An Analysis of the Aesthetic Tension of Traditional Tibetan Opera

Xing Chong

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2020.04.006Abstract：For the Tibetan people， Tibetan opera is not only a tool for mass entertainment and enlightenment， but it is also a vehicle that carries the significance of life and spiritual existence; it is a concentrated embodiment of their ethnic spirit and values， it which is filled with dialectical philosophical meaning， and it forms an infinite aesthetic space. The study of traditional Tibetan opera needs to be  raised from the level of artistic skills to the level of philosophy; we need to discuss its essential and aesthetic features， explore its significance and value for the Tibetan， and reflect its ethnic spirit and value. As an aesthetic category， “tension” in the aesthetic activities of drama not only refers to the aesthetic tension of the plot constructed by dramatic conflicts， but even more lies in the force of the aesthetic impact produced by the collision between various elements surrounding the drama. As one of the favorite art forms of Tibetans， the beauty of traditional Tibetan opera is not only reflected in its stylized form and its content with rich meaning， but the beauty is seen more in the art space with its strong aesthetic tension constructed from the mutual confrontations， conflicts and contradictions between the elements in the opera. All of these enable the recipient to resonate with it and receive a spiritual baptism in the aesthetics of the art.

The aesthetic tension of traditional Tibetan opera is mainly reflected in the following five aspects：

1）Smallness and greatness： the sublime beauty formed by the great contrast between the subject and the object. In traditional Tibetan opera， the great contrast between the subject and the object produces a sublime beauty， which reflects the surmounting spirit of the Tibetan people who will never give in. It is a kind of consolation and peace of mind after overcoming and conquering fear. Therefore， the aesthetics of traditional Tibetan opera is a kind of aesthetic feeling that is full of surprise and respect; they reflect the emotional experiences of the Tibetan people after internalizing the vitality in their souls， and they are also a kind of spirituality that lies beyond physical bodies and senses.

2）Dharma enlightenment and secular emotions： the brilliance of human nature that is highlighted in the narrative logic of Buddhism. Traditional Tibetan opera adopts Buddhist logic to narrate the story， which embodies the life attitudes and spiritual beliefs of the Tibetan people， as well as their cognition and pursuit of the truth， kindness and beauty. However， the character development is too singular，  and also lacks change.

3）Stylization and richness： the aesthetic tension of Tibetan opera performers. Traditional Tibetan opera is greatly influenced by the Indian Brahmanic dramatic tradition and formed a set of strict and standardized performance procedures. In the opera， the aesthetic art form and the stylized art performance reproduce both the tastes and emotions of the general public， forming unique aesthetic emotions and tastes， and finally achieving the goal of religious enlightenment. Traditional Tibetan opera， with its stylized singing， movements and music， expresses the rich and complex emotions of the characters. Its rich aesthetic implications are shown via a fixed performance structure， stylized performance form， masked characters and other performance forms.

4）Rationality and sensibility： the aesthetic tension of the operamaster and the actors   performance space. The art tradition that combines narrative with singing has been popular in Tibetan areas for a long time， and traditional Tibetan opera integrates this folk art tradition.  The opera masters   method of combining narrative with singing in the traditional Tibetan opera takes its references from this art form   found among folk traditions. This is an integral part of the opera， and forms the unique artistic connotation of Tibetan opera. In the traditional Tibetan opera， the most important role of the opera masters is seen in the arrangement and the aesthetic expression of the opera. The opera masters must take the reception of the audience into full consideration in the process of arranging the opera. Each Tibetan opera is similar in story content and forms of expression， but under the arrangement of the opera masters， different aesthetic spaces are formed. The opera masters   combination of narrative with singing provides not only a kind of rapid plot narration joined with musical beats， but it is also a form of artistic experience with independent aesthetic implications. This makes it replete with dialectical aesthetic tension.

5）Repetition and “cyclicity”： the beauty of polyphony formed from plot arrangement. The traditional Tibetan opera is mainly performed in the folk square， with a long story line. One play takes a long time to perform， sometimes as long as several days. The plot setting of traditional Tibetan opera has the characteristics of repetition and cyclicity. The repetition and cyclicity form the beauty of polyphonic tone， which not only serves the characters， plots and themes， but also provides multiple possibilities for the interpretation of aesthetic space. The repetition and cyclical nature of traditional Tibetan opera is not a simple retelling， but is a driving force for plot development and character building.

Traditional Tibetan opera embodies the complex religious beliefs of the Tibetan people， in which primitive beliefs and Bon are integrated with Tibetan Buddhism.  It shows the diversified thinking mode of Tibetan people， i.e. the integration of the primitive and the wild， the animistic and the divine， and strict Buddhist and selfdisciplined rational thinking; it presents the integration and collision of multiple cultures. The integration of Tibetan opera with the local cultures and art in different areas of the Tibetan region has formed the artistic expression forms of Tibetan opera with different characteristics. Based on this， a complex and polysemous aesthetic space has been formed， which is the driving force for the formation of the aesthetic tension found in Tibetan opera.    The aesthetic tension of traditional Tibetan opera is not only reflected in the above five aspects， but also has additional contents worthy of discussion， such as ritualization and dramatization， the combination of words with loose rhymes，  the ideal and reality， the warrior and the virtuous，  the divinity and humanity of characters， and so on. The art space of traditional Tibetan opera is infinitely malleable， and it is expected to be explored and interpreted constantly. This is the reason why Tibetan opera has a lasting charm. The development and evolution of traditional Tibetan opera reflects the social and historical changes of the Tibetan ethnic group， carries the local knowledge of the people and transmits the historical memory of the group. The Tibetan people closely integrate art， ritual and faith with their life. Traditional Tibetan opera is the vehicle which carries Tibetan spiritual beliefs. It has become the spiritual sustenance and comfort of the Tibetan people， and is the spiritual power and source for them to overcome difficulties and obstacles. It embodies the Tibetan people  s spiritual temperament and aesthetic tastes.

Key Words：traditional Tibetan opera; aesthetic tension;sublime beauty; beauty of human nature;implications of beauty;rational beauty;polyphonic beauty