THE NANKING KUN OPERA (CHINA)
Video (xing) Voice (xing)
What is Kun Opera?
At the beginning of the 1500's, the kunshan style which used melodies from a locality called Kunshan was developed near Suzhou, and kunshan later became kunqu, i.e. the Songs of Kun. Wei Liangfu, who wanted to enrich and renovate the widely popular kunshan style is said to be the creator of kunqu. Wei Liangfu worked in close cooperation with talented dramatists, and the musical style he created spiritually fitted the lyrical love dramas of the Ming dynasty. Kun opera spread quickly from South-East China to almost all over the country. It is an opera form more exacting than most local operas, for in kun opera, brilliant poetry is naturally intergrated with elaborate music.
The most celebrated kun dramatist was Tang Xianzu, also called the Shakespeare of China (according to his contemporary), a master of the refined, emotional and by its harmonic structure insurpassable Ming drama. The withering love dramas of Tang Xianzu were very popular with female audiences in particular. Many an author started to imitate Tang Xianzu's style; some compensated poetic genius by spectacular stage effects.
The popularity of kunqu was based on the marriage of new, enchanting melodics and brilliant poetry. Singing and accompanying subdued dancing were the main part of the act. Kunqu - also called 'the elegant drama' ( yabu) mainly appealed to cultured audiences.
In Peking opera, which is better-known in the West, singing accompanied by a shrill violin, whereas kunqu is accompanied by a soft bamboo flute. A kun opera orchestra with some ten musicians is slightly bigger than that of Peking opera. The most important instruments melodywise are, in addition to the aforementioned bamboo flute, the sheng organ and the sanxian lute. There are four percussionists in the orchestra, but the kun rhythm section is not as audible as that of Peking opera - therefore kunqu sounds less noisy. Kunqu has much in common with other Chinese opera forms: the typification of characters, the wearing of Ming costumes, the scanty set decorations and the very exacting acting technique. Kunqu is indeed demanding to its performers, for the sentimental, frequently by a specific drill technique figured songs are mostly performed while dancing. Even today, the studies of kun opera actors take one or two years longer than those of actors specializing in other opera forms.
Kunqu was divided into two schools, the more original southern nankun, and the northern, Pekinese style beikun. The two schools differ above all in music, but also linguistically and programmatically. The southern kunqu applies the five-tone system in its music, and the aforementioned drill technique is very frequent. The northern kunqu follows the seven-note tonality, and the singing is more straightforward. The troupe now visiting Finland is expressly specialized in nankun.