Zhuang Opera in Guangxi Province, China

Abstract

This dissertation is a study of Zhuang opera in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China. There are three general genres of Zhuang opera – the North Zhuang opera, South Zhuang opera, and Shigong Zhuang opera. The themes of the repertoire of Zhuang opera are about encompassing love, ethics, history, and myth. The analysis of selected musical pieces of these four types focuses on the music structure of Pingban melody, the relationship between Bayin music and opera melodies, and the ‘waist-foot’ rhyme of the song texts. This study is a pioneering work on the Zhuang opera's musical form as there is currently no published work on the music of the opera and its association with related music categories. Except for very few research collections on national opera, most studies mainly focus on the history, literature, and folklore of traditional Zhuang Opera. In the process of long-term changes and development, Zhuang Opera artists have always maintained free artistic ideas, fused and integrated various cultural and artistic elements, and created a contemporary form of artistic performance, religious ritual, folk music and performances, dances, and many other literary arts. In general, this study utilized new research methodologies producing different results from previous research, while at the same time, confirming earlier studies on the music and performance styles of the opera.

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