8 July 2011 (Fri)
The Story of the West Chamber (New Version)
The beautiful libretto of The Story of the West Chamber enjoys prominent standing in Chinese literature. In this production, the libretto largely follows the original zaju (‘variety theatre’) by Wang Shifu, vocalisation follows the music score by Qing composer Ye Huaiting (known also as Ye Tang) so as to produce vocal characteristics after the authentic ‘Ye style’. Using extensive modern stage effects, stage director famous for breaking the rules, Guo Xiaonan, introduces fluid lighting to create a lyrical setting for the West Chamber where the romance blossoms. This inventive approach hopes to deliver a new visual experience to the Hong Kong audience, as well as connect with young audiences through the kindling of romantic sensibilities.
Zhang Junrui, a young scholar, is on his way to the capital to sit for the imperial examination. He passes by the All Grace Monastery in Kaifeng, where the Prime Minister’s family is taking up temporary residence, and happens to meet the Prime Minister’s daughter, Cui Yingying. It is love at first sight for the two. But a message comes from Sun the Tiger, leader of the rebel forces, who declares that he wants Yingying for his wife, failing which he and his men would ransack the monastery. Yingying’s mother, Lady Cui, in her anxiety, accepts her daughter’s proposal that whoever manages to drive away the rebels will have her blessing to have Yingying’s hand in marriage. Zhang steps forth to offer his strategy, and succeeds in defeating the rebels. But then, instead of honouring her word, Lady Cui tells Zhang and Yingying to be sworn brother and sister. It is thanks to the maidservant Hongniang, who plays the go-between, that the two are able to continue to correspond in secret. Hongniang also helps to arrange a secret rendezvous at which the lovebirds become betrothed. When Lady Cui hears of the rendezvous, she interrogates the maid, who in a clever repartee, forces the Lady to give her consent to the couple on the condition that Zhang succeeds at the imperial examinations. As all gather to see Zhang off, the lovers bid a reluctant goodbye.
Cast: Wang Zhenyi, Wei Chunrong, Wang Jin, Bai Xiaojun
9 July 2011 (Sat)
Excerpts
Bidding Farewell to His Mother and Killed by a Shower of Arrows from The Iron Headgear
Li Zicheng, leader of a rebel force, has laid siege to Dai County. To force Li to back down, Commander Zhou of the local forces succeeds in taking Li’s adopted son, Li Hongji, as prisoner. Li almost concedes, but is held back by his political adviser, Niu. Zhou has Hongji executed, and Li’s army storms the city, forcing Zhou to retreat until Ningwu Pass, where he is killed in a deadly hail of arrows. The rest of his family perishes by setting fire to themselves.
Cast: Ding Chenyuan, Bai Xiaojun
Pleading Innocence from The Injustice Done to Dou E
Dou E, a commoner, is wrongfully sentenced to death and given no recourse to justice. On the execution grounds, she swears to Heaven to testify to her innocence with three signs: that her blood would not splatter the ground, that there would be snow even in the heat of summer, and that the region would be plagued with three years of drought – all of which come to pass.
Cast: Wei Chunrong, Hai Jun, Cao Wenzhen
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 shows up at the royal chamber. The Emperor tries to prevent a fiasco and lies that he is feeling unwell and needs a quiet rest. But Yang spies jade accessories and a pair of woman’s slippers in his chamber, and, out of jealousy, makes a scene. The Emperor has to apologize to make up.
Cast: Shi Hongmei, Shao Zheng, Ma Baowang
On Broken Bridge from The Legend of the White Snake
Bai Suzhen the White Snake and her maid and companion, the Green Snake escape to the shores of West Lake after a failed attempt to rescue Bai’s husband, Xu Xian, from under the hand of Monk Fahai. But as they come to Broken Bridge, they see none other than Xu, who has managed his escape and is heading toward the city of Lin’an for safety. Angered by what Xu has brought upon Bai, the Green Snake draws her sword upon him. Bai is still in love with her husband and stops her from killing him. Xu reproaches himself for having fallen for the lies to divide them, and begs the two for forgiveness. The three are finally reconciled.
