Giving the Past a Future Kun Opera 昆曲 A Journey of Exploring Kun Identity

1. Giving the Past a FutureKun Opera昆曲A Journey of Exploring Kun Identity Prol. Dr. Yu Dan Hong Shanghai Conservatory of Music Oct.2011

2. About Kunqu Opera 关于昆曲 • 600-year-old, known as the Mother of Chinese Opera. • 600年历史，“百戏之祖” • A theatre that uniquely blends poetic eloquence, musical refinement and dramatics and leaves profound influence on other forms of Chinese opera. • 融诗歌、音乐、舞蹈于一体，几乎影响了中国所有的传统剧种。 • The first and foremost Chinese performing art proclaimed by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. • 2001年，被联合国教科文组织评为首批“人类口述和非物质遗产代表作”。

3. What is Special About Kunqu?昆曲的特点 • Musical Instruments乐器 • Bamboo flute as the principal musical instrument • Other wind and string instruments may be added to enhance the beauty • Stage Setting舞台 • Unrealistic, thus appeals to the audience's imagination • Movements身段 • Performed with set conventions • An ingenious combination of reality with the reality of arts • Tonal Patterns曲牌 • Fixed. Kunqu poetry is written to fit a large number of fixed tonal patterns embedded with Chinese language.

4. Kunqu Performer 演员 - the pivotal element on stage: singer, dancer and actor all in one • Make-up化妆 - the process of transforming performers into the roles; unique appearances and movements identify different roles • Brightly Embroidered Costumes戏服 - the most exaggerated articles among the ensemble of Kunqu opera furnishings and outfittings

5. Kunqu Roles昆曲的行当 • 生 Male Roles • 旦 Females Roles • 净 Painted-Face Roles • 丑Clown Roles

6. 生 (Sheng) • Sheng is a male role, usually a leading role in a play. It is mainly divided into three subgroups: • Lao Sheng 老生: • a middle-aged or eldly man; • Xiao Sheng 小生: • a handsome young man; • Wu Sheng 武生: • a man playing Kung-fu.

7. 旦(Dan) • Dan is the general term of female roles. Dan roles can be mainly subdivided into the following three roles according to their age, characteristics and social positions. • Zheng Dan (or Qingyi)正旦（青衣）--a young or middle-aged woman with gentle and refined dispositions; • Hua Dan花旦 --a role for vivacious maidens, young women with open personality or women of questionable characters. • Wu Dan武旦 --a female character skilled in the martial arts.

8. 净(Jing) • Jing refers to painted-face roles, known popularly as Hua Lian 花脸. • The different colors and designs on the face represent males with different characteristics. Some are bold and vigorous while others are sinister, ruthless, crude and rash.

9. 丑 (Chou) • Chou is the clown roles, which are divided into two categories: • Wen Chou文丑: civilian clown roles • Wu Chou武丑: They are required to have a good command of the martial arts or acrobatics. The movements should be light and powerful. One of the most famous Wu Chou in Kunqu Opera is the world-renowned Monkey King.

10. Well-known Kunqu Plays昆曲名剧 The Peony Pavilion 牡丹亭 • written by Tang Xianzu, the greatest poet playwright of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), also regarded as the “Chinese Shakespeare”; the play was oftentimes referred as the Chinese Romeo and Juliet. • 明代大文豪汤显祖之作汤被誉为“东方莎士比亚”，堪比《罗密欧与朱丽叶》。

12. The Palace of Eternal Youth长生殿 • written by Hong Sheng (1645-1704), one of the greatest playwrighters in Emperor Kangxi's reign, Qing Dynasty. • a story about Emperor Ming and Imperial Concubine Yang of the Tang Dynasty. • 清代洪昇之作，描述唐明皇与杨贵妃的爱情传奇。

14. The Look of Kunqu Score昆曲的曲谱——工尺谱 Qin Tiao (Flirt with the Zither From TheJade Hairpin) 《玉簪记·琴挑》

16. 琴挑 懒画眉 月明云淡露华浓, 欹枕愁听四壁蛩。 The moon is clear, the clouds are thin. The flowers are profuse with colors and dew. I lean on my pillow full of worry, Listening to the crickets around the walls.

17. 伤秋宋玉赋西风, 落叶惊残梦。 闲步芳尘数落红。 Saddened by autumn, Song Yu sings to the west wind, The falling leaves startle my unfinished dream, I count the flowers on the ground.

18. Survival and Revival of Kunqu昆曲的幸存与复兴 • Ups and downs in Kunqu history • 昆曲发展历史过程中的起伏 • The identity of traditional arts in modern world • 传统文化在当今世界的身份 • Create young classics • 创造年轻的经典

19. When Kunqu Meets…当昆曲遇见… Kabuki歌舞伎 (classical Japanese dance-drama) • 《新惊梦》--- an adapted excerpt of Peony Pavilion • With Emiya Ichikawa, respected Japanese Kabuki artist 市川笑也 • October 2002 • Tokyo, Japan

20. Pop Music 流行音乐 • 《在梅边》(By the Plum Tree) with Kunqu "The Interrupted Dream" from Peony Pavilion • with Leehom Wang, 王力宏American Chinese pop idol • 80,000 audience • August 2006 • ShanghaiStadium, China

21. Jazz 爵士乐 • Live concert with Jean-Francois Maljean(Belgian pianist) 比利时钢琴家尚马龙 • July 2008 • Shanghai, China

22. Western Opera 西方歌剧 • Marco Polo 马可·波罗 • with Tan Dun 谭盾 • November 2008 • Amsterdam, Holland

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