Post by Raoul Duke on Nov 7, 2006 0:33:52 GMT 7
Last night our friend Felix arranged a Kun Qu show for us. Kun Qu is the local version of Chinese Opera. It is, allegedly, also the oldest form of Chinese Opera and the ancestor of all the others.
Mercifully, it's not much like Beijing Opera (Jing Qu). I class Beijing Opera as a weapon, not entertainment, and feel it is best enjoyed from telescope-fitted soundproofed underground concrete bunkers at least five miles away. It's cool to look at, and I appreciate that it takes many years to master, but let's face it...it sounds like people are torturing cats.
Kun Qu is rather nice. Still plenty weird and all, but much softer and more musical than the Beijing version. It's elegant and interesting.
This show was very cool. We got an explained look at the exciting-in-its-ethnic-splendor Chinese Tea Ceremony...which, I fear, is basically elaborate pot-washing compared to the Japanese version. At least the tea was good. We also got a short excerpt from "The Peony Pavilion", presented by two performers from the local Classical Arts school. We also got to talk to the performers (through a translator) and ask about the art form. Then they passed out sheet music and taught each table to sing a brief line from the opera. I've had many years of voice training and singing experience, but this stuff was tough! We also got a quick lesson in some movements and poses from Kun Qu. The setting was a thoroughly amazing preserved Qing Dynasty house in central Suzhou.
Might sound boring, ya damn lug nuts, but we all walked out wowed.
These shows are only done by arrangement for very small audiences. If there's interest, we could book one for the May Party?!?
Apologies for the quality problems in some of the photos. The lighting in here was odd to say the least, and there were some really strange reflections happening. The round spots, some smudges, and other such apparitions were just the drugs I was taking.
The extraneous people seen taking photos are local reporters. Con and I were interviewed by a local paper and other media outlets, and the whole thing was extensively photographed.
Felix explains the tea.
Pouring the tea.
Megan's Mom, Megan, and WangCheng enjoying the tea ceremony.
Megan's Mom, learning to drink a nice cuppa like a civilized person.
And now she gets to pour the tea!
If nothing else good happened that evening, at least Con learned a trade.
The band. I still like the name "The Dongs" but I guess that's spoken for by the lovely Dong people of Guangxi Province. You're also getting a glimpse of Con's antimatter twin at the far right.
Our Kun Qu Performers.
Megan, Minnie, and Wang Cheng pose with the Kun Qu Dude.
Minnie and I with Kun Qu Dude. For once mine is arguably not the gayest shirt in the group. I said "arguably", OK?
The ladies, learning to sing Kun Qu.
Having presented Paper to my Scissors, Con got to represent our table and try his hand at some real Chinese Hao Ling.
Megan represents the Ladies' table. The third table was populated by foreigners with no Saloon members; the wimps and losers refused to try it.
Dressing up Minnie for some Kun Qu poses.
Now Minnie gets hand gesture training.
This foreign guy, whom we didn't know, was enjoying himself too much with this. So, of course, I had to kill him. No choice, really.
We all had a great time. Thanks Felix!
Mercifully, it's not much like Beijing Opera (Jing Qu). I class Beijing Opera as a weapon, not entertainment, and feel it is best enjoyed from telescope-fitted soundproofed underground concrete bunkers at least five miles away. It's cool to look at, and I appreciate that it takes many years to master, but let's face it...it sounds like people are torturing cats.
Kun Qu is rather nice. Still plenty weird and all, but much softer and more musical than the Beijing version. It's elegant and interesting.
This show was very cool. We got an explained look at the exciting-in-its-ethnic-splendor Chinese Tea Ceremony...which, I fear, is basically elaborate pot-washing compared to the Japanese version. At least the tea was good. We also got a short excerpt from "The Peony Pavilion", presented by two performers from the local Classical Arts school. We also got to talk to the performers (through a translator) and ask about the art form. Then they passed out sheet music and taught each table to sing a brief line from the opera. I've had many years of voice training and singing experience, but this stuff was tough! We also got a quick lesson in some movements and poses from Kun Qu. The setting was a thoroughly amazing preserved Qing Dynasty house in central Suzhou.
Might sound boring, ya damn lug nuts, but we all walked out wowed.
These shows are only done by arrangement for very small audiences. If there's interest, we could book one for the May Party?!?
Apologies for the quality problems in some of the photos. The lighting in here was odd to say the least, and there were some really strange reflections happening. The round spots, some smudges, and other such apparitions were just the drugs I was taking.
The extraneous people seen taking photos are local reporters. Con and I were interviewed by a local paper and other media outlets, and the whole thing was extensively photographed.
Felix explains the tea.
Pouring the tea.
Megan's Mom, Megan, and WangCheng enjoying the tea ceremony.
Megan's Mom, learning to drink a nice cuppa like a civilized person.
And now she gets to pour the tea!
If nothing else good happened that evening, at least Con learned a trade.
The band. I still like the name "The Dongs" but I guess that's spoken for by the lovely Dong people of Guangxi Province. You're also getting a glimpse of Con's antimatter twin at the far right.
Our Kun Qu Performers.
Megan, Minnie, and Wang Cheng pose with the Kun Qu Dude.
Minnie and I with Kun Qu Dude. For once mine is arguably not the gayest shirt in the group. I said "arguably", OK?
The ladies, learning to sing Kun Qu.
Having presented Paper to my Scissors, Con got to represent our table and try his hand at some real Chinese Hao Ling.
Megan represents the Ladies' table. The third table was populated by foreigners with no Saloon members; the wimps and losers refused to try it.
Dressing up Minnie for some Kun Qu poses.
Now Minnie gets hand gesture training.
This foreign guy, whom we didn't know, was enjoying himself too much with this. So, of course, I had to kill him. No choice, really.
We all had a great time. Thanks Felix!
