Collision and Fusion of Chinese and Western Cultures: An Analysis of Space-Time Treatment in the Peking Opera Version of Les Misérables
Abstract
The Peking opera version of Les Misérables is based on the novel of the same name by French Romantic writer Victor Hugo. The difficulty in adapting such an epic masterpiece into a Peking opera for stage is conceivable, but through abundant use of creative thinking and through bold creation on the aesthetic principle of opera imagism (xieyi), the creators have come up with a great adaptation that captures the quintessence of the original novel. Through an analysis of space-time treatment in the Peking opera version of Les Misérables, this paper examines imagistic space-time treatment in traditional Chinese opera to explore the possibilities of adapting and transplanting Western classics into traditional Chinese opera.References
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