Cast: Yang Fengyi, Wang Zhenyi, Bai Chunxiang
To the Banquet Armed
The story involves the states of Wu and Shu during the Three Kingdoms period. Lu Su, the admiral of Wu, sets up a banquet and sends an invitation to General Guan Yu of Shu, whom he plans to take hostage to force Liu Bei, the ruler of Shu and sworn brother of Guan, to cede the disputed land of Jingzhou. Guan takes with him one man and one broadsword to the banquet. As he crosses the river, he is reminded of the bloody battle at Chibi and sighs over the vicissitudes of life. At the banquet, Lu and Guan assert their state’s sovereignty over Jingzhou, neither conceding to the other. Guan feigns drunkenness then takes Lu by surprise. He holds Lu under his sword to escort him back to the boat. Lu is outmaneuvered, and Guan sails safely back to camp.
Cast: Hou Shaokui (first part), Hai Jun (second part), Xu Naiqiang, Dong Honggang
10 July 2011 (Sun)
Excerpts
Assassinating Liang from The Joy of the Fishing Folks
The story takes place in the Eastern Han period. Liang Ji, an army commander, returns home after an audience with the emperor. He bumps into a fortune-teller, Wan Jiachun, who observes his lacklustre complexion and warns him that an attempt will be made on his life within three days. So Liang stays in what he thinks is the safety of his home. Wu Feixia, daughter of a fisherman who is killed by Liang’s errant arrow, finds her way into the house by exchanging places with Ma Yaocao, a sing-song girl who has been chosen to serve in Liang’s residence. At night she kills Liang with a golden needle. The family wants Wan to make divinations of who the assassin is. Wan knows it is Wu, but out of compassion for the young orphan, he tricks the guards at the back entrance of the house so he and Wu can escape to safety.
Cast: Ma Baowang, Wang Liyuan, Zhang Peng
Jin-Bu-Huan
The story takes place during the Ming Dynasty. The prodigal son Yao Ying has squandered away his inheritance in his youth, even selling off his wife and children. Now he lives on the streets and scrapes through by begging. Moved by his plight, his wife recovers all the property he has sold off, herself included, under another name, and sends a servant to keep watch over Yao. When Yao, despairing of life, tries to throw himself into the river, she has him brought back to the residence as a watchman. On her birthday, she and her maid put on the guise of a man and his wife in a little playacting to make Yao recall his treacherous past. Yao is deeply ashamed and vows to turn over a new leaf, and the couple is reconciled.
Cast: Shao Zheng, Wei Chunrong
The Gift of a Sword from Baihua from Princess Baihua
Jiang Liuyun, assuming the alias of Haijun, has infiltrated the camp of the Prince of Anxi as a young army recruit. This arouses the jealousy of Bala, the Prince’s attendant, who fears he would be ousted. He sets the young man up by getting him drunk and leaving him in Princess Baihua’s chamber, which is strictly out-of-bounds to men and offenders are punishable by death. But the Princess takes to Haijun because of his handsome looks, and presents her treasured sword to him as a gift. The two make a lovers’ pledge before they part.
Cast: Yang Fengyi, Wang Zhenyi, Bai Chunxiang
Escorting Jingniang Thousands of Miles
This story takes place during the Five Dynasties period. Zhao Kuangyin, later to become the first emperor of Song, has offended the powers-that-be by standing by justice, and is forced to flee to Guanxi. On his way, he passes by a Taoist shrine and hears someone weeping. He enters to investigate, and from under the stone slabs, discovers a young woman, Zhao Jingniang, who has been abducted and held in captivity by bandits. Jingniang is uncertain of her way home, so Kuangyin offers to accompany her. They are soon pursued by the bandits, but Kuangyin valiantly fights them off. His chivalry impresses the young woman, who tries to express her admiration for him in veiled remarks. Although Kuangyin well understands her sentiments, he knows his ambitions would take him further afield, so he feigns ignorance and bids her a firm farewell as they near Jingniang’s home.
Cast: Hou Shaokui (second part), Yang Fan (first part), Shi Hongmei |
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. |
