EXCERPTS ON THE HISTORY OF THE PEKING OPERA MODERNISATION IN THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

The founding of the People’s Republic of China in the 20th century, the advent of changes in Chinese society lead to the emergence of new artistic requirements for Chinese dramatic art, and especially for the Peking Opera. Style changes have been brewing in the theater since the late Qing era, but they were fi nally thought out and fi xed in it by the personal talent of its representatives, such as Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Zhou Xinfang, Qi Zhushang and others. Their work had a signifi cant impact on the style of the Peking Opera and contributed to new fl owering of Chinese theatrical art. The article discusses the ways of its renewal; the most radical one subsequently led to the emergence of the so-called “exemplary performances”.