Author(s)

Chunli Ruan

Corresponding Author

Chunli Ruan

Abstract

This paper mainly focuses on the study on the opera named "Song of Farewell" , which was performed in Shanghai and Beijing in October 2012. As the first opera work by Ye Xiaogang, it fully demonstrates the characteristics of persistent efforts made by the composer over many years, and also reflects the overall style of contemporary Chinese composers. The paper mainly analyzes the opera work in two perspectives. Firstly, the paper focuses on the drama of opera, and analyzes the dramatic features of the opera from the perspective of “musical-note-like narrative”, “homosexual episode” and “play-in-play structure”. Secondly, the paper studies the musical content of the opera, and elaborates the stylistic characteristics of Beijing Opera elements, the blending of Chinese and Western styles, and the “new human voice”. In the conclusive part of the paper, the author summarized the various methods and theories of "new musicology" that have been used in the paper, analyzed some new perspectives and revelations arising from the opera, and further explained the charming and distinguishing features of this opera.

Keywords

Song of Farewell, Opera, Ye Xiaogang, Script Creation, Musical Creation, Ideological and Implied Meaning