THE INFLUENCE OF EUROPEAN ART ON CHINESE OPERA CULTURE

Abstract

The article examines the influence of European culture on the origin and development of Beijing opera, focusing on the penetration and assimilation of European opera's characteristic features into Chinese musical culture. It systematically analyzes these innovations within the historical context, elucidating their role and position in the broader Chinese cultural and historical processes. The study reveals that the primary avenue for introducing European musical canons was through school songs, which, due to their simple composition and ease of performance, served as the basis for incorporating structured European approaches into Chinese music. It notes that the creation of the first officially recognized Chinese opera, “Grey-hair Girl”, followed the emergence of Children's Operas, which exhibited elements of Europeanization while retaining their melodic structure. The conclusions highlight that the development of the European experience within the opera genre unfolded in tandem with the evolution of compositional and dramatic patterns derived from Western opera. However, on a musical and stylistic level, Chinese composers remained rooted in the national tradition, endeavoring to achieve varying degrees of successful fusion between Western form and national content. It was only towards the latter part of the 20th century that a harmonious symbiosis began to emerge, integrating the organizational aspects of opera from the European experience with Chinese identity at different levels.