49
The Fighting Scene
If you spend one night in a Chinese Opera House, you would probably come across at least one performance of a fighting scene. This could be a fleeting scene, for a short duration, with a few people involved, or it could be an elaborate affair with dozens of people, belonging to two groups (armies), led by a general on each side and locked into a battle that could decide the future of their individual country for a long time to come.
In the latter case, when the two armies come into contact, it is customary for the general representing the host country to speak first. He will probably ask the other general of the invading army “What is your name?” as if to say that he does not want to kill the wrong man. The second general replies "I am so and so, so what?" The first general will then make a lot of threats to make the second general and his army surrender or go away. Otherwise, the second general and his army will be mercilessly crushed.
The rejection of the demands means that dialogue is complete and war is on. You would expect that all hell would break loose and the generals on both sides would throw every soldier, as well as every horse, into the fray and the soldiers would set upon each other's throats like ants!
But this is NOT TO BE! Sure, there are numerous marches, and countermarches, up and down the stage. There is an abundance of somersaults, even clashes of hand weapons. They want to make the impression that they are fighting a ruthless war, but they are following a precise pattern, of premeditated and coordinated action that is devoid of deviation and spontaneity.
The strangest thing I ever witnessed in a fighting scene of the Opera, was that when the generals were fighting - all mounted, of course, with full fighting gears and weapons - and, without apparent reason, each one threw his hand weapon into the air for the other man to receive. They continued to fight with their newly acquired weapons. Then, after a certain signal, the weapons were again thrown into the air to their rightful owners as if to say that they were not used to their adversary's weapon! How absurd! How can you explain these seemingly silly things?
49
The Fighting Scene
If you spend one night in a Chinese Opera House, you would probably come across at least one performance of a fighting scene, This could be a fleeting scene, for a short duration, with a few people involved, or it could be an elaborate affair with dozens of people, belonging to two groups (armies), led by a general on each side and locked into a battle that could decide the future of their individual country for a long time to come.
In the latter case, when the two armies come into contact, it is customary for the general representing the host country to speak first. He will probably ask the other general of the invading army “What is your name?”" as if to say that he does not want to kill the wrong man' The second general replies "I am so and so, so what?" The first general will then make a lot of threats to make the second general and his army surrender or go away. Otherwise, the second general and his army will be mercilessly crushed.
The rejection of the demands means that dialogue is complete and war is on. You would expect that all hell would break loose and the generals on both sides would throw every soldier, as well as every horse, into the fray and the soldiers would set upon each other's throats like ants!
But this is NOT TO BE! Sure, there are numerous marches, and countermarches, up and down the stage There is an abundance of somersaults, even clashes of hand weapons. They want to make the impression that they are fighting a ruthless war, but they are following a precise pattern, of premeditated and coordinated action that is devoid of deviation and spontaneity
The strangest thing I ever witnessed in a fighting scene of the Opera, was that when the generals were fighting - all mounted, of course, with full fighting gears and weapons - and, without apparent reason, each one threw his hand weapon into the air for the other man to receive. They continued to fight with their newly acquired weapons. Then, after a certain signal, the weapons were again thrown into the air to their rightful owners as if to say that they were not used to their adversary's weapon! How absurd' How can you explain these seemingly silly things
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