Ming Dynasty Opera Theoretical Criticism Debate

In the history of classical Chinese literary criticism, study on theoretical controversy is treated as a common method because of its fierce theoretical content and developed concept. During the Ming dynasty (1368—1644), especially the middle and late period (1436—1644), actually all the arguments concerning opera theoretical criticism naturally stem from an aesthetic idea, which always lives traditional literature theory. In summary, it involves multiple fields of opera whatever substance or form, and owns wide theoretical content, and its kernel justly lies in reconstruction about conception of distinguish types of classical Chinese opera.Generally speaking, these controversies can be divided into a great many levels such as creative objective one, performing objective one, and one how unison is obtained between content and form.Concerning model of creative object, what theories in the Ming Dynasty focused on is what on earth creative object is able to be regarded as a completed example so as to show the later. At this point, there exist two different trends: one relates to the pre-dynasty, that is to say, practical creation of opera in the Ming Dynasty is guarded by a recognizance of the pre-dynasty creative object. The key of dispute concentrates on sorting order about these members of "Four Families of YuanQu". On the contrary, another pays attention to the present, namely cognizes up-to-date "MingJia" through arguing the Ming Dynasty's creative object. Universally the "Controversy of MingJia" is called "Controversy of Yi and Fa".As for ones about representative of yielding members, they chiefly take care to identify verification of creative and performing object, that is to say, creative object (performing object), or to which kind of man( or how many group) dominant of opera creation should belong, and what do they do ? In close connection with here, study of Dichotomy to identify of verification creative object of traditional opera develops also, and diversity to the "HangJia" "LiJia" enters into a certain relationship with and modulates mutually then. This is "Distinguish between Hang and Li".In connection with one of traditional opera canonical script, it concludes the same two degrees as "Controversy of MingJia": One faces the former dynasty, it took theoreticians of the Ming more time to appreciate The Romance of West Chamber, The Story of Lute, as well as The Story of Paying a Visit to the Month Pavilion, and to estimate their subjective content, language style, tonality structure and so on. Finally they could affirm some typical plays which are capable of reconciling and leading the present. While another goes forwards to the up-to-date. In the aspect, The Peony Pavilion from Tang Xianzu comes into being a disputing centre.About one of harmony between content and form, although at that time the argumentfocuses on "Controversy between Tang and Sheng", however we can briefly think it as "Controversy of Yi and Fa". The latter originated from the moment when traditional opera characterized with literary and stage attributes, whose main content depends on a conflict issue between "culture" and "skill" while creating opera. Consequently, how to solve collision, and to reach a harmonious realm, as regarding these problems, if we only take note to these intensities, then it will be inevitable to misunderstand the "Controversy of Yi and Fa".After numeral arguments, theorists of the Ming Dynasty basically have reached a stable and objective common view in the aspect of opera noumenal cognition and creative problem: Firstly, it is looked upon as the only way to tend towards opera prosperity that HangJia must work together with LiJia, as well as scholar engage to produce good play at the aid of actor, so does the latter do; Secondly, it is a capital task for creators to achieve language merged elegance and worldly simultaneously, form mixed together Yi and Fa, and subject paid equal attention to "The Confucian Ethic" and "human feelings"; Lastly, besides above operations narrated, if a player want to finally complete more wonderful scrip which implicates social aesthetic function, he must link up the version with the stage, his desk and other stage together. To summarize, all these debates in the Ming Dynasty almost embody a trend, which traditional opera theory is going forward to integrative one.In the course of practical disputing, the above arguments show many characteristics as follows: comparatively distinctive, compatible and comprehensiveness. However, that the real achievements are gained after experiencing strongly debating and systematically summarizing cover all the proposition related to the traditional opera theory, whatever philosophical or aesthetical, and extremely influence on opera theoretical development of the Qing Dynasty.