Kunqu, or Kunshanqiang, first appeared in the lateYuan Dynasty(1271-1368), some 600 years ago, in the lower Yangtze Valley. It was one of the earliest genres of drama and named for its birthplace, Kunshan, near the city ofSuzhouin today'sJiangsu Provinceof East China. Carrying forward the tradition of ancient poetry and common speech, it is of very high literary value. It has a rich traditional repertoire.

The development of Chinese opera music went through three stages. In the early days, the songs were composed of long and short lines. The singer sang solo, and the orchestra only came in at the end of each line. Only percussion instruments were used. Later,Kunqumusic was the result of refinements made by musician Wei Liangfu in the mid-16th century.

In theMing Dynasty(1368-1644), reformed by Wei Liangfu during the reign of Emperor Jiajing,Kunqubecame mild, smooth, and graceful, and performers attached great importance to clear recitation, correct singing, and pure tunes; the composers wrote the musical scores after working out the tunes, and the songs were written in seven-character or ten-character lines. Three types ofmusical instruments(stringed instruments,bamboo flutes, and drums and clappers) formed the accompaniment.Kunquhad 12 roles, and all the characters other thanZhengshengandZhengdancould play leading roles. Moreover, theJingandChouroles were no longer those exclusively portraying foolish, awkward, or stingy people.

Kunquhas a complete system of acting as well as its own distinctive tunes. Its wide-ranging repertoire has many delicate and elegant tunes. The orchestra consists of traditional instruments including thedizi, a horizontal bamboo flute which plays the lead part; the xiao, a vertical bamboo flute; the sheng, a mouth organ; and thepipa, a plucked string instrument with a fretted finger board. Many Chinese local operas are greatly influenced by its tunes and acting style.

The performance of the playWashing GauzemadeKunqufamous throughout the country. Later,Kunqudeveloped into a national opera genre.

Washing Gauze by Liang Chenyu (1519-1591) drew its materials from a famous historical story: Gou Jian, king of the State of Yue, underwent self-imposed hardships so as to strengthen his resolution to wipe out a national humiliation. The love between Xi Shi and Fan Ji runs through this drama as a unifying thread. Their joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, as described by Liang Chenyu, follow the political twists and turns of Liang's time.

With its constant development,Kunqulater formed quite a few branches, such as Northern Kun, Xiang Kun, Chuan Kun, and Ning Kun. But during the mid-Qing Dynasty(1644-1911),Kunquwas on the decline. It was due to the comprehensive retrieval of those famous repertoires after China's liberation (1949) thatKunqufinally came back to life.

Other representative works ofKunquare: Escorting Jingniang Home (Qianli Song Jingniang), Fifteen Strings of Coins (Shiwu Guan), Love at First Sight (Qiang Tou Ma Shang), and The PeonyPavilion.

 Maestro ofKunqu: Yu Zhenfei

Yu Zhenfei, born in Songjiang (present-dayShanghai), was the best-known maestro ofKunquin the first half of the 20th century. His artistry inKunquis comparable to that of the famedMei LanfanginPeking Opera. Yu Zhenfei himself attributed much of his success to his thorough study and appreciation of classical literature.

Yu began to learnKunquat the age of six from his father who was then aKunquactor. His talented skills in using his throat and incredible appreciation of traditional art made him a maestro ofKunquand of Peking Opera as well. At the age of 14, he made his debut as Xiaosheng. In the 1940s, he went toHong Kongto perform. It was in 1957 that he returned to Shanghai and became the headmaster of the Shanghai Drama School.

Yu was also talented in traditionalChinese paintingandcalligraphy. Audiences were impressed by his elegant and delicate performance.