaters. They became the only form of mass theatrical entertainment in China at the time. They were performed on stages, broadcast on the radio, and turned into films. Mobile film units traveled to the countryside to play cinematic recordings for people. People also heard the music through loudspeakers in schools, factories, and even in fields. The operas were so widespread that people joked that "eight hundred million people watched eight shows."

The cultural impact of these works extended to almost every part of daily life. Because they were considered symbols of the new socialist era, they appeared on many objects. You could find images of the operas on LPs, comic books, posters, and postcards. They were even printed on everyday items like stamps, teapots, wash basins, and cigarette packages. This constant presence meant that ordinary citizens were very familiar with the music. Many people would sing the arias in their homes or on the streets.

Many of these narratives were used to promote state feminism. Most of the eight model dramas featured women as their main protagonists. These characters often began as oppressed by class position or imperialism. They eventually found their own internal strength through the Communist Party. In these stories, the villains were consistently male. This provided a new standard of conduct for both officials and ordinary people. Characters were expected to accept hardship first and focus on the needs of the masses.

Even decades after the Cultural Revolution, these works maintain some artistic significance. Some of the operas have been sent on international tours. For example, the China Central Ballet has performed Red Detachment of Women in cities like Los Angeles and New York. Modern audiences have marveled at its "hybridity," which mixes revolutionary ideas with exotic music and high European styles. Some works, like the ballet Red Detachment of Women, even reached global leaders like Richard Nixon. While they remain tied to a specific political era, their unique music and dance continue to be studied and performed.