Outline of Opera Aesthetics

Author: Ju Qihong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: The "opera" discussed in this book is not merely equivalent to the European traditional grand opera "opero," but rather a broader category. It includes not only classical musical drama forms such as "opero," "operetta" (small opera/light opera), and "musical drama," but also encompasses various styles and combinations of musical dramas like "musical" and modern Chinese song-and-dance operas. The book is divided into three parts.
Part "The Nature of Opera" provides a macroscopic discussion of opera aesthetics. It begins by examining the aesthetic characteristics of the constituent forms of opera and their roles and positions in creating the comprehensive beauty of opera, as well as the generative patterns and pathways of opera's comprehensive aesthetic experience. It further explores the different genres and their aesthetic features, and discusses the significance of opera's climaxes and character portrayal.
Part "Music of Opera" focuses on the theatricality of opera music as its central theme. It first traces the historical development of different eras and opera aesthetic concepts from the perspective of the temporal variations in opera music structures. It then summarizes the theatrical functions of various vocal and instrumental forms in opera, offering ontological and creative methodological insights.
Part "Literature of Opera" emphasizes the study of the nature and aesthetic characteristics of opera literature. It extracts several propositions from the common practice of adapting classic works as opera themes and provides aesthetic elaborations. It then explores the creative patterns and features of the two major elements in opera scripts—scenes and poetic drama.
Thus, the book combines abstract aesthetic speculation with a clear practical orientation, making it a well-balanced work that effectively integrates theory and practice in opera aesthetics.