Kunqu
The name "Kunqu" (pronounced Kwin-chu) comes from the combination of two words: Kunshan, which is a province in Jiangsu, and qu which means 'music.' It is a form created by Gu Jian that combined southern music and northern tunes and was develop early in the Ming Dynasty from the Kunshan province in the 14th century (although it was not standardized until the 16th century by Wei Liangfu), dominating Chinese theatre up to the 18th century. It combines drama, opera, ballet, poetry and music recital, as well as elements from earlier Chinese theater such as mime, farce, acrobatics, ballad recitals, and medleys.
In a Kunqu performance, recitation is interspersed with arias sung to traditional melodies, called qu-pai (a fixed melody used in traditional Chinese music that is commonly known by musicians). Each word or phrase is also expressed by a stylized movement or gesture that is essentially part of a dance, with strict rules of style and execution much like classical ballet. Even casual gestures must be precisely executed and timed to coordinate with the music and percussion.
In a Kunqu performance, recitation is interspersed with arias sung to traditional melodies, called qu-pai (a fixed melody used in traditional Chinese music that is commonly known by musicians). Each word or phrase is also expressed by a stylized movement or gesture that is essentially part of a dance, with strict rules of style and execution much like classical ballet. Even casual gestures must be precisely executed and timed to coordinate with the music and percussion.
Qupai Principle
Kunqu music is based on the "qupai " principle. The poetic passages of the play are written to fit an a sequence of tunes, known as qu-pai, chosen from an existing repertory. The libretto must conform to the pattern of the particular "qu-pai" in regard to the number of lines, the number of syllables per line, tonal sequence and rhyme. Since Chinese is a tonal language, there is a delicate relation between words and tunes. Every word has a "melody", and the musical air must be superimposed on the word melody, without interfering with it. Only after the main and subordinate qu-pai were selected did the author begin to compose the libretto to match the musical structure.
Roles
Orchestra
Each Kunqu performance is accompanied by a small instrumental ensemble, generally consisting of between 6 to 10 musicians. This ensemble is divided into two sections, named wen-chang, the section composed of wind and string instruments, and wu-chang, the percussion section. The primary function of wen-chang is to accompany singing, led by the dizi, a horizontal bamboo flute. Depending on the play, it might also include a San-hsian (a three-stringed lute), erhu (a two-stringed fiddle), zheng (a bamboo wind organ or Pan's pipe), and zither, The Wu-chang section consists of a Chinese xiqu drum, ban (wooden clappers), xiaoluo (small gong), daluo (big gong), and naobo (cymbals). It is led by a drummer who performs with a small drum and a pair of wooden clappers to set the pace of the play, while the gongs and cymbals are used to punctuate the action and emotion. The drummer is also the conductor of the orchestra.
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A performance using the dizi, the main instrument of Kunqu.
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Toward the middle of the 18th century, a new offshoot of Kunqu theatre emerged, which eventually became known as Beijing opera.
By 1966, Kunqu in general was thriving again. However, the Cultural Revolution dealt a serious blow. Not only was no traditional Chinese opera permitted, but because no training took place, an entire generation of performers was lost. Fortunately, people in the art and educational communities in Taiwan and Hong Kong began to rediscover this precious traditional Chinese theater. Since the opening of China in the late 70's, they have organized large scale Kunqu performances and arranged a series of classes to teach Beijing opera students and amateurs in Taiwan to sing and perform Kunqu.
There are six professional Kunqu troupes in China today consisting of 600 to 700 professionally trained performers, musicians, and related theater supporting personnel. Each has its own school for training future generations of performers. Four of the troupes are in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, one in Beijing, and one in Hunan province. In addition, The New York Kunqu Troup, consisting primarily of émigrés from the Shanghai Chinese troupe give regular performances and in affiliation with The Kunqu Society based in New York, runs workshops for amateur performers.
By 1966, Kunqu in general was thriving again. However, the Cultural Revolution dealt a serious blow. Not only was no traditional Chinese opera permitted, but because no training took place, an entire generation of performers was lost. Fortunately, people in the art and educational communities in Taiwan and Hong Kong began to rediscover this precious traditional Chinese theater. Since the opening of China in the late 70's, they have organized large scale Kunqu performances and arranged a series of classes to teach Beijing opera students and amateurs in Taiwan to sing and perform Kunqu.
There are six professional Kunqu troupes in China today consisting of 600 to 700 professionally trained performers, musicians, and related theater supporting personnel. Each has its own school for training future generations of performers. Four of the troupes are in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, one in Beijing, and one in Hunan province. In addition, The New York Kunqu Troup, consisting primarily of émigrés from the Shanghai Chinese troupe give regular performances and in affiliation with The Kunqu Society based in New York, runs workshops for amateur performers.
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