Chinese Kunqu Opera Art

Author: Zhu Donglin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: The book contains approximately 180,000 words and is divided into five parts, covering the long history of Kunqu Opera from the four seasons of its origins to the classic plays of ancient times, the evolution of the five major roles (Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mò, Chǒu), and the stage performance of musical scores and rhythms. Over 600 years of Kunqu Opera's historical events are meticulously presented. The later part of the book is particularly impressive, as it records all major events in the history of Chinese Kunqu Opera. The book is not only detailed, in-depth, comprehensive, and systematic, possessing serious academic rigor, but also features clear and fluent writing, accompanied by over 800 stunning illustrations, making it rich in visuals, highly readable, and deeply artistic. Many of the old photographs in the book are unseen before. The charm and essence of renowned masters such as Chen Yanqiu, Yu Zhenfei, as well as the Jizi and Chuanzi generations can be glimpsed here. What makes it even more precious is the inclusion of rare treasures like the woodcut edition of The Peony Pavilion from the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty during the lifetime of Tang Xianzu, and the Li Zhugang manuscript of Complete Catalogue of Kunqu Opera (Treaty Chamber Edition of the Tongzhi period). Their artistic value is self-evident. Additionally, to facilitate international understanding and appreciation of Chinese Kunqu Opera, each part is supplemented with concise Chinese and English summaries.