11-12 June 2011 (Sat-Sun) 7:30pm
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Tickets: $350, 240, 180, 100

Lyrics and dialogue with Chinese and English surtitles

11 June 2011 (Sat)
Excerpts
Invocation to the Gods from Returning the Gold Bangle
Wang Yu is a commoner-scholar.  He is betrothed to the daughter of Gao Daozong with a gold bangle as a betrothal gift.  Then he goes to sit for the civil examination at the capital, but unfortunately his finished paper is lost at the examination grounds.  He is so devastated that he falls ill.  One night, he dreams that the Star of Head Scholars informs him, “Your good luck will be bestowed on you in ten days.”  Yet on waking, he refuses to believe it.  He hears further that the third top position, which should be awarded to him, has been awarded to someone else.  His pent up grief and sense of ill use get so strong that he seeks out the Star of Head Scholars at the shrine and bitterly reprimands him.

Cast: Zhou Xuefeng (Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu)

Writing a Poem from The Soup that Cures Jealousy
Qiao Xiaoqing is an accomplished young woman who lives in Yangzhou, but she is sold to a much older man as concubine, whose jealous first wife has given her a hard time.  One stormy evening, Qiao reads the libretto of the famous opera, The Peony Pavilion, and is so touched that she reflects upon her own plight.

Cast: Hu Jinfang (Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Institute)

At Nanpu River from The Story of the Lute
Cai Bojie and Zhao Wuniang have only been married for a short while when the government conducts an open recruitment of outstanding scholars to join the court.  Cai is forced by his elders to sit for the examination at the capital as they harbour the hope that he would bring fame and fortune to his family and ancestors.  Zhao accompanies her husband to Nanpu before they part.

Cast: Kong Aiping, Qian Zhenrong (Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Institute)

Storming the Chamber from The Palace of Eternal Life
This is an episode taken from the famous story about the love between Emperor Ming of Tang Dynasty and Lady Yang.  Since Yang has become the Emperor’s favourite, other consorts have been much neglected, including Lady Mei.  One evening, the Emperor sends for Lady Mei for a rare get-together.  Lady Yang hears of this, and hurries to the royal chamber, much to the embarrassment of the Emperor.  He cannot but admits his fault to appease Yang, and the two make up.

Cast: Xu Yunxiu, Qian Zhenrong, Li Hongliang (Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Institute)

Seeking Shelter for His Son from The Beauty Washing Silk by the River
The Beauty Washing Silk by the River was written as a chuanqi by Liang Chenyu (~1521 - 1594) of Ming Dynasty, and was the first libretto specifically written for kunqu performance.  In this excerpt, Seeking Shelter for His Son, Wu Zixu, Prime Minister of the State of Wu, sees with dismay how the King neglects his duties and indulges in a dissolute lifestyle, taking to debauchery, accepting the evil slander of corrupt ministers, and going to war with neighbouring sovereignties at whim.  Wu decides to counsel the King at the risk of his own life.  But to ensure that his bloodline continues, he takes his young son with him when he goes to the State of Qi on imperial orders to declare war, and taking the opportunity of the visit, entrusts his son to the care of Bao Mu, his sworn brother who is also minister of Qi.  Father and son bid each other a painful farewell.

Cast: Ji Zhenhua, Tang Popo, Yuan Guoliang (Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe)

12 June 2011 (Sun)
Excerpts
Inscribing on the Fan from The Peach Blossom Fan
This is an excerpt from the chuanqi play, The Peach Blossom Fan, by Kong Shangren (1648-1718) of the Qing period.  While the main plot is about the trials of love between Hong Fangyu, a scholar of integrity, and Li Xiangjun, a famous courtesan, the underlying theme is about personal tragedies amidst the demise of the Ming regime.  In this excerpt, Hou, after having suffered many tribulations, returns to Li’s former abode in the hope of a reunion, only to find her gone and the place now being used as a studio by an artist named Lan Ying.  When he learns that Li has been picked to serve the Qing Emperor in the palace, he is devastated. He expresses his feelings in a poem and inscribes it on Lan’s painting before he leaves.

Cast: Xiao Xiangping, Luo Beibei (China Kunqu Opera Museum)

Finding the Rat and Fortune Telling from Fifteen Strings of Cash
In a mix-up over fifteen strings of cash, Xiong Youlan is charged with murder and sentenced to death.  Kuang Zhong, the Prefect of Suzhou, notices a few questionable points in the case, and goes to the crime scene to investigate.  As the evidence begins to point away from Xiong and to another, Kuang disguises himself as a fortune-teller and hunts down the real perpetrator, Lou the ‘Rat’, who is hiding out in an old temple.  Xiong is cleared from all charges, and Lou is arrested and brought to justice.

Cast: Yuan Guoliang, Hou Zhe (Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe)

The Obsessive Dream from Lanke Mountain
Zhu Maichen’s wife, née Cui, forces Zhu to agree to the annulment of their marriage so that she can marry Zhang the carpenter because she is tired of living in poverty.  Later, Zhu is appointed prefect of Kuaiji County.  On learning of this, Cui is filled with regret.  One night, in her dream, she sees the doorman and the runner coming to her on the orders of the new officer, Zhu, to welcome her to his residence.  Just as she is all dressed up and ready to go, she wakes up, only to have her hopes all dashed because it is all in a dream.

