SUSTAINING INTANGIBLE HERITAGE THROUGH "ADAPTIVE AUTHENTICITY": A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND APPLICATION IN NANJING BAIJU OPERA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n6.3811Keywords:
Adaptive Authenticity, Nanjing Baiju Opera, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Musical Analysis, ModernizationAbstract
This article proposes the theoretical framework of "adaptive authenticity" and demonstrates its utility through a secondary analysis of the modernization of Nanjing Baiju Opera. The model posits that the sustainability of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is achieved not by choosing between preservation and innovation, but by safeguarding an inviolable core - the essential musical, narrative, and timbral signifiers while strategically adapting peripheral elements like rhythm, instrumentation, and staging. Applying this framework to the documented evolution from Xian Hua Diao (Fresh Flower Tune or Flower-drum Opera) to Mo Li Hua (Jasmine Flower) and its intergenerational reception data, the study shows how targeted adaptations enhance accessibility for younger audiences without compromising cultural identity. Findings reveal that modern listeners perceive such adaptations as authentic when the core remains intact. The adaptive authenticity model thus advances theoretical debates on heritage by reconciling preservation with modernization and offers practical, sustainable strategies for ensuring traditional arts endure as living practices.
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