The Historical Nai]Rative Of The Chui Chui Qiang Opera Of The Bai Minority Ethnic Group In China

As a part of the great variety of the traditional Chinese operas (xiqu), the regional operas of the ethnic minorities are shining with their unique glamour. In the study of such operas, the nature of this artistic synthesis of singing, dancing and narrative requires a comprehensive approach with all kinds of material and sources available. It is far from enough to only examine the isolated individual sources, which represent different sides of the same type of opera. Only when placed in the same historical process can they form a network of relationships and thus provide a whole picture of the subject in question. In this way, the regional operas can serve as an important perspective to understand the music, culture and society, past and present, of China.This methodology has both the diachronic and synchronic dimensions. By way of observing the subject in the historical process and constructing the past from multiple materials, we can not only delineate the history and vicissitude of the subject, but also explore and analyze all kinds of relevant phenomena and their relationships against the historical and social background.From the perspective of vicissitude, this dissertation examines in the historical context chuichuiqiang, a regional opera popular in the region of Dali, Yunnan Province. From the second to the fourth chapter, with all the sources available, ranging from historical material, literary documents in modern times, related cultural relics, legends and myths, environment of existence to the oral material gained through field work, the author divides the history of this opera into three periods according to the transformation of its identity. Each period is discussed in various aspects, including the performing groups, music, sources of librettos, the creation and arrangement of the repertory, and the custom, circumstances, formulas and forms of the performance, as well as its social function, identity, and ways of existence. All these help to outline the historical process of the formation, development, and continuation of this particular kind of opera.The discussion is especially organized by a series of problems surrounding the opera, such as the formation, the origin of the vocal styles, the transformation of the identity, the ways of existence and identification, music and the sense of the regional, multiple dimensions of existence.Based on the research above, the author tries to generalize the common features of the regional operas of ethnic minorities in general. Moreover, it is hoped that this case study not only draws more attention to chuichuiqiang, but also inspire the reflection on methodology employed in the research of regional operas of ethnic minorities.