An Examination of the Evolution of the Qing Court Birthday Play Offer of Auspicious Fortune in the Palace of the Empress Dowager
The Qing court birthday play,Offer of Auspicious Fortune in Palace of the Empress Dowager,was actually adapted from Harmonious and Elegant Music and was once renamed Elegant Music of the Reign of Yao.The script first emerged no later than the Jiaqing period and then underwent its first transformation from Harmonious and Elegant Music to Offer of Auspicious Fortune in the Palace of Empress Dowager through the addition and removal of certain tunes,as well as certain adjustments made to the lyrics and dialogues.After the Daoguang period,the script remained largely unchanged,with only minor adjustments made to relevant odes in order to suit the performance's context,reflecting the Qing court birthday play's adaptation principle and strategy of maintaining"major stability through minor adjustments".No performance records exist for this play between the Daoguang to the Tongzhi periods,and it was not performed again until the 17th year of the Guangxu Emperor(1891),for Cixi's birthday.All sixteen performance records found during the Guangxu period show that the play was mainly performed for the purpose of celebrating longevity and the New Year.
Offer of Auspicious FortuneHarmonious and Elegant MusicBirthday playQing court
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