The "main Brain" Study Of The Opera Structure Of The Song And Yuan Dynasties

In Qing Dynasty, the opera theorist Li Yu suggested that “structure comes first in opera composition”, which had a deep influence at that time.In Li Yu's theory, the “Jiefengci”,”Tuokejiu”,”Jiehuangtang” and“Shenxushi” are criterions about the content of opera composition,meanwhile the “Lizhunao”, “Mizhenxian” and “Jiantouxu” are theories about the narratologic structure in Chinese opera which had a pioneering place in the Chinese opera theory history. What is interesting is that there is no consensus in the academic world about Li Yu's theories on opera structure and “Zhunao”. This dissertation mainly talks about the theory of “Zhunao”, and defines it as the basic and fundamental reason of the whole succeeded plots.The northern and southern people in China have different spirit and culture history because of the different historic and geographic background. In Chinese opera, especially in Song and Yuan Dynasties, the northern opera has a direct style in composing roles while the southern opera has an indirect and comparatively complex style. Character of roles are always far more distinct and clear in northern opera while much more complex in southern opera. Northern opera always has more direct “Zhunao”than southern opera. In southern opera, more often than not, plots are logic and reasonable, and its “Zhunao” is much less clear than that in the northern opera.There is always an important role in operas of Song and Yuan Dynasties,who plays a pivotal role in the destiny of the main role in an opera.For example, Dou Tianzhang in Doueyuan, Miss Niu in Pipaji, the Couple Wang Deyong in Zhangxiezhuangyuan and so on. These roles changed the destinies of main roles in an opera, and makes the whole opera excellent and dramatic. It is because the definite “Zhunao” that made those roles not become main roles in an opera and remains a second place. It is because the clear “Zhunao” that made all the roles in an opera be of different meanings and be effective for the whole play. “Zhunao” improves the dramatic and artistic value in an opera.There is positive and negative evaluation in the academic world on Li Yu's opera theory, because of the unsystematic description on “one people,one story” in his dissertation. For example, some academic holds that it should be “two people and one story” in some opera, at the same time,some academic believes that the theory of “Zhunao” cannot summarize all the factors contributing to the success of a work. Although academics have different opinions, it is undeniable that Li Yu's theory of opera structure and “Zhunao” had an important influence at that time and is the initiative form of Chinese opera narratology.