The origin and formation of opera
Introduction The origin and formation of opera The origin of Chinese opera is very early, and it has already sprouted in the songs and dances of ancient primitive societies. Let me introduce to you the origin and formation of opera. Let's go and take a look! The origin and formation of opera
The development and growth process of opera is very long, from the Han and Tang Dynasties to the Song and Jin Dynasties. Only then has a relatively complete art form of opera been formed. Opera is mainly composed of three different art forms: folk song and dance, rap and comedy. Temple fairs and Washegoulan played a role in promoting the formation of opera.
Folk song and dance "Shang Shu Shun Dian" says: "I strike the stone and pick up the stone, and all the beasts lead the dance." This is a kind of dance performed by a group of primitive society people before going out for hunting, or after returning from hunting. Primitive religious ceremony: people dress up in animal shapes and dance to pray for blessings or to reward gods. The dance is accompanied by cheers and singing. "Lu's Spring and Autumn Period Ancient Music" says: "Ge Tian's music involves three people playing oxtails and singing eight songs." What is sung here is to pray for good weather and good crops. In primitive societies, people celebrated festivals, often worshiping gods with songs and dances, and entertaining themselves at the same time. At that time, there were festivals to commemorate victory in wars, to celebrate harvests, to exorcise ghosts and diseases, to worship ancestors, and to woo men and women, etc.
From primitive society to class society, China has a characteristic that is different from the West: in the West, with the emergence of classes, the original clan blood organization gradually disintegrated; while China has preserved this for a long time. This is the residual form of an organization and forms a relatively fixed rural organization. At the same time, songs and dances left over from primitive society have often been preserved in rural areas throughout the ages. "The Analects of Confucius·Xiangdang" said: Confucius himself would respectfully wear court clothes to participate in the "Xiangren Nuo" every year. This "township" refers to the hometown where Confucius was born, where his clan is located. This "Nuo" is a ceremony held every New Year's Eve to drive away ghosts and eliminate epidemics. Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs" during the Warring States Period are the folk songs and dances of Chu people worshiping gods. Folk songs and dances in Guanzhong during the Han Dynasty can be found in records such as "Huang Gong of the East China Sea"; in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui Dynasty, there are "Botou", "Da Mian" and "Two Rocking Mother" in the north; there are also "Lion Dance" and Hu Gong and Kunlun in the south. Singing and dancing of other characters. In the Tang Dynasty, these songs and dances were further improved. The Northern Song Dynasty has "Yinggu", and the Southern Song Dynasty has "Land Boat", "Bamboo Horse", "Flower Drum" and so on. The characteristics of this kind of song and dance are: ① Peasants only perform during festivals; ② It is amateur; ③ It is performed in squares or during processions; ④ It is performed with singing and dancing, dressed up as characters, but it does not constitute a complete dramatic story; ⑤ Except In addition to singing and dancing, it also includes various skill performances, such as stilt walking, martial arts, somersaults, etc. Since the Song Dynasty, this kind of singing and dancing has been commonly known as "Shehuo".
Although rural singing and dancing had great artistic development from primitive society until the Northern Song Dynasty in the 12th century, it never developed into a more complete dramatic form. The reasons are very complicated. On the one hand, the level of rural economy is low, and farmers' art is always in an amateur state. Without professionalism, they cannot regularly and carefully engage in artistic creation; on the other hand, the development of rural economy and the improvement of people's lives are very slow, and in terms of art, There is no urgent need to express new things. But when the Song Dynasty moved south, the southern commodity economy developed rapidly. Commercial cities and ports appeared along the southeastern coast. Great changes also took place in the lives of nearby rural areas, and professional art groups appeared. As a result, the early form of opera, Nan Opera, came into being.
The art of rap The influence of rap on opera has two aspects: one is the influence of rap literature on script creation; the other is the influence of rap music on opera singing.
The Chinese Han nation does not have long epics. The earliest poems about tribal history can be found in the Book of Songs. These poems are odes to their ancestors. As for the narrative poems that are truly literary works, the only longer ones are the "Mulan Ci" in the north and "The Peacock Flies Southeast" in the south during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but there is no evidence that they were sung with orchestral music.
It is generally believed that performing arts and opera should be distinguished. All acting, dancing, singing, song and dance, cross talk, rap, martial arts, etc. are all performing arts. Although opera is also a form of performing art, all performing arts cannot be described as opera. Wang Guowei described the dramas of the Song and Yuan dynasties as real dramas, which meant to define the scope of the concept. This word "drama" should be beyond reproach in terms of Chinese opera.
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