A Study On The New Kunqu Opera"Gongsun Zidu"

"Gongsun Zidu", a new Kunqu Opera drafted by Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe in1997, has become a theatrical masterpiece after four renames and ten script revisions over the decade. This opera recreates the story of the classic Beijing Opera named "Fazidu", and sufficiently innovates in Wuxi, making it an outstanding opera on today’s stage of Kunqu Opera, which is full of Xiaosheng Sitting, Erhualian Sitting and Buffoon. The creation process of this opera has been lasted for more than a decade. Through the hard working on the script, music, performance, and stage art-making, the concept of "giving priority to Wuxi" was gradually formed, and the prize-winning scenario got born. Hence, it is not only a breakthrough of the opera itself, but also presents an outstanding miniature of current creations of new Kunqu operas.This thesis has carried out a two years’field investigation both on Gongsun Zidu and Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, where all the creation process, music characteristics, the performance features and the subsequent social influence of this new Kunqu Opera have been investigated systematically. Based on the objective analysis, this dissertation aims at reproducing the creation process of Gongsun Zidu and summarizing the concepts such as the integration of tradition and modernism, and tries to play a role in exploring the creative experience of new Kunqu Operas.