China: The Revival of Classical Music: Rendezvous with Peking and Kunqu Opera through Time and Space on the 130th Birthday of Mei Lanfang

TAIZHOU, China, Dec. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With its delicate and melodious arias and graceful and elegant movements, Kunqu opera, which originated in the port city of Kunshan in Jiangnan, has become one of the most precious treasures of Chinese opera. Kunqu not only symbolizes China's profound cultural heritage, but also serves as a link between traditional and modern art. 2024 marks the 130th anniversary of

the birth of Mei Lanfang (1894-1961). The major exhibition Radiance of Mei's Art - Commemorating the 130th Birthday of Mei Lanfang was recently opened at the Kunshan Theater and Opera Museum, expressing Mei's deep connection with Kunqu opera in a complex and haunting way.

A media snippet of this announcement is available by clicking this link .

The exhibition features magnificent costumes, precious performance photographs, historical programs, and much more. Each artifact reveals the cultural significance and lasting influence of the Mei school on the arts of Peking and Kunqu opera.

Among the exhibits, a costume that Mei Lanfang wore in the 1920s and 1930s during performances of the Kunqu opera "Dream in the Deserted Garden" stands out. The costume is intricately embroidered with ten different types of floral and bird patterns, with the gradient threads depicting Buddhist temples and flying birds, symbolizing "the blossoming of spring" and "eternity." As a world-renowned master of Peking and Kunqu opera, Mei Lanfang performed over 30 Kunqu pieces, with "Dream in the Deserted Garden" being his most performed and most successful Kunqu production.

In addition to the exhibition itself, Peking and Kunqu opera art lovers can also enjoy a series of bilingual short videos Honoring Mei Lanfang, A Classic Revival on the Facebook and YouTube platform "China Culture & Art". These videos allow viewers to "virtually experience" the masterpieces throughout Mei Lanfang's career. In the video series, young actors from the Taizhou Mei Lanfang Art Center recreate Mei's classic pieces on stage and opera excerpts during his visit to America, incorporating local cultural relics and opera elements in Taizhou. In this way, it is shown that the new generation of Peking opera performers in Taizhou follow in the footsteps of the great master Mei, admire his noble character, and represent the inheritance and promotion of the Mei school or "Mei art style", creating an important cultural value for the young people of Taizhou.

Quelle: Taizhou Mei Lanfang Art Center