One of the oldest performing arts of China, kunqu opera is a traditional style of theater that mixes dance, music and drama. Although the term kunqu refers specifically to music, the most important part of kunqu opera is the dancing, in which actors must perfect even small details and incidental movements. These movements must be matched seamlessly with the kunqu orchestra, a 6- to 10-piece ensemble featuring percussion, wind and string instruments.

B.C. roots

The roots of kunqu are in several other Chinese styles that date to at least the third century B.C., including farce, acrobatics, mime, and ballad recital. Kunqu as a distinct form arose from the Kunshan district (in modern Jiangsu province) in the fifteenth century. From this district, the opera got its name (qu means music, so kunqu means music from Kunshan - it is pronounced "kwin chu"). A century later, notation was standardized and this allowed kunqu to spread to other parts of China. It reigned for 200 years as the most prestigious kind of performance in the land.

Exacting art

It is the blend of singing, dancing and drama that gives kunqu its reputation. Each has evolved into an exacting, high art, and each is dependent on the others. The literary skill of the authors is legendary, as they write stories with universal appeal that become very familiar to the audience over time. The dancers must learn countless movements; no action is wasted on stage, even down to small, casual motions which may look incidental but are in fact carefully choreographed.

Kunqu music

The music ties it all together, and presents the author with some unique challenges. Most difficult of all is that the Chinese language is tonal - syllables rise and fall with their own innate melody, a fact that must be taken into account by the composers. Marrying the sing-song words to the melodies requires great skill. This is further complicated by the fact that kunqu doesn't use standard Chinese, but a special form of Mandarin developed solely for the stage. This stage language features eight different tones. It's no wonder that even the best writers don't always get a 100% perfect fit.

Kunqu instruments

The instruments of the kunqu orchestra are divided into two groups: percussion, and wind and strings. The percussion section (wu-chang) features several Chinese drums, bells, and gongs, while the wind and strings section (wen-chang) features such well-known instruments as the dizi (which leads the ensemble), erhu, zheng, and san-hsian.

Modern kunqu

Kunqu was enjoying a resurgence in popularity in the middle part of the twentieth century, until the Cultural Revolution banned it, and a generation nearly forgot about the opera. Beginning in the 1980's, it once again began a renaissance that continues to this day, with professional organizations not only in China, but abroad in cities such as New York.

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