Kunqu is a form of Chinese drama that emerged in the 16th century. Musician Wei Liangfu created kunqu, a new style of music based on southern folk melodies. Poet Liang Chenyu then adapted it into a full-length opera. Kunqu incorporates song, dance, and spoken word. Kunqu singing emphasizes voice control and changes in rhythms. The musical ensemble includes wind, stringed, and percussion instruments, with the bamboo flute as the lead instrument. Kunqu became a national dramatic genre, deeply loved by audiences, especially the literati. It flourished for about 100 years, but was replaced in popularity by jingxi (Peking opera) in the mid-18th century.

What makes Kunqu different from other types of Chinese theater?

Kunqu, emerging in the 16th century, distinguishes itself from other Chinese theater forms through its unique musical qualities and performance style. Known as "water-polished music" (shuimodiao), its melodies are mild, exquisite, and sentimental, often focusing on romantic love stories. Kunqu's vocal style emphasizes voice control and rhythmic changes to express character. The music features wind, stringed, and percussion instruments, with the di (bamboo flute) as the lead. Performances integrate song, dance, and spoken word, with stylized movements specific to each role. While Beijing dialect is common, the choujue (clown) uses Suzhou dialect, adding a regional touch. Kunqu influenced later forms like Peking opera .

What kinds of stories are performed in Kunqu?

Kunqu performances often stage chuanqi or "marvel tales" from the Ming-Qing period, also known as wenren chuanqi . Kunqu troupes commonly perform highlights from well-known operas, including The Romance of the Western Chamber , The Peony Pavilion , and The White Snake . These stories often focus on romantic love, and kunqu singing emphasizes voice control and rhythmic changes to express the characters' dispositions.

What are some traditional costumes and makeup used in Kunqu performances?

Kunqu, a form of Chinese drama from the 16th century, involves distinctive costumes and makeup to identify standard character types. Each role has stylized movements and performance skills. Kunqu's system of performance has a far-reaching influence on jingxi (Peking opera). General characteristics of most forms of Chinese opera are similar, such as costumes, headgear, and makeup that identify standard character types. Actors usually play a single role type: male ( sheng ), female ( dan ), painted-face warrior ( jing ), or clown ( chou ).

How has Kunqu influenced Chinese culture and other theater styles?

Kunqu, emerging in the 16th century, significantly impacted Chinese culture and other theater styles. Musician Wei Liangfu created kunqu by blending regional styles, and dramatist Liang Chenyu adapted it into a full-length opera, quickly gaining popularity. Kunqu is known for its mild, exquisite music, called shuimodiao ("water-polished music"), with romantic love themes. It combines song, dance, and spoken word, using stylized movements and Beijing dialect (with some Suzhou dialect). Its system of performance greatly influenced jingxi (Peking opera). Despite its early popularity, kunqu became more of a theater for the literati due to its refined music and poetic forms. Today, modern kunqu troupes exist in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Changsha.

kunqu

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Wade-Giles romanization:: k’un-ch’ü

Also called:: kunju or kunshan qiang

Related Topics:: Chinese music; Chinese opera

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kunqu

Chinese theater

Also known as: Kun school, k’un-ch’ü, kunju, kunshan qiang, shuimodiao(Show More)

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Top Questions

What is Kunqu?
Kunqu is a form of Chinese drama that emerged in the 16th century. Musician Wei Liangfu created kunqu, a new style of music based on southern folk melodies. Poet Liang Chenyu then adapted it into a full-length opera.

Kunqu incorporates song, dance, and spoken word. Kunqu singing emphasizes voice control and changes in rhythms. The musical ensemble includes wind, stringed, and percussion instruments, with the bamboo flute as the lead instrument.

Kunqu became a national dramatic genre, deeply loved by audiences, especially the literati. It flourished for about 100 years, but was replaced in popularity by jingxi (Peking opera) in the mid-18th century.
2 Britannica Sources
1. kunqu
2. Chinese performing arts: The Ming period
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Where did Kunqu originate in China?
Kunqu originated in the Kunshan region near Suzhou in China. During the late Yuan dynasty (early 14th century), Gu Jian, a musician of Kunshan, created kunshan qiang, a style of music that combined regional music with that of nanxi.

In the mid-1500s, Wei Liangfu developed a musical form that combined kunshan qiang with other regional styles. The dramatist Liang Chenyu soon adapted it to a full-length opera, and the new dramatic style became known as kunqu. It then developed into a national dramatic genre that was deeply loved, especially by the literati.
2 Britannica Sources
1. kunqu
2. Chinese performing arts: The Ming period
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What makes Kunqu different from other types of Chinese theater?
Kunqu, emerging in the 16th century, distinguishes itself from other Chinese theater forms through its unique musical qualities and performance style. Known as "water-polished music" (shuimodiao), its melodies are mild, exquisite, and sentimental, often focusing on romantic love stories.

