I'm not sure exactly how to describe the music of Chinese opera. I think it can be said that it uses a different scale or harmonic range than western music. The actors seemed to me to tell the story as much in their movement as through the words. With the basic plot explained to us -- the king returns from a battle, defeated by a commoner; unable to console him, his beloved concubine decides to kill herself to show her loyalty to him -- we were able to follow as the story unfolded.

The costumes and make-up were exquisite. I enjoyed the music, but I don't know that I would have enjoyed much more than the 20 minutes or so of it that we heard. I know it was about 19 minutes too much for some people, while others would have sat for another hour or two.

Princeton University has a succinct website that explains a little about the history of Beijing Opera that includes a description of the roles and some sound clips that might help you decide whether an evening at the Beijing Opera would be for you.