A Study On Tzu-chun's Arias Of Opera Regret For The Past

Regret for the Past has been adapted as an opera based on Lu Xun's novel. It was firstly performed in public in 1981. It is one of the most important operas in New Period of China. In opera Regret for the Past, the author makes good use of Chuan-Sheng's fragments of reminiscences in Lu Xun's original work, which are composed of clear, complete Tzu-chun's image. Tzu-chun and Chuan-sheng play the same important role in the opera. Tzu-chun's arias are the most important music of the opera. The arias not only make the musical structure and dramatic framework get the essential structure's power, but also they promote the plot development and artistic meaning of dramatic conflicts. Tzu-chun's arias not only create Tzu-chun's typical characters, but also set off the Chuan-sheng's image by contrast. Tzu-chun's arias depict the unity of perfection between the expression of emotions and dramatic expression of music. The arias strengthen extremely artistic appeal of opera Regret for the Past. Due to opera Regret for the Past exists the"misreading"of the original, so the image Tzu-chun of opera differs from the image Tzu-chun of the novel. Compared with the image Tzu-chun of the original, the character of Tzu-chun in opera is more pure, more beautiful and more perfect. This"misreading"is considered as going beyond the novel Regret for the Past. It makes the image of Tzu-chun separate from the original work, in which Lu Xun gave the figure's the cultural quality and style. It also makes the image of Tzu-chun lose the meaning of cultural criticism. Tzu-chun's arias of opera Regret for the Past continue and develop the lyric style of Shi Guang-nan's songs, and embody the aesthetic features of Shi Guang-nan's music.