Textual Research On The Rituals And Music System And Theatrical Performances In The Late Ming Dynasty

The development of theatrical performances is closely related to the rituals and music system of a dynasty. However, there is few reashers making the research by combining both of them really. Specific to the period of the late Ming Dynasty, the researchers focused more on the phenomenon of the renaissance of local opera and the popularity of legend, whereas looked little at the institutional change in an overall view. But the fact is that in the ancient traditional sound and rhetoric system, theatrical performances is actually one part of the rituals and music system, and reflects the circulation between refined and pop music. The current research efforts to study on the reformation of its rituals system and has made some achievements, while there is little attention put on the evolution of music system which is related to the rituals system closely. For this reason, this paper chooses the Period of Jiajing as the breakthrough point, making a textual research on the reformation of rituals and music system in the period of Jiajing in detail, and combing changes of the rituals and music system and the Jiaofang(Imperial Music) Department theatrical performances under the circulation between refined and pop music in the late Ming Dynasty.The full text is divided into three chapters:the first chapter makes a detailed textual research on the process and influence of reformation of rituals and music system in the period of Jiajing. Ming Shizong wanted to set up a new rituals and music system, but under his sovereignty, the significance of rituals and music itself became meaningless. Then the reformation just led to the confusion of refined and pop music. With the official music out of control, literati began to focus on rebuilding the rituals and musical theoretical system. This back-to-the-ancients trend showed two kinds of forms:one was to restore the ancient refined music, while the other turned to make pop music more specific. However, due to the tough authoritarian of Ming Shizong, both of them ended with the same disillusionment, following with the digestion of the literati spirits.The second chapter combs the evolution of rituals and music system and imperial theatrical performances in the late Ming Dynasty under the impact of Jiajing reformation. After the period of Jiajing, the ritual music charged by Taichang Temple fully collapsed. At the same time, Jiaofang Department which was in a central position in the rituals and music system originally also lost its status gradually, all its functions replaced by Zhonggu(Bell and Drum) Department. And Ming Shenzong even built two new music offices called Sizhai and Yuxi Palace, which made the theatrical performances became more and more imperial and personal, then pop music from various regions could spread into the inner court via them. Thus the imperial theatrical performances presented a scene of prosperity in the late Ming Dynasty.The last chapter takes Southern Jiaofang as an example to analyze the change from northern songs to southern songs in the process of the collapse of Jiaofang-centered rituals and music system, following with the digestion of back-to-the-ancients trend and literati spirits. The research includes the collapse of Southern Jiaofang system and registered musician household either, which reflected the last view of the imperial theatrical performances in the late Ming Dynasty.