Delineating Modern Chinese Opera Through “White-Haired Girl

Abstract

Chinese opera is generally divided into two types, old and new. “Old opera” is defined by its use of traditional instruments and singing styles, such as that found in Peking opera and Cantonese opera.  New Chinese opera, often referred to as modern Chinese opera is characterized by a combination of Western compositional structures juxtaposed with Chinese musical elements. Discrepancies and generalisations have been noted through a preliminary review of literature pointing to a gap in understanding of what actually constitutes “modernity” in the definition and practice of contemporary Chinese opera. This paper elucidates some outcomes of a larger study. The first objective of this paper is to delineate the essence of modern Chinese opera by tracing its socio-cultural and musicological roots. The second objective is to examine the musical evolution and practice of White-Haired Girl , a highly performed composition since its premiere in 1945 and generally regarded as representative of modern Chinese opera in China. In this study, a qualitative methodology is used to collect primary and secondary data, including the analysis of extant literature, outcomes of semi-structured interviews and score analysis. The findings point to new knowledge and better understandings of what has been generally labelled as ‘modern’ opera with due consideration of its socio-cultural and musical intricacies.  The results of this study will enable scholars to better understand the nature and key characteristics of modern Chinese opera and assist musicians to develop effective approaches to modern operatic compositions and performances.