Kunqu's vocal style emphasizes voice control and rhythmic changes to express character. The music features wind, stringed, and percussion instruments, with the di (bamboo flute) as the lead. Performances integrate song, dance, and spoken word, with stylized movements specific to each role. While Beijing dialect is common, the choujue (clown) uses Suzhou dialect, adding a regional touch. Kunqu influenced later forms like Peking opera.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What kinds of stories are performed in Kunqu?
Kunqu performances often stage chuanqi or "marvel tales" from the Ming-Qing period, also known as wenren chuanqi. Kunqu troupes commonly perform highlights from well-known operas, including The Romance of the Western Chamber, The Peony Pavilion, and The White Snake. These stories often focus on romantic love, and kunqu singing emphasizes voice control and rhythmic changes to express the characters' dispositions.
2 Britannica Sources
1. kunqu
2. Chinese performing arts: The Ming period
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some traditional costumes and makeup used in Kunqu performances?
Kunqu, a form of Chinese drama from the 16th century, involves distinctive costumes and makeup to identify standard character types. Each role has stylized movements and performance skills.

Kunqu's system of performance has a far-reaching influence on jingxi (Peking opera). General characteristics of most forms of Chinese opera are similar, such as costumes, headgear, and makeup that identify standard character types. Actors usually play a single role type: male (sheng), female (dan), painted-face warrior (jing), or clown (chou).
2 Britannica Sources
1. kunqu
2. Chinese performing arts: The Qing (Manchu) period
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How has Kunqu influenced Chinese culture and other theater styles?
Kunqu, emerging in the 16th century, significantly impacted Chinese culture and other theater styles. Musician Wei Liangfu created kunqu by blending regional styles, and dramatist Liang Chenyu adapted it into a full-length opera, quickly gaining popularity.

Kunqu is known for its mild, exquisite music, called shuimodiao ("water-polished music"), with romantic love themes. It combines song, dance, and spoken word, using stylized movements and Beijing dialect (with some Suzhou dialect). Its system of performance greatly influenced jingxi (Peking opera).

Despite its early popularity, kunqu became more of a theater for the literati due to its refined music and poetic forms. Today, modern kunqu troupes exist in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Changsha.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

kunqu, form of Chinese drama that developed in the 16th century.

The term kunshan qiang (“Kunshan tune”) originally referred to a style of music that emerged in the late Yuan dynasty (early 14th century). It was created by Gu Jian, a musician of Kunshan (near Suzhou), who combined the music of the region with an improvement on the music of nanxi (“southern drama”).

During the mid-1500s, the musician and actor Wei Liangfu developed a musical form that combined kunshan qiang with other regional styles. The dramatist Liang Chenyu of Kunshan soon adapted it to a full-length opera, Huanshaji (“Washing the Silken Gauze”), a chuanqi (“marvel tale”). It gained wide popularity, and the new dramatic style came to be known as kunqu (“songs of Kun”). It developed into a national dramatic genre that was deeply loved by audiences, especially by the literati. Kunqu flourished for about a hundred years. About the middle of the 18th century, during the Qing dynasty, it was gradually replaced in popularity by jingxi (Peking opera).

Young girl wearing a demin jacket playing the trumpet (child, musical instruments, Asian ethnicity)

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Kunqu has distinctive features in its musical performance. It is so mild, exquisite, sentimental, and melodious that it is commonly called shuimodiao (“water-polished music”). The libretto usually focuses on a story of romantic love. Kunqu singing emphasizes control of the voice and changes in rhythms. Singers must also use their skills to express the disposition of various characters, an aspect that adds complexity to the form. The musical ensemble is mainly composed of wind, stringed, and percussion instruments. The lead instrument of the wind section and the entire ensemble is the di (a side-blown bamboo flute). It is accompanied by a xiao (vertical, end-blown bamboo flute), a suona (horn), and a sheng (reed pipe). The string section consists of a pipa (fretted lute), a sanxian (fretless lute), and a yueqin (flat, round-bodied lute). The percussion section is equipped with guban (clappers), a luo (gong), and bo (cymbals). Because the bamboo flute provides the main accompaniment, kunqu is characterized by smooth and mellifluous music.

The performance of kunqu combines song, dance, and spoken word into an integral whole. There is an elaborate division of roles, each role requiring its own particular stylized movements and performance skills. Its graceful dance movements can be divided into two types: one is the auxiliary postures that accompany the spoken parts, as well as the dance developed from gestures that represent a character’s spirit and essence; the other is the lyric type of dance that coordinates with the singing parts. Beijing dialect is generally used in the spoken parts of kunqu, but Suzhou dialect is spoken by a clown character, choujue. The inclusion of the Suzhou dialect gives kunqu a strong regional quality. Kunqu’s system of performance exerted a far-reaching influence upon jingxi (Peking opera).

Most of the chuanqi in the Ming-Qing period, generally called wenren (scholar’s) chuanqi, can be staged in the form of kunqu. Troupes often perform highlights from operas rather than a complete kunqu opera. Among the most common are Kaohong (“Interrogating Maid Hong”) from Xixiangji (The Romance of the Western Chamber), Youyuan (“Wandering in the Garden”) and Jing meng (“Startled in the Dream”) from Mudanting (The Peony Pavilion), and Duanqiao (“The Broken Bridge”) from Baishezhuan (The White Snake).

As the most elegant and artistic genre of traditional Chinese drama, kunqu has long been appreciated by a well-educated audience. In 1919 Mei Lanfang and Han Shichang, renowned performers of kunqu, traveled to Japan to give performances. In the 1930s Mei performed kunqu in the United States and the Soviet Union and was well received. There are modern kunqu troupes in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Changsha.

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This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.

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