Patong Church Opera Singing Music Features And Cultural Meanings

The article aims at examining the aria of Badong Hall Opera in perspective. From the angle of musical morphology, the musical characteristics of the above-mentioned aria are analyzed, compared, quantified, induced, and deduced. Also, from the angle of musical anthropology, the musical entity is studied against the cultural environment in which the special variety of opera thrives. Due attention has been paid to Badong's humanistic environment, such as its local history, geographical features, ethnic groups, and Chinese dialects so as to have explored the underlying cultural meaning of the aria under Badong Hall Opera. Based on a series of field surveys, the author has recorded the current state of Badong Hall Opera and explained its previous changes from diverse angles. By comparing different operatic varieties under the category of Liangshan Vocal System, the distinct qualities of the opera are presented and its position in the whole system is properly adjusted. Meanwhile, it is justified that since the opera has flourished in a land where the Tujias and the Hans mingle together, its unique aria represents the cultural exchange between the two ethnic groups. The approach adopted by the author to make research into Badong Hall Opera is unprecedented and thus sheds much enlightening light on its music and cultural value. Looking at the effect of the Tujias'musical culture on the Hans'opera in a new light, the author dwells on the role played by operatic music in social transformation and racial as well as cultural assimilation.