Features of the musical performance of the heroic epos “Geser” in China: history and modernity

Abstract

The formation and development of the heroic epic “Geser” originates in ancient Tibetan myths and legends, poems and proverbs, in folk literature. It has been performed by many artists over the centuries. “Geser” is a heroic epic, which is a special kind of song-narrative art, formed on the basis of the integration of musical narration, chanting and song performance. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of the musical performance of the heroic epic “Geser” in China in a historical retrospective. The content of the article defines the geographical and socio-cultural characteristics of the Yushu-Tibet Autonomous Region, characterizes the artistic form of the Geser epic, identifies and analyzes the main vocal features of the performance of the parts of the main characters of the Geser epic, reveals the specifics of the continuity of the musical performance of the Geser epic in the work of Dava Zaba. Theoretical research methods were used in preparing the article: analysis of scientific sources on the research problem, generalization and systematization of them. The musical performance of the Tibetan epic “Geser” in the modern context, its creative transformation and reconstruction contribute to the popularization of the cultural heritage of the people and its preservation.