History of Song and Yuan Drama

Author: Wang Guowei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Prominent scholars' views, a cornerstone of Chinese classics, immersing you in the vastness and intricacy, providing cultural nourishment for the soul. Every era has its own literature: Chu's Ci poetry, Han's fu, the parallel prose of the Six Dynasties, Tang's poetry, Song's ci poetry, Yuan's qu opera—all are called the literature of their respective eras, and none can be followed by later generations. From the studies in this book, we can see that Chinese drama, since the Han and Wei dynasties, was combined with various entertainments; by the Tang Dynasty, it was divided into two types: dance-singing drama and farce; during the Song Dynasty, farce was particularly popular, and it gradually used dance and song to embellish stories. Thus, the former dance-singing drama no longer focused on dance and song but on stories. By the time Yuan zaju opera emerged, its form was established. The emergence of Nanxi brought even more changes, and thus China finally had pure drama. However, its relationship with various entertainments and farce was not entirely severed. From the studies in this book, we can see that Chinese drama, since the Han and Wei dynasties, was combined with various entertainments; by the Tang Dynasty, it was divided into two types: dance-singing drama and farce; during the Song Dynasty, farce was particularly popular, and it gradually used dance and song to embellish stories. Thus, the former dance-singing drama no longer focused on dance and song but on stories. By the time Yuan zaju opera emerged, its form was established. The emergence of Nanxi brought even more changes, and thus China finally had pure drama. However, its relationship with various entertainments and farce was not entirely severed.