Cast: Tao Hongzhen (Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu)

Killing ‘The Tiger’ from The Iron Headgear
When Emperor Chongzhen of Ming hangs himself and the country falls into the hands of the rebel king, Li Zicheng, Fei Zhen’e, a palace maid faithful to the Ming regime and whose family has been killed by the rebel soldiers, vows to avenge on both counts.  She disguises herself, claiming to be a princess, and hides a dagger on herself in the hope that when she gets close enough, she would kill Li.  But Li makes her the bride of Li Gu, nicknamed ‘the Tiger’.  On their nuptial night, Fei charms the Tiger into taking drink after drink until he passes out, then takes out the dagger and kills him before committing suicide.

Cast: Gong Yinlei, Zhao Jian (Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Institute)

Following Tracks in the Snow from The Story of the Decorated Mansion
Liu Cuiping is the daughter of the Prime Minister.  On an occasion in which she lets Fate choose her husband for her by throwing an embroidered ball out to a gathering of suitors, the ball falls on the head of the penniless scholar, Lu Mengzheng.  She marries Lu in honour of her word, but it infuriates her father so much that the two get kicked out of the Prime Minister’s Residence and have to live in a cave dwelling.  One day, Lu returns home after a humiliating encounter at the temple, and discovers tracks on the snow that lead to and from his door.  On seeing that there is rice congee prepared at home, he gets even more suspicious.  His wounding words cause a quarrel between him and his wife.  It is only in the end when the truth is out that the couple make up.

Cast: Cai Zhengren, Zhang Jingxian (Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe)

Running Time: Approx. 3 hrs with an intermission

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the inscription of Kunqu Opera onto UNESCO’s list of ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’, the Chinese Opera Festival will present two Kunqu opera programmes in June and July. In June we first have classic opera excerpts performed by famous artists and outstanding young performers trained in the stylistic traditions of the four major kunqu operatic troupes, which are witnesses to the fruitful legacy of Kunqu opera.

Kunqu opera refers to a form of Chinese traditional theatre performed in the vocal style of Kunqiang (also called kunqu). As a singing style, Kunqiang gained popularity in the Kunshan area of Suzhou during the Yuan and Ming periods in the 14th Century. It was refined and improved upon by the literati of Ming Dynasty, such as Wei Liangfu, to achieve a standardized artistic form. The result was a vocal genre of mellifluous charm called shuimoqiang (‘water milling vocal style’) and a stringent observance of the tonal system. The literati even wrote libretti to promote this singing style, and trained artists to perform. As a result, an operatic genre with a performing mode and stage aesthetics that were rigorous and comprehensive, Kunqu opera, was born. In the centuries to come, Kunqu opera was to become a model for later operatic genres, and has therefore been described by historians as ‘the mother of Chinese theatre’ and ‘the source of all operatic genres’.

Kunqu opera’s highly integrative performing mode brings together movements, delivery of lines and singing to present a story. Over the long period of its development, it has come to encompass diverse art and cultural forms including literature, music, dance, fine art, martial arts and acrobatics. A Kunqu opera performance may include poetry, various types of prose, string and wind ensembles, gong-and-drum music, singing accompanied only by clappers etc. Movements are immaculately executed, with different parts of the body following specific routines, such as hand, eye, body movements and steps, and the use of ‘hand-wrist turns’ and ‘flowing sleeves’. A table and two chairs are enough to constitute the mise en scène from which numerous scenarios take place that evoke the audience’s most vivid imaginations. Costumes and make-up can be subtle, florid, or both, to serve as foil of characters. It is therefore a genre that is capable of the richest interpretation.

The Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe was established in 1978, and was formerly the Youth Peking and Kungu Opera Troupe of Shanghai. The Troupe was under the leadership of Yu Zhenfei, maestro of Peking and kunqu arts, in its earliest days; its current Company Director is Guo Yu. The Troupe boasts a talented cast, including seasoned virtuosi and National Class One Performers Wang Zhiquan, Fang Yang, Ji Zhenhua, Liu Yilong, Zhang Xunpeng, Zhang Mingrong, Zhang Jingxian, Yue Meiti, Liang Guyin and Cai Zhengren; Gu Haohao, winner of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre and a leading artist in the field in Shanghai; and National Class One Performers of the young to middle-aged category, such as Miu Bin, Wu Shuang, Shen Dieli, Li An, Liu Jie, Ni Hong and Yu Bin. Nine of the Troupe’s members have won the prestigious Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre on a total of ten occasions, and twenty have won Lead, Supporting and New Actor Awards at the Shanghai ‘Magnolia’ Awards for Chinese Theatre – Performing Arts. Since its establishment, the Troupe has revived and arranged close to three hundred traditional opera excerpts, such as Catching Sanlang Alive, The Novice Monk and the Young Nun, Asking for Tea, The Inebriated Poet Li Bai, Searching the Mountains and Stopping the Cart, Cleaving Open the Mountain to Save His Mother, Invocation to the Gods to Subdue the Demons, Kneeling by the Pond, Making a Marriage Proposal, The Drunken Messenger, The Party, Castigating Cao Cao in the World of the Living, The Night Watch, Waylaying the Horse, The Male Prisoner and Infernal Judgment. In 2002, a number of the Troupe’s artists were honoured by the Ministry of Culture for their long-term dedication to kunqu and for their significant achievements, and were named Representative Exponents of Intangible Cultural Heritage at National Level.

The Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Institute was established in November 1977, and was formerly based in Nanjing as the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre. The Institute devotes itself to the preservation and perpetuation of kunqu. To date it has re-arranged and adapted close to a hundred titles, and created another dozen of new productions of its own. The Institute’s stock repertoire features many opera excerpts passed down by the ‘Chuan’ generation of kunqu artists, such as The Obsessive Dream from Lanke Mountain, Wandering in the Garden and Waking from a Dream from The Peony Pavilion, The Mad Woman’s Words and A Visit at the Temple from The Pavilion of Colourful Clouds, Writing the Petition from The Story of the Gauze Silk, Chastising His Son from The Legend of the Embroidered Coat; full-length operas The Palace of Eternal Life, The Mistake Caused by the Kite, The Legend of the White Snake, Fifteen Strings of Cash; and also many other new productions. The Institute boasts five winners of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre and numerous National Class One performers among its members, and has traveled to performances in close to ten countries and regions around the world.

Established in October 1956, the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu Province was formerly the Su and Kunqu Opera Troupe of Jiangsu Province. For the five decades since its inception, the Theatre has staged many full-length kunqu productions such as The Peony Pavilion, The Palace of Eternal Life, The Story of the White Rabbit, The Hairpin, The Story of the Wooden Hairpin, etc., in addition to performances of over two hundred opera excerpts. The Theatre has been the cradle of four generations of kunqu artists, who are distinguished by the Chinese characters – Ji, Cheng, Hong, and Yang – incorporated as the middle character in their stage names. The effort testifies to the group’s significant contribution towards the preservation and development of the art. Members of the Theatre have accomplished sterling achievements in the field, notably Zhang Jiqing and Wang Fang, both of whom won the coveted Plum Blossom Award, with Wang winning the accolade twice. In 2002, four artists, Wang Fang, Tao Hongzhen, Yang Xiaoyong and Lu Fuhai were presented UNESCO’s Award for Promoting Kunqu Opera. Over the years, the Theatre has participated in each of the annual Kunqu Performance Showcase, as well as in the 2^nd and 6^th China Arts Festival. It has garnered over 20 awards at events including the All China Showcase of ‘Best of China’ Repertories organized by the Ministry of Culture, the All China Artistic Exchange Showcase of Young Performers in Kunqu, the All China Showcase of New Kunqu Repertories, the 2^nd Kunqu Festival of China, and the All China Accreditation Competition for Young Kunqu Performers.

In a bid to preserve and perpetuate kungu, the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China and the Jiangsu Municipal Government jointly authorised the creation of the China Kunqu Opera Museum at the site of the historical Quan Jin Hall by expanding the existing Suzhou Traditional Opera Museum. Phase I of the project was officially inaugurated in, 2003. The new Museum is armed with the multiple missions of salvaging repertoires on the verge of extinction, preservation, academic research, training and performance of kunqu, and is now an important showcase venue of the art form. The museum’s layout follows the principle of fully utilizing the outstanding architectural features of cultural monuments for the benefit of highlighting the ‘oral and intangible assets’ of kunqu.

Host: Cheung Lai-chun
Speakers: Cai Zhengren, Ke Jun, Tao Hongzhen, Cheng Pei-kai, Koo Siu-sun

10 June 2011 (Fri) 7:30pm
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Free Admission. Limited seats available on a first-come-first served basis.

The Art of Kunqu Opera
8-19 April; 1-12 June 2011
Foyer Exhibition Area, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Free Admission

Tickets will be available from 8 April onwards at all URBTIX outlets, on Internet and by credit card telephone booking

Half-price tickets available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (Limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come-first-served basis)
Group Booking Discount – 10% off for each purchase of 4-9 full-price tickets; 15% off for 10-19 full-price tickets; 20% off for 20 or more full-price tickets
"Chinese Opera Festival 2011” Package Discount – 10% off on full-price tickets for each purchase of 3-4 different performances; 15% off for 5-9 different performances; 20% off for 10 or more different performances

Patrons could enjoy only one of the above discounts for each purchase, please inform the box office staff at the time of purchase

Programme Enquiries：2268 7325
Ticketing Enquiries：2734 9009
Credit Card Telephone Booking：2111 5999
Internet Booking：www.urbtix.hk

The presenter reserves the right to substitute artists and change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary
The contents of this programme do not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department