The Musical Construction of Female Subjectivity in Contemporary Chinese Opera: A Case Study of Lanhuahua

Abstract

As one of the representative works of contemporary Chinese opera, Lanhuahua creatively reconstructs the character of Lanhuahua from traditional folk narratives, building upon the cultural resources of Northern Shaanxi folk songs. Existing research has largely focused on the work’s musical composition, stage presentation and vocal performance practices, whilst discussions regarding the construction of female subjectivity and its cultural implications have been relatively scarce. Drawing upon gender studies theory and methods of musical drama analysis, this paper explores how the opera Lanhuahua utilises the synergy between dramatic narrative and musical expression to shape a female character imbued with modern subjectivity, thereby offering a fresh perspective for research into female characters in opera.