"Clear Garden Talks About Drama Records"

Author: Wang Yuanhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book is a collection of essays by the renowned scholar Wang Yuanhua on traditional Chinese opera, including topics such as "Discussions on Peking Opera and Traditional Culture," "Random Notes on Hu Shi and Peking Opera," "On the Role of the 'Zhezixi'," "On Fundamentals and Schools," "Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera Clowns," "Thoughts Inspired by Wu Zixu," and "Qin Opera and the Orphan of Zhao." The author views Peking Opera through the lens of appreciation, first treating it as an art piece. Appreciation is about deriving artistic pleasure, which encompasses the ideological connotations, moral concepts, and social values within the play. The author wrote these essays not only out of personal interest but also to explore "what continues to attract and charm us in the traditional resources of Chinese culture." He also cautions young friends: "Without skill, there is no Peking Opera. However, beyond skill, what matters more is the emotional depth. If one merely adheres to the rules and conventions of Peking Opera predecessors but fails to understand the thoughts and emotions of the characters as they did, or cannot, as they did, convey style and demeanor in performance, then it is merely a superficial imitation in appearance." At the end of the book is an appendix titled "A Comprehensive List of Wang Yuanhua's Writings on Opera."