“Zongyuan” Concept in the Chinese Operas of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and Its Relevant Issues
Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)
No.3, 2018
“Zongyuan” Concept in the Chinese Operas of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and Its Relevant Issues
(Abstract)
Du Guiping
The theories and creations of Chinese operas in the Ming and Qing dynasties display the tendency of “Zongyuan” Concept, which means to take the operas of the Yuan Dynasty as the highest standard and typical form of Chinese operas, and thus construct the discourse paradigm of Chinese operas, direct new creation, and review the history of operas. The complex expression and diversified forms of “Zongyuan” concept profoundly influenced the creation and stylistic changes of operas in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and restricted the characteristic growth and development direction of the classical theory of Chinese operas. At the same time, the alternate dominance of various retro styles and the competition between retro and antiretro styles in the field of poetry and writing in the same period also exerted an influence on the creation and criticism of operas. The changes in style, aesthetic choices and theoretical features of operas in the Ming and Qing dynasties could all be reviewed with the help of “Zongyuan” perspective.