Kunqu Opera is one of the oldest and most refined forms of Chinese opera. It is a combination of music, drama, poetry and dance, some of which could track back to the late period of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Nowadays, a group of researches in the United Kingdom have discovered the considerable attraction of Kunqu Opera to some western performers. Consequently, performing Kunqu Opera in Australia may be a feasible plan, however, introducing such a traditional Chinese opera style to Australia may generate some inevitable cross-cultural issues. This report will discuss the potential issues in relation to sources, artistic characteristics, music styles and performances. Based on the issues, the recommendations are suggested as below.
* Chinese traditional stories should be transferred into local stories. * Chinese complex poetry needs to be changed into Australian poetry. * Giving out handbills may help audience understand the opera. * More innovation should be injected into the performers’ clothes. * The combination with eastern instruments and western instruments may address the music styles issues. * Attempts should be made to use some English songs. * Other performance opportunities should be found more than the theatre. * Establishing some classes about Kunqu Opera may attract more Australians’ attention.
Background to the project
Kunqu Opera which belongs to one of the oldest Chinese Opera patterns is a historical and conventional performance style that associates with music, dance, drama, poetry and kung fu together. Evolved from Jiangsu Province during the late period of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), it soon spreads to other parts of China such as Sichuan, Guizhou and Guangdong Province and develops into a treasure of Chinese culture. Kunqu Opera has been awarded “Non-material World Cultural Heritage in China” by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) since 2001.
Nowadays, a group of researchers in the United Kingdom have discovered that the clothes, makeup and acting performance of Kunqu Opera can greatly attract western performers’ attention. As a consequence, bringing Kunqu Opera to Australia by these performers seems to be a feasible plan which would contribute to the combination of western culture and eastern culture. Admittedly, unavoidable cultural issues may occur in introducing this conventional opera style to Australia.
This report will have a detailed description of Kunqu Opera first, then discuss some probable issues in transferring this opera style to Australia, and make recommendations on how the issues can be solved.
Kunqu Opera in China
Sources, artistic characteristics which include roles, clothes and face painting, music styles and performances are the predominant elements of Kunqu Opera.
Sources
Kunqu opera is always adapted from the folk tales, mysterious legends and historical stories about ancient China. “The Peony Pavilion” which was composed by Tangxianzu in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is one of the most famous Kunqu operas, depicting a legend of love resurrection between Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei. However, whether these stories are real or mendacious is not the key factor of Kunqu Opera, the meanings that the performers express to audience are the most important aspects.
In addition, as contributions to the sources of Kunqu Opera, the Chinese poems which are elegantly and easily to sing can reveal various kinds of significances, with brief and pithy words. Artistic characteristics
Roles, clothes and face paintings are three factors of artistic characteristics. On the basis of gender, age and individual characters, Kunqu Opera can be described in five certain roles: Sheng (leading male ), Dan(female), Jing(painted face), Mo(old male), Chou(clowns). Among all the roles, sheng, dan and chou are the major parts. Each role has special importance and constitutes the whole and complete system of Kunqu Opera.
The performers’ clothes are not the same styles according to different dynasties of China. However, no matter what dynasty is, long robes and conservative gowns are the main components of the costumes, covering every part of the body.
Face painting is a distinguish feature of Kunqu Opera which is not done for the sake of beauty but portrays different characters, fascinating foreigners all the time. For instance, black symbolizes honest, red stands for loyalty and uprightness, while white indicates suspicion and evil. In a word, the unique and vivid makeup on the face allows performers to express themselves voicelessly.
Music styles
There is no denying that musical instruments are the key points to any kind of opera as a background of the stories. Kunqu Opera’s instrumental configuration is relatively complete, while the main instruments are flute that is shaped like a thin pipe and played by blowing across a hole near one end, sheng which has a reed and erhu with two strings. These expressive Chinese traditional instruments add more brilliances and emotions to the opera.
What’s more, the rich and colorful songs contribute to the beauty of Kunqu Opera. However, these songs are sung in Chinese even in some dialects which may make foreigners confused. Being restricted to these songs about the pronunciation of lyrics, the tunes and rhythms form a complete and perfect singing theory of Kunqu Opera.
Performances
Kunqu Opera were always performed in an outdoor environment where audience could easily view hundreds of years ago because it was originated from the civilian society. Later it gradually became an indoor activity, with the purpose to entertain the royalty and nobleman in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Consequently, both the outdoor stages and indoor theatres could be the venues for performers.
The second aspect of performances is the opportunity of acting. The chances for performing Kunqu Opera may greatly increase when the traditional festivals such as the Mid-autumn Festival are coming.
The fees could be another element of performances. Most of the operas are viewed for free due to the outdoor stages, while tickets are required in some normal theatres. Both of the performers and audience assemble together spontaneously to get entertainment as much as possible.
