Four Great Ancient Chinese Plays

Author: Wang Shifu, Tang Xianzu, Hong Sheng, Kong Shangren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-01-01
Features: In the colorful garden of Chinese art, opera is an art form that has the widest influence and the most distinctive national characteristics. The history of Chinese opera is long, and it is known as one of the three ancient dramas in the world, alongside Greek tragedies and comedies and Indian Sanskrit drama. It was formally established in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty and has gone through stages such as Southern Drama of Song and Yuan, Zaju of Yuan Dynasty, Legend of Ming and Qing Dynasties, and Huabu in the middle and later periods of the Qing Dynasty. Over these more than 800 years of development, a large number of famous operas have emerged, becoming an important part of the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. Among them, the four plays "Romance of the West Chamber," "The Peony Pavilion," "The Palace of Eternal Life," and "The Peach Blossom Fan" stand out as the most prominent. The reason why these four great operas dominate the history of opera, which is rich in masterpieces, lies first in the distinct timeliness and strong popular nature of the content they portray. "Romance of the West Chamber" proposes the ideal that "all those in love in the world should become couples," enthusiastically praising the love between Yingying and Zhang Sheng, reflecting the humanistic thought of young men and women in feudal society who demanded independent marriage and breaking free from the constraints of feudal etiquette. "The Peony Pavilion" further links male and female love with individual liberation. On one hand, it depicts Du Liangni's relentless struggle for ideal love; on the other hand, it profoundly exposes the constraints of feudal etiquette on people's minds, and ultimately writes a conclusion where "love conquers reason," which truly reflects the characteristics of the times when the middle class demanded to break free from feudal autocratic rule after the emergence of capitalism in the middle period of the Ming Dynasty. "The Palace of Eternal Life," born in the early Qing Dynasty, and "The Peach Blossom Fan" are even more distinctive in their timeliness. "The Palace of Eternal Life" summarizes the rise and fall of feudal dynasties through the "love story of the hairpin and box," serving as a warning to future generations. "The Peach Blossom Fan," with the joys and sorrows of Li Xiangjun and Hou Fangyu as its thread, shows the rise and fall of the Southern Ming Dynasty, embodying profound reflection. Therefore, these four plays have won the love of a wide audience and dominated the opera stage. Secondly, they have high artistic achievements, which is another important reason why these four plays are representative works of ancient opera masterpieces. In shaping characters, these four plays use various techniques such as psychological portrayal, detailed descriptions, personalized language, and mutual contrast to make both main and minor characters vivid and distinct, creating moving artistic charm. In terms of language style, the four plays are equally beautiful both on paper and on stage, being elegant and profound, rich in the artistic beauty of traditional Chinese poetry, yet not obscure or difficult to understand. This book collects the four great operas of ancient China: "Romance of the West Chamber," "The Peony Pavilion," "The Palace of Eternal Life," and "The Peach Blossom Fan," allowing readers to appreciate the essence of ancient Chinese opera in one volume. For the convenience of readers' understanding, the editor has added brief annotations to the original lyrics.