Publisher's Synopsis
Offering access to and bringing alive unique materials on the Chinese storytelling traditions, this volume has its origins in a project which recorded on film 360 hours of performances by the four masters of Yangzhou storytelling Dai Buzhang, Fei Zhengliang, Gao Zaihua and Ren Jitang. Sets of these films have been deposited (in Washington D.C., Taipei, Beijing and Copenhagen) to give future scholars access to the unique material. The purpose of Four Masters is twofold: first, as a guide to the collections; second, with its introductory chapters, teller autobiographies, performances, catalogue entries and film material, it stands as an independent and valuable contribution to research in Asian oral traditions. With all text appearing in both English and Chinese and with its subject matter brought alive by a wealth of photographs plus a 60-minute film on VCD, this volume promises to be a classic work in its field. Useful for students of Chinese culture by serving as a bilingual guide to the great masterworks of the Chinese novel (Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, and Journey to the West).