Issues
Admittedly, performing Kunqu Opera in Australia may arise a host of issues because of the cultural differences between China and Australia according to Hofstede’s(1994,1996 in Morrison 2006) cultural dimensions. Potential issues can by observed in the following aspects.
Sources
Kunqu Opera is always adapted from Chinese traditional folk tales or mysterious legends. Therefore, Australians may not understand these stories completely with western ways of thinking. For example, a famous Kunqu Opera called “The Palace of Eternal Youth” describes the luxurious life of an emperor in Tang Dynasty (618-907). The unbalanced hierarchy exists during the long history of China, as Hofstede(1994,1996 in Morrison 2006) reveals, China is a society which has large power distance and believes that the inequalities among people are acceptable. However, with low power distance, Australians who have more equal status are not easily to understand these stories happened in ancient China.
Poetry is a precious treasure in Chinese traditional culture which is also a source of Kunqu Opera. It often uses particular forms and conventions to suggest alternative meanings in brief words which may not be comprehended by westerners. Artistic characteristics
The complicated and multiple roles, clothes and face paintings are the most typical artistic characteristics in Kunqu Opera, representing the typical collectivist culture of China. For example, with respect to colors, red symbolizes loyalty, uprightness and happiness in Chinese culture but violence and blood in western culture, while white stands for death or evil in China but honest and purity in western countries. The different attitudes of colors reflect essential values in collectivist cultures, making Australians know the operas with difficulty.
Hofstede(1994,1996 in Morrison 2006) reveals that Australia is a highly individualistic culture with the expectation that people look after themselves and their immediate families, allowing Australians to prefer individual interests such as their own styles of clothes. However, most of the clothes in Kunqu Opera are conservative and traditional which may not be attracted by some Australian performers. The qualities, styles, colors and accessories of clothes could be other issues of artistic characteristics.
Music styles
Deriving from the civilian society, the band of Kunqu Opera plays Chinese traditional musical instruments which are hard to study. China is a highly collectivist culture where people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily of themselves (Hofstede, 1994, 1996 in Morrison 2006). Chinese folk musicians often play and practice the instruments together to achieve a higher effect while Australians who are more individual may not devote their time to study and play music together.
Songs seems natural if they are sung in Chinese while English lyrics might be far-fetched and artificial. Mastering the tunes, pronunciations and rhythms of the lyrics is a crucial skill for Kunqu Opera’s performers which would be difficult to understand. Nobody knows what the operas will look like if these songs are sung in English.
Performances
Performance places in Australia will be different from those in China. Australian operas are always performed in the regular and formal theatres, leading to the unpopularity of Kunqu Opera among most locals. In addition, the ticket prices of the theatre can be another issue in terms of the value of money and the long-term orientation of the culture (Hofstede, 1994, 1996 in Morrison 2006).
The final issue relating to performances is the diverse performance opportunities due to the religious traditions. Mid-autumn Festival may be an excellent opportunity in China, however, Australians never celebrate these eastern traditional festivals, as a result, other opportunities need to be considered.
Recommendations
Some recommendations are suggested in order to address the issues to assure the success to bring Kunqu Opera to Australia.
Sources
The stories associating with ancient and traditional Chinese history could be transferred into the local stories that are familiar to most native audience. Australians may be curious about the new performance styles of the same stories and are willing to pay for the show. Changing Chinese complex poems into Australian poems would be one way of addressing sources issues.
Artistic characteristics
Giving out handbills which indicate the backgrounds of actors and symbols of colors before entering the theatre would help audience understand what the performers are acting. In the case of clothes, while it is essential to keep the original form of these clothes, small changes should be made to ensure successful implementation, based on the Australians’ flavor. Music styles
As a matter of fact, some western instruments have integrated into Kunqu Operas such as the electronic piano. The combination with Chinese instruments and western instruments should be made with the aim of adding the beauty and fragrance to Kunqu Opera.
Attempts should be made to translate the songs into English, the comprehension of the songs may be desirable for Australian audience.
Performances
The popularity of Kunqu Opera among local people will not be a major problem if most of the audience accepts this new opera style. Performance opportunities should not be limited by the theater but television of radio. The university could also establish classes about Kunqu Opera as a selective course to attract young adult’s attention.
References
Kunqu Opera(2012). Retrieved 18 October 2014, from http://www.doc88.com/p-991970705913.html. What is Kunqu Theatre (2013).Retrieved 20 October 2014, from http://www.wtrgreenkunqu.org/Resources/Kunqu%20Description.htm.
Peking Opera (2009). Retrieved 21 October 2014, from http://en.showchina.org/01/06/02/200904/t296794.htm.
What about China (1996). Retrieved 24 October 2014, from http://geert-hofstede.com/china.html. What about Australia (1996). Retrieved 24 October 2014, from
http://geert-hofstede.com/austria.html.
