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Film, Video Kunqu: China's First Great Multi-art Theatrical Tradition

Event video

Transcript: TEXT

About this Item

Title

  • Kunqu: China's First Great Multi-art Theatrical Tradition

Summary

  • Marjory Bong-Ray Liu presented "Total Theatre -- The Art of Kunqu, China's Earliest Classical Opera" as part of the Benjamin Botkin lecture series sponsored by the American Folklife Center. Chinese opera, especially Kunqu, is particularly noted for its graceful dance movements and gestures that are an integral part of the total art form, unlike many western operas where the aural aspect is predominant. Kunqu classical opera was perfected in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.). It uses four main acting roles: sheng, a young male scholar-hero; dan, a female role; jing, a male warrior-statesman; and chou, a comic. Kunqu demonstrated sophistication in relating total speech to melody patterns, and it integrated the arts of dance, poetry, music, mime, symbolism and drama into a complete aesthetic experience that is still admired and enjoyed today.

Names

  • Library of Congress
  • American Folklife Center, sponsoring body

Created / Published

  • Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, 2008-09-04.

Headings

  • -  Biography, History
  • -  Culture, Performing Arts
  • -  Education
  • -  Culture, Folklife
  • -  Performing Arts, Music

Notes

  • -  Classification: Education.
  • -  Classification: Fine Arts.
  • -  Classification: Language and Literature.
  • -  Classification: Music and Books on Music.
  • -  Marjory Bong-Ray Liu.
  • -  Recorded on 2008-09-04.
  • -  Researchers.
  • -  Teachers.

Medium

  • 1 online resource

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021688026

Online Format

  • video
  • image
  • online text

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: Library of Congress

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Library Of Congress, and Sponsoring Body American Folklife Center. Kunqu: China's First Great Multi-art Theatrical Tradition. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, -09-04, 2008. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021688026/.

APA citation style:

Library Of Congress & American Folklife Center, S. B. (2008) Kunqu: China's First Great Multi-art Theatrical Tradition. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, -09-04. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021688026/.

MLA citation style:

Library Of Congress, and Sponsoring Body American Folklife Center. Kunqu: China's First Great Multi-art Theatrical Tradition. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, -09-04, 2008. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021688026/>.