Kunqu Opera Introduction

It is said that Chinese Kunqu Opera (昆曲) is as beautiful as the porcelain of China, though the opera is dynamic while the porcelain is static.

Now, let's learn something about Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest and existent opera forms in China, whose most representative show is the Peony Pavilion.

Development of Kunqu Opera

Originating from Kunshan area in Suzhou, China, Kunqu Opera，which was at first merely the folk canzonet, was generally called melodies for Kunshan Tune or for Kun Tune in the Ming Dynasty. The vernacular in Suzhou area, which is called "Suzhou soft dialect", sounds soft and fresh like the water gently flowing beneath a little bridge in the regions of the south of the Yangtze River, and the popular melodies for Kunshan Tune here sound gentle and mild as well.

In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Suzhou, a famous metropolis and an abundant place just as what it is now, was far ahead of other districts in the economy, culture and so on; and Kunshan was a prosperous and lively place for convenient shipping. Do you think who would refuse to live and work in such a pleasant place? That's why a lot of talented musicians and dramatists gathered here. At that time in China, there was a class of literati and officialdom comprising intellectuals.

They liked to get together and talked about the popular local opera in Kunshan are. Some of them have their own theatrical troupes at home, and even took part in performances, creating Kunqu Opera themselves; thus Kunqu Opera gradually became flourishing.

It was this common interest that made the pomp of Mid-Autumn Festival joint performance of Quyi (folk art forms) come true in Huqiu, Suzhou, and lasted for 200 years. It was an annual national opera competition in which Kunqu Opera played a major part.

The pomp of Mid-Autumn Quyi Festival, and, particularly, the best singer's performance, were described thoroughly in the Travel in Huqiu by Yuan Hongdao, a litterateur in the Ming Dynasty. "When an actor appears on the stage, all audiences hold their breath. The actor's delicate voice resounds through the clouds. Each word for one sound, when the actor sings for almost a quarter, flying birds hover and heroes shed tears for the singing."

Such a quotation means that when an actor enters on the stage，all audiences sit quietly and listen to his song; his voice is fine but it can be heard in the distance. By prolonging the voice, the actor, for each word, sings mildly and sentimentally. Hearing the beautiful song, even birds are not willing to fly away, and the brawny men are so moved that they can't help shedding their tears.

To appreciate Kunqu Opera, you need leisure time and patience. It is rather difficult for an irritable person to sit quietly enjoying the beauty of Kunqu Opera. Northwest people's character is frank, honest and unconstrained, so Shaanxi Opera, which is popular in Northwest China, is as powerful as the wind in the northwest, while the people living in the south of the Yangtze River love romantic and gentle songs, and they like to enjoy the Kunqu Opera accompanied by beautiful and mild flute, holding a cup of fragrant tea in hand and drinking it. It seems that they are in a fairy dreamland.

Sometimes you might be confused when admiring Kunqu Opera, for you may not understand what the singers are singing，even though it is subtitled. This is not surprising at all because the opera keeps its original characters, and the language employed, which cites a lot of literary quotations, is the one created by playwrights at that time. You can imagine that there must be a huge gap between the current lifestyle and the one which existed six hundred years ago.

However, you may still appreciate Kunqu Opera although you feel confused about it. Most of Chinese can not follow the foreign operas, but aren't there many people still trying to appreciate and understand them attentively? There is no border for music. Kunqu Opera is like a beautiful, shy, clever，and amorous rosebud; perhaps you don’t understand her language, but you might be deeply impressed by her beauty which is too wonderful for words.