Kunqu

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Kunqu (崑曲; pinyin: Kūnqǔ; Wade-Giles: k'un-ch'ü), also known as Kunju, Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is the oldest extant form of Chinese opera. It evolved from the Kunshan melody, and dominated Chinese theatre from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

A Kunqu performer's portrayal of Hu Sanniang
A Kunqu performer's portrayal of Hu Sanniang

Kunqu boasts a 600-year history and is known as the "teacher" or "mother" of a hundred operas, because of its influence on other Chinese opera forms, including Peking opera. Its emergence ushered in the second Golden Era of Chinese drama, but by the early twentieth century it had nearly disappeared.

One of the major literary forms of the Ming and Qing dynasties was chuanqi drama, originating from the South. Plays that continue to be famous today, including The Peony Pavilion and The Peach Blossom Fan, were originally written for the Kunqu stage. In addition, many classical Chinese novels and stories, such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin and Journey to the West were adapted very early into dramatic pieces.

Today, Kunqu is performed professionally in seven Mainland Chinese cities: Beijing (Northern Kunqu Theatre), Shanghai (Shanghai Kunqu Theatre), Suzhou (Suzhou Kunqu Theatre), Nanjing (Jiangsu Province Kunqu Theatre), Chenzhou (Hunan Kunqu Theatre), Yongjia County/Wenzhou (Yongjia Kunqu Theatre) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province Kunqu Theatre), as well as in Taipei. Non-professional opera societies are active in many other cities in China and abroad, and opera companies occasionally tour.

Kunqu opera was listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001. Its melody or tune is one of the Four Great Characteristic Melodies in Chinese opera.

Contents

[edit] Repertoire

[edit] Dramatists

[edit] Performers

  • Yu Zhenfei
  • Mei Lanfang
  • Zhang Jiqing
  • Wang Shiyu
  • Yue Meiti
  • Liang Guyin
  • Cai Zhengren
  • Ji Zhenhua
  • Jennifer Hua Wenyi
  • Qian Yi

[edit] External links

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