On Kun-Opera And The Aesthetic Mindset Of Clerisies During The Later Ming And The Early Qing Dynasty

Kun-opera is closely related to the aesthetic taste of thetraditional clerisies. The later Ming and the early QingDynasty, during which the aesthetic mindset of the clerisieshad impacted Kun-opera in different respects on the externalform and intrinsic implication, is the most prosperous periodof the development of Kun-opera. Kun-opera thus obtained itsunique artistic feature. The first chapter of this articlewill analyze the origin and the relationship between Kun-operaand the Chinese traditional clerisies from the following threespecific aspects, the innovation of the Tune-pattern, thescripts-writing and the providing for the training of troupemembers at home. In the second and the third chapters, thecorresponding relationships between the development ofKun-opera and the aesthetic attitude of the clerisies duringthe later Ming and the early Qing Dynasty will be discussed.The aesthetic attitudes of the clerisy in the later Mingexpressed the incompatibility between "emotion" and"reason" in the producing process of Kun-opera, while in theappreciation, the aesthetic manner of pursuing transcendence,refinement and elegance came into sight. Whereas the aestheticattitudes of the clerisy in the early Qing embodied inscripts-writing tended towards sentiment in dynastic changesand entertainment, as to the appreciation, we can see theaesthetic manner of secularism and flexibility. On the base ofstatic state analysis, Chapter four will further discuss the dynamic process of the gradual changes in the aesthetic mindset of the clerisies who lived in the change from Ming to Qing Dynasty, and its significance and impacts on Kun-opera art, including the short-term influence on the performing form of Kun-opera and the long-term impact of the competitions between Kun-opera and local operas on Kun-opera. The last chapter will analyze the predicament of traditional elegant music in the contemporary society, which also embodies the predicament of the whole traditional culture in the modern times, where people's aesthetic mind is manipulated by commercial culture and instrumental rationality.