Tang was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi and his career as an official consisted principally of low-level positions. He successfully participated in the Provincial examinations at the age of 21 and at the imperial examinations at the age of 34. He held official positions in Nanjing, Zhejiang province, Guangdong province etc.. He retired in 1598 and returned to his hometown where he focused on writing.
Tang Xianzu became a scholar at the age of 21. He displayed his talents at the age of 12, became a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level at the age of 21, and a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations at the age of 34. He served as officials in Nanjing of Zhejiang Province, Guangdong Province and so on. At 48, he abdicated his official post and returned to his hometown.
As a righteous man he was too honest and stubborn to be welcomed in official circles. At the age of 34, he became a metropolitan graduate and held various official posts. In AD 1591 he tried to expose corruption among the bureaucrats by sending a petition to impeach some authorities. He subsequently enraged the emperor and was demoted to governor of Suichang County in Zhejiang. In AD 1598 he resigned out of anger, and devoted his time to writing operas and poems
Tang Xianzu wrote four great legends that share the theme of dreams. These legends are collectively known asThe Four Dreams at LinchuanorThe Four Dreams at Yu Ming Tang. Tang's legends, like many works ofKunjuopera, are based on preexisting sources, such as short novels or stories. For example, Tang'sZi Chai Ji(The Tale of the Violet Hairpin) was rewritten from an unfinished story,Zi Xiao Ji(The Tale of the Violet Flute).The Peony Pavilion, widely acknowledged as Tang's masterpiece and the finest of all Chinese legends, is likewise based on a Song Dynasty (960-1279) short story.
Tang Xianzu wrote the libretto ofThe Peony Pavilionto preexisting, established melodies. The score was arranged and further refined for each production of the piece, but the music for these early productions has been lost. In 1792, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a new, complete score forThe Peony Pavilionwas notated, the work of a great number of creators over the years, who again based their work on traditional melodies. The present production is based on the 1792 score, the earliest manuscript source.
