Kun Opera

A brief intro and my own experience (still under construction)

Tea suggestion: Jasmine white, preferably loose leaf tea, enjoyed with Suzhou style steamed Mint rice cake

First, a very short intro

These are some info one can find online easily, so I will keep it short and crisp.

Kun Opera originated in Kunshan area (Suzhou province) of China in 14th century and it is said to be the oldest Chinese opera style. It is known for being the more elegant form of operatic performances in China, featuring lines that follow a certain rhythmic pattern and simultaneous dancing and singing. The most iconic piece of Kun opera is The Peony Pavilion (牡丹亭) and The Jade Hairpin (玉簪記.) In 2001, Kūn Qǔ Opera was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

Next, a little bit of personal story

How I encountered Kun Opera and started to appreciate it.

I grew up in a quite westernised family and did not get to know Kun Opera until later in my 20s. Thanks to my ex, I got to know his hometown Suzhou and Kunshan and noticed this operatic heritage during my visit. My first Kun Opera experience was through YouTube. During the COVID-19 lockdown in France I stumbled upon Zide Guqin Studio’s (自得琴社) Kun Opera extract, accompanied by calming Guqin music. It lessened my anxiety greatly. Then I started to hum along with the music and somehow managed to remember the tune before the lockdown ended. Overtime, the musical aspect of the Kun Opera itself wasn’t enough to feed my curiosity. I started to dig into the historical background and the structure of this art form. A good source I enjoyed was the lecture by Pai Hsien-yung at Chinese University of Hong Kong on his analysis and modernisation of Kun Opera for the younger generation (click here for the YouTube video.) I started to learn to sing and dance with a professional later on after I moved back to Japan.

Then, a few concepts you’ll encounter as you dive deeper into this art form

Shuimo chanting (水磨腔)

Shui-water

Mo-to grind

An adjective to describe the elegant, soothing, non-invasive way of chanting in Kun Opera performance.

Source referred to:

KŪNQǓ IN PRACTICE: A CASE STUDY by Ju-Hua Wei