Denis Fodor <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Well, it's not much better today at the Peking Opera.  I attended a
>performance there a couple of months ago and found myself having to get
>used to the scene.  Several rows in the front of the orchestra section,
>among the best seats in the house, consisted of movable chairs.  During the
>performance attenders came in from the restaurant, and with everything in
>full swing, simply seated themselves,sliding their seats into position for
>a good view.  Throughout, everywhere in the auditorium, low-voiced chatter
>kept up.  Snacks were unpacked and eaten.

Hate to disillusion you; but that's part of the performance tradition With
Chinese opera...  it's also common to find theatres with dining tables in
front of the stage (i've even seen the diners integrated with the action
by the performers; & some of waitors serving you yum cha seem to have
suspiciously good vocal techniques).  Not wanting to have a meal when you
attend such a theatre is a major diplomatic faux pas, as i unintentionally
- my interpretor had these attendance assumptions so ingrained she didn't
explain to me the differece between the category A & B seats - discovered
in Beijing once.  One needs tp remember that - although we call these
various schools _opera_ - this kind of musical theatre is much more of a
total art form than any Western opera; & mixes the circus with the recital
in equal measure.

People tend to kid themselves that the Western musical tradition is somehow
universal.  It's certainly been well publicised & has produced remarkable
work; but there is nothing universal about any of its assumptions...
starting with the one which states that art must be treated as though it
were hiding in a museum to be truly appreciated.

All the best,
Robert Clements <[log in to unmask]>