Kunqu : A Classical Opera of Twenty-First-Century China / Joseph S. C. Lam.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lam, Joseph Sui Ching, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kunqu--China--History and criticism.

Kunqu.

China--History and criticism.

China.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (299 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Hong Kong : Hong Kong University Press, [2022]

Summary:

In Kunqu: A Classical Opera of Twenty-First-Century China, Joseph S. C. Lam offers a holistic and interdisciplinary view on kunqu, a 600-year-old genre of Chinese opera that is being fashionably performed inside and outside of China. He explains how and why the genre charms and signifies Chinese culture, history, and personhood. As the first comprehensive and scholarly book on kunqu written in English, the book not only discusses the genre in cultural and historical terms but also analyzes its shows as performative, cultural, social, and political communications. It approaches the genre from several perspectives, ranging from those of performers and producers to those of casual audience, dedicated connoisseurs, and scholarly critics. Lam also employs a judicious blend of Chinese and international theories and methods. Through this comprehensive study of kunqu, Lam has established the significance of the genre not only in the sphere of Chinese music, but also among the cultural heritage and performing arts at a global level.

Contents:

Kunqu : a performance and discourse of twenty-first-century China

Kunqu institutions : practitioners, terminology, and theories

Kunqu : a heavenly opera

Kunqu : an earthly opera

Kunqu lives, dreams, documents, and character models

Kunqu operations : resources, stakeholders, yuescapes, and products

Contemporary kunqu : creative performers and evolving shows

Kunqu and yue performance and discourse : a case study of kunqu instrumental music

Kunqu as twenty-first-century Chinese ICH and world opera

Kunqu at a crossroads : continuities, changes, and explorations

Appendix 1 : Current kunqu scholarship : a sketch

Appendix 2 : Titles of kunqu drams, zhezixi, and qupai

Appendix 3 : Musical examples

Appendix 4 : Links to online audiovisual kunqu recordings

Glossary

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes index.

Other Format:

Print version: Lam, Joseph S. C. Kunqu

ISBN:

9789888754397

OCLC:

1373018311