Musical content of Chinese folk tales

Abstract

Music is an art form that expresses the thoughts, feelings, and social realities of people, and one of the art forms with the power to instantly touch hearts. Rich and dynamic folk tales are an inexhaustible source of inspiration and a foundation of meaning for various art forms, including music. Therefore, our research naturally extends to the artistic field where these two art forms intersect—folktale-based music. The vibrant characters, dramatic plot twists, and deep cultural context inherent in folk tales imbue them with powerful potential for transformation into musical expression. Conversely, music, with its abstraction, lyricism and temporality, refines, elevates, and reinterprets stories. When the soul of a story is woven into a musical body and then intertwined with notes, ancient or modern folk tales acquire new vitality and appeal, thereby completing the transmission of cultural memory, the cohesion of national sentiment, and the celebration of the spirit of the times on an auditory level. There is a deep and enduring, mutually reinforcing relationship between Chinese folk tales and musical works. This relationship is reflected not only in the stylized and tightly integrated symbiotic system between traditional folk tales and traditional operatic music, but also in the comprehensive and innovative evolutionary practices between modern folk tales and contemporary performance forms such as musicals.