Using the discussion in Worlds of Music, briefly outline the history of opera in China
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• Professionals who performed in opera in imperial China were much admired but held low status. Due to legal restrictions on mixed-gender troupes, some actors/actresses specialized in impersonating characters of the opposite gender (e.g., Cheng Yanqiu, a male famous for his female impersonations and lyrical, graceful vocal style).
• By the 1920s Western ideas began to influence opera in China (Western musical instruments, Western-style theaters and props/scenery). Although traditional operas with historical settings still predominated, operas with contemporary social themes were also introduced.
• With the founding in 1949 of the People's Republic, the Chinese Communist Party called for an increase in operas with contemporary themes and working-class characters.
• "After the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 the presentation of mythical and historical tales (or newly-written stories with a historical setting) resumed, with contemporary settings left in the main to other genres."
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What did Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, and Sonny Rollins all have in common?
a. they all played the saxophone b. they were all West Coast musicians c. they were all black d. they all did prison time for drug-related charges
Explain how this historical rivalry led to the rivalry between Siena and Florence.
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