How old is Kunqu Opera? What is its nickname?

Kunqu Opera is one of the oldest traditional operas in China, and it is also the treasure of traditional culture and art in China, especially opera art, and it is called "Orchid" in the Hundred Flowers Garden. From the mid-Ming Dynasty to the mid-Qing Dynasty, many of the most influential vocal operas were developed on the basis of Kunqu Opera, and were known as the "mother of China operas".

Kunqu Opera was originally named "Kunshan Tune" or "Kunqu Opera" for short. It has been called "Kunqu Opera" since the Qing Dynasty, and now it is also called "Kunqu Opera". According to legend, Kunqu Opera was founded by Gu Jian, a native of Kunshan in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty. It has a history of more than 600 years and is one of the oldest traditional operas in China. It is also a treasure in China traditional culture and art, especially in China traditional opera art, and is called "the father and teacher of hundred operas".

Many local operas, such as Jin Opera, Pu Opera, Shangdang Opera, xiang opera Opera, Sichuan Opera, Gan Opera, Guangxi Opera, Yi Opera, Yue Opera, Guangdong Cantonese Opera, Fujian Opera, Wei Opera, Yunnan Opera, etc. In many ways, it has been nourished and nourished by Kunqu art. For example, the singing method of Beijing opera "Nanbangzi" is to learn Kunqu opera.

The literature, music, dance, fine arts, performers, programs and accompaniment bands of China Opera are all perfected and matured in the development of Kunqu Opera. Mr. Mei Lanfang, a master of Peking Opera, has profound attainments in Kunqu Opera. It can be said that the development history of a Kunqu opera is the development history of a China drama.

As early as the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (65438+the middle of the 4th century), Kunshan cavity appeared in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. It, Haiyan Opera originated in Zhejiang, Yu Yaoqiang Opera originated in Jiangxi and Yiyang Opera are also called the four major operas in Ming Dynasty, belonging to the Southern Opera system.

Kunshan dialect began as a folk song ditty. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522- 1566), Wei Liangfu's reform formed a euphemistic and delicate tune, which was called "Ink and Wash Song". The creation of Liang Chenyu, a playwright at that time, laid a solid literary foundation for Kunqu Opera. In terms of accompaniment, in addition to strings, instruments such as sheng, Xiao, pipe and flute were added, which made great progress compared with other popular voices at that time, which was refreshing and spread rapidly.

By the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Kunqu Opera had spread to all parts of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, becoming a kind of opera that overwhelmed other southern operas. Later, it was brought to Beijing by the scholar-officials and became a court drama together with Geyang Opera. At that time, it was called "official drama" and has since become the leader of the theater.

Conclusion Kunqu plays an important role in the history of China opera, and each opera has its own basic style. Some scholars say that it basically maintains the internal consistency of aesthetics. It is a model of literati. Its coverage is very strong, so it can be widely spread in various regions, and it is not excluded. It is also one of the factors that make it stand firm in the history of China opera.