■Abundant Topics, and Easy to Understand

The topics of Chinese opera are abundant with their contents covered tragedy and comedy.The opera blends arts of singing, dancing and lyrics, presenting humor or metaphorical criticism to reflect the social reality.It conveys highly educational, artistic and entertainment functions.The traditional topics of Chinese opera cover broadly, including historic episodes, stories with uncertain ending, classic music opera, and legends.Some were originated from novels, others adopted from the absorption of lyrics and songs.There are over thousands of opera titles, primarily with topics as historic, myth, and legendary.For example, there are ”the Strategy of the Unguarded City,” “Gathering of Heroes,” and “the Arrest and Release of Tsao” based on “The Three Kingdom Story”; and titles of “Disorders in Heaven Palace,” “True or False Monkey King” based on the material of “Western Visiting.” The titles of Chinese opera not only cover vast materials, but easy to understand that are deeply fond by ordinary people.

■Script Reflected the Then Political and Social Environment

Due to Chinese opera was formed in Beijing, the national center of Qing’s regime, under the control and influence of feudalism thought, there were works of feudal moral propaganda, religious superstitions, and beautifying the surrender behavior, such as “Praise of Double Officials,” “Reimbursement of the Astonishing Injustice” “The Fourth Son Visits His Mother”, and the “Elderly Peng Case” and “The Elderly Shih Case” related topics.They are the better ones.At that time, circulation of the scripts of the Chinese opera was primarily by master and students’ oral transmission and mental understanding, and hand-written collections by actors.The current collections of the traditional titles of Chinese opera are some 1200 items, with vast topics.Among them, “Feng Shen Book Story,” “The Soldier Yang’s Family,” “Shui Hu Historic Story,” and “Tragic Heroes Story” are the mostly portrayed historic stories and heroic legends.? These operas reflected the of ancient political and military struggle occupied important position.Many talented scripts from different angles expressed the willingness of people, reflected various conflicts of the feudal society, praised anti-oppressed and anti-intruding struggles, and shaped the heroic image that was beloved by people, and ironically attacked various antagonists that were hated by people.

■Subject –Matters of the Opera are Realistic and Entertainment-Oriented

Compared with the Western musicals, Chinese opera is less emphasized on love affairs.Even so, there are more stories of hardships of beloved husband and wife than those of emotions of lovers.In terms of subject-matter, the main source coming from Chinese history, most stories are based on real history and can be traced; there are few fictional.Because the contents are more real of contents in Chinese opera; therefore, it is more touching.Pursuing entertainment is a general requirement for people.Opera can provide most sufficient entertainment to the five senses.It contains all elements that other art form can compare.In sum, opera topics are most close to the daily life of ordinary people, and related to our lives.

Reference:
Gui-Zh Su, The Development of Chinese Opera and Taiwanese Opera Under the National Policy, Wen Shi Zhe Publisher, 2003.
Wing Report http://www.ebaomonthly.com/window/reading/chlit/ch9/ch9_15.htm /sorted by the research team
Source of Photos: authorized and provided by Guoguang Opera Company

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