Kunqu, also known as Kun opera or Kunqu opera, is one of the earliest forms of traditional Chinese drama. Evolved from the Kunshan melody, it has a history of more than 600 years.
At first, Kunqu was simply singing, without any costumes, makeup or acting. Later, a native Kunshanese called Liang Chenyu (1519-1591) transformed Kunqu into stage drama. He was good at play writing, poetry and music. With the help of some other talented musicians, they wrote an opera called “Washing the Silken Gauze”. The performance was a great success. Then Kunqu became quickly popular, and numerous new plays were subsequently created and staged. During Qing Dynasty (1636-1911), Kunqu became a nationwide art form.
Due to its great influence on other Chinese theatre forms, Kunqu is also known as the teacher or mother of many other types of Chinese operas.
It is an elegant opera in terms of music, recitation and the performers’ movements. Due to its soft arias and the graceful movements, it is acclaimed as watermill songs. It is also of great literary value as the performance itself has carried forward the tradition of ancient poetry and common speech.
Today, you may appreciate the art form performed professionally in some mainland Chinese cities: Beijing (Northern Kunqu Theatre), Shanghai (Shanghai Kunqu Theatre), Suzhou (Suzhou Kunqu Theatre), etc.
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