History of Chinese Opera Films

Author: Mei Li (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-09-01
Features: Drama is one of the miraculous arts created by humans. In the world of art, Chinese opera stands alongside Greek tragedies and comedies and Indian Sanskrit drama as one of the oldest recognized theatrical cultures. As a uniquely charming gem in the garden of world drama, Chinese opera integrates singing, recitation, acting, combat, and dance. It emphasizes capturing the essence of characters, possesses poetic beauty, transcends the ordinary, and is exquisitely elegant. With a long and profound history, it is like a flowing river that continuously evolves with the progression of time and the changing aesthetics of audiences, constantly replenished with fresh vitality. By the Song and Yuan dynasties, it had reached its full maturity. Within the unified family of Chinese opera, there are many different varieties. Historically, there were Nanxi (Southern Drama), Zaju (Miscellaneous Drama), Chuanqi (Romantic Drama), and various local operas that flourished since the Ming and Qing dynasties. Additionally, there are ethnic minority operas such as Tibetan Opera, Bai Opera, Zhuang Opera, Dai Opera, and Dong Opera. It is difficult to provide an exact number of operatic genres and troupes across the country. According to the statistics of the Institute of Opera Research at the Chinese Academy of Arts in December 1980, there were 293 operatic genres and 2,072 professional troupes at or above the county level. As for the amateur troupes active among the masses, they are as numerous as the stars in a summer night sky, countless in number.