This course will focus on the historical and cultural background, literary aesthetics, music, and performance of Kunqu, China’s classical opera. After viewing the lecture videos presented by scholars and renowned maestros in the field of Kunqu, students’ understanding and appreciation of Chinese performing arts, classical literature and traditional culture will be enhanced.
3.4. Demostration of the great official role-type: "Lamenting before the Statue", a scene from The Palace of Eternal Life
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En provenance du cours de The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Beauty of Kunqu Opera
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The Art of Kunqu Performance: the Male Role-Types
Just like other genres of Chinese opera, Kunqu has a broad range of role-types, such as male (sheng), female (dan), painted face (jing) and comic (chou). From this week on, legendary performing artists who have devoted their whole lives to Kunqu will talk about the role-types they specialize in and their facial makeup, costume, singing, speaking and movements. In addition, they will demonstrate some of the very important repertoires in Kunqu and share with us the characteristics of each of them.
This week, Maestros Yue Meiti and Cai Zhengren will talk about one of the most important role-types of Kunqu, the male role-type. Classical plays such as The Jade Hairpin, The Shepherd, and The Palace of Eternal Life will be introduced as well.
Rencontrer les enseignants
Prof. Wei Hua 華瑋Professor and Division Head
Department of Chinese Language and Literature
Prof. Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai 白先勇Wei Lun Professor of Humanities
Faculty of Arts
Prof. Lindy Li Mark 李林德Professor Emerita
Anthropology
The lengthy Scene 32, “<i>ying xiang ku xiang</i>”: “Receiving the memorial statue and lamenting before the statue”
is popularly known as “ying-ku” for short.
In the first part, a statue carved of sandalwood of the ill-fated imperial consort Yang Guifei
is greeted by the emperor who personally escorts the statue into her shrine.
As he offers wine to the statue,
he is reminded of their love and the tragic events that brought about her death.
This scene is from <i>The Palace of Eternal Life</i>, by the Qing dynasty playwright Hong Sheng;
a fifty-scene play based on the historical romance
of emperor Tang Minghuang and a palace lady, Yang Yuhuan.
Tang Minghuan is said to be so taken by her beauty and talent that he makes her his consort,
and elevates her to the rank of <i>guifei</i>, imperial consort.
With Yang Guifei at his side, Tang Minghuan indulges himself in wine, women, and music,
neglecting matters of state.
Meanwhile, An Lushan, a favorite of Tang Minghuang, foments rebellion against the emperor,
who is forced to abandon the capital, and escape to Sichuan.
On the way, the imperial guards mutinied,
demanding the death of Yang Guifei and her clan brother,
the prime minister, threatening to defect.
Minghuang, to his eternal regret, has no choice but to grant Yang Guifei
the honorable way out: suicide by hanging.
This scene features 13 lengthy arias,
a challenge to any actor of the <i>great official</i> role-type.
Maestro Cai Zhengren is rightfully the reigning master of this piece.
What is equally noteworthy is the part
of the statue played by a live actress
who must sit on stage for 40 minutes facing the audience without batting an eyelid, literally.
The <i>great official</i> role-type in Kunqu has a very special characteristic:
many characters use “<i>ran kou</i>” (beard),
commonly called “bearded (<i>official</i>)”.
The beard is this long.
Some people say that any bearded role
should belong to the <i>old male</i> role-type.
But strange to say, among Kunqu <i>young male</i> role-types...
there is a subtype: the <i>great official
which includes many bearded characters.
Ordinarily speaking bearded roles are no longer <i>young males</i>.
They should be “<i>old male</i>”.
Why does Kunqu have<i> bearded </i>young males?
Please remember, any <i>young male</i> in a beard
who sings with the <i>young male</i> vocal technique…
This (vocal technique and with beard) implies the <i>official</i> role-type, especially <i>the great official</i>.
Why does the emperor Tang character wear a beard ?
In reality he is an old man.
Then why is the role given to a<i> young male</i>?
(Because) in the play <i>The Palace of Eternal Life</i>,
a large portion of emperor Tang Minghuang’s performance…
is paired with the imperial consort Yang Guifei, <i>a young noble lady role-type</i>.
(He is) handsome and romantic.
Many of his arias are paired with those of the <i>female</i> role-type.
(His) vocal range is also comparable.
If played by an<i> old male</i> role-type
singing with his t<i>rue voice</i> (big voice),
His range cannot match that of the female singer. (duets are generally sung in unison in Kunqu)
Now I want to talk about the difference between…
the singing and speaking of the <i>great official…
and the <i>young scholar.
The <i>great official</i> is the more demanding role-type among all the<i> young male </i>role-types.
The vocal quality is more demanding.
Singing (technique) must be also of the highest standard.
If you can effortlessly sing a <i>great official</i> role,
you will find singing the <i>young scholar</i> much easier.
Take a similar spoken passage…
Because his <i>(great official)</i> age and status are higher,
you cannot just dispose of it casually.
That won’t do.
For example, when emperor Tang Minghuang makes his entrance,
our teachers require us to…
even though the emperor is already elderly,
you cannot show it to the audience.
He is indeed elderly,
but because you are a <i>great official</i>,
you must act out his social status and age.
But not too elderly…
If I were to act out a <i>declining</i> old man, and follow the<i> old male</i> role-type…
that will not do.
When my teacher taught me this scene,
he said that since the death of his consort…
Emperor Tang thought about her day and night.
He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep.
You can imagine what this emperor’s life is like.
Therefore, when he received the report…
that Lady Yang’s statue is completed,
and can be enthroned in the shrine…
When the emperor makes his entrance,
(my teacher) said that the first thing is:
you must make the audience believe that you <i>are </i>an emperor.
I thought to myself what is an emperor like?
Has anyone seen what an emperor looks like?
If, you make your entrance in a dragon robe like this,
look, my entrance like this, you will feel…
that he is an elder of 70 or 80 years old.
You absolutely cannot enter like that.
This is not just an aged emperor.
He must show his status: he is an emperor.
This scene “Lamentation before the statue” is rather unusual.
When he reaches the proscenium,
he will recite four lines of poem.
According to what master Yu told me,
not many scenes open immediately with a quatrain.
But “Lamentation before the statue” is one of them.
Moreover the line “Green are the waters of Shu, blue are its mountains” is recited immediately.
These lines are difficult to recite well.
The seven word line “<i>Shu shan shui bi Shu shan qing</i>”
has three words in the <i>entering</i> tone (cut-off syllable).
<i> bi, shu, shu jiang, shu,
<i>“Shu shan qing”. “Shu jiang shui bi, shu shan qing”.
Look… two “<i>shu</i>” and one “<i>bi</i>”.
Seven words, three entering tone words.
In Kunqu entering tone words
are clipped abruptly,
(they) cannot be drawn out.
Not like this.
Therefore upon entrance,
when doing this poem for the audience,
it must be recited with power but also showing age.
In addition, his longing for Lady Yang. must be expressed.
Now I will recite this poem in the <i>great official</i> vocal style:
“Green are the rivers of Shu and blue are its mountains.
From dawn to dusk they seize my thoughts.
Never my beauty by my side…
For I have lost both kingdom and my lady love”.
That is basically the <i>great official</i>’s recitation.
The voice should be rich and resonant.
And also have <i>tang yin</i>. (chest tone)
I still remember asking my teacher what is <i>tang yin</i>.
<i>Tang yin</i> is just broad, bright, and rich.
<i>“Yin de zhao zhao mou mou qin”.
(My teacher) is especially meticulous about open mouth vowels. (<i>zhao, mou, a</i>)
(For example) <i>“Shu shan qin”</i>:
see, when it is an open mouth vowel,
the mouth must be open.
This sounds relaxing to the audience.
The scene “Lamentation before the statue” has altogether thirteen arias.
This means once you make your entrance and open your mouth,
you must sing all thirteen arias, until the end.
To finish without a break in pace
is really quite difficult.
I remember when I first learned this scene,
and the first time I performed it on stage,
I hadn’t realized the demand of these thirteen arias yet.
I was still young then.
After “Great is my remorse. Ashamed…”
when I finished this aria and sat down
to take a break... here we go again.
“Great is my remorse. Not …”
Here we go again.
It didn’t seem so exhausting when I was learning the role.
Once on stage, there is no respite.
Just when one aria is finished, I can take a rest now can I.
I take a few steps, catch my breath.
I walk over to this chair,
sit down and take a break? No (such luck).
No sooner than I sit down, that drummer starts up again. (signals start of singing)
Here he comes again. After <i>“yii…”
the drummer heard me, oops, time to sing again.
One piece after another, no end in sight.
I have sung Beijing opera before.
Occasionally I will sing Beijing opera.
(Singing) Beijing opera is too relaxing.
I toss my sleeves after making my entrance: “Listen…”
I can take a rest and take a break, slowly,
and then start singing. Very relaxing.
Kunqu is different.
Immediately after speaking, (the aria) “Ashamed…” immediately follows.
(Kunqu) has no instrumental interlude.
When I first learned Beijing opera,
I was also sweating out of fright.
Why? I don’t know when to begin…
The teacher told me: “start singing!”
but I don’t know where to start.
I said: “you don’t have time to swallow saliva,
but I don’t know when to open my mouth.”
Every genre of opera has its unique aspect.
This scene “Lamentation before the statue”…
Its unique point is this:
once emperor Tang enters and completes his recitation,
and starts to sing…
one aria follows another…
singing non-stop until the end.
After the coda he slowly exits the stage.
The scene then ends.
I just spoke about the thirteen arias.
I had a discussion with my teacher.
There are two arias…
that are comparatively plain in the entire scene.
(They are) not particularly unique,
and a bit repetitious.
About these kinds of aria,
My teacher said: “this one is not necessary, that one also…”
Therefore when I performed “Lamentation before the statue”,
two arias were cut from the thirteen.
That is to say the forty minute performance time…
was cut to around thirty.
And that has been the practice until now.
Therefore my version of “Lamentation before the statue”
is about half an hour in length.
That is how (I) normally perform it.
Later when Master Yu was making the video,
He found that my revision of “Lamentation before the statue” is quite acceptable.
So he asked me: “Tell me how did you do it?”
He <i>asked me</i>!
So he made a video following my version.
Therefore, “Lamentation before the statue” is a singer’s scene.
But you must make the audience want to hear you sing.
Moreover, (the audience) do not tire of the singing.
That is your success.
If you sing for a long time,
but the audience sits unmoved,
there you are on stage, tears flooding your eyes,
but the audience down stage is cool as frost,
that means trouble.
[Cast off the cloth robe] In deep remorse I cover My weeping face,
For that flower-like face I cannot save.
It was My wretched vacillation,
That let her down in vain.
[Little Liangzhou] If I had shielded her with My body,
Would he have dared to violate his king?
Or what matter even if he had?
Amidst the spring of the nether world,
We would be mated for eternity.
[Previous tune] Today I am unharmed but alone,
No joy does My remaining years hold.
Only tears in endless streams,
And grief in a thousand molds.
On earth and in heaven,
Can this anguish ever be redeemed?
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