Kun Opera: The Jade Hairpin 玉簪記 and Other Highlights
Enjoy two afternoons of Kun opera arias and traditional Chinese music performed by the Chinese Kwun Opera Society and Spring Thunder Music Association.
Kun opera, or kunqu, is one of the oldest and most refined forms of opera in China. The genre was a popular leisure activity staged in the private garden residences of Suzhou during the 16th through 18th centuries.
Saturday Performance
Features scenes from The Jade Hairpin. Written by the Ming dynasty playwright Gao Lian 高濂, it tells the love story of the young scholar Pan Bizheng and the Daoist nun Chen Miaochang. Scenes include “Flirting with a Zither” 琴挑, “Visiting the Sick One” 問病, and “Stealing a Poem” 偷詩.
Sunday Performance
Features a selection of classic Kun opera repertoire including the scenes “Captured Alive” from the Water Margin 水滸記・活捉, “A Portrait Retried” from the Peony Pavilion 牡丹亭・拾畫叫畫 , and “An Unsightly Surprise” from Mistake with a Kite 風箏誤・驚丑.
This program is co-organized by The Huntington and the Chinese Kwun Opera Society. Generous support is provided by the Justin Vajna Memorial Fund for Educational Programs in the Chinese Garden.