WhyBeijingoperaisnotmycupoftea
Thefirstencounter:AestheticsClash
AsaWesternerlivinginBeijing,Ihaveattemptedtoimmersemyselfintotheculturaltraditionsofthisexoticland.OneofthethingsonthetopofmylistwastoexperienceBeijingopera.However,thefirsttimeIwatchedit,Ifeltcompletelylostanddisconnected.Thesingingstyle,movementsandcostumesweresoforeignandalientomethatIsimplycouldn'tgraspthebeautythatChineseaudiencestalkedabout.Theextravagantmakeupsandbizarrecostumesdidnotstrikemeasartistic,butrathergarish.Istruggledtostayengagedduringtheperformanceandcouldnotwaitforittoend.
SecondChance:Differentoutcome?
DespitemyinitialdistasteforBeijingopera,Idecidedtogiveitanothershot.Thistime,IwentwithaChinesefriendwhocouldexplainthestoryline,cultureandhistoricalbackgroundoftheperformance.Ihopedthiswouldhelpmeappreciatetheartformbetter.However,myeffortswereinvain.AlthoughIcouldunderstandtheplotandthecontextthereof,Istillfoundthemusicunbearable,andthecostumesandmovementsunpleasant.Despitealltheculturalandlanguagebarriers,Ihadexpectedtoenjoytheperformanceintrinsicallyforthequalityofthemusicandtheacting,butitwasstilltooforeignformetoappreciate.
FinalThoughts:Amatterofpreferenceorlackthereof?
ReflectingonmytwoexperiencesofBeijingopera,Ibegantounderstandthatappreciationforthisartformisamatterofculturalconditioningandaestheticpreference.GrowingupintheWest,myartistictasteswereshapedbydifferentstylesofmusic,theatre,anddance,andmaybethiswasthebiggesthurdleIcouldnotovercome.WhatIfoundchaotic,wasperhapsmorerefinedandmeaningfulforanotheraudience,aswhatIappreciateisperhapstoolinearandblandforanother.Itallcomesdowntoindividualtastesandexperiences,andthemoreIthoughtaboutit,themoreitmadesense.WhileImaynotbeabletoappreciateBeijingoperainitsentirety,Irespectitshistoryandsignificanceandrealizethatitisjustnotforme